Colosseum

The Colosseum Was Built by Jewish Captives After the Sack of Jerusalem

That is the fact that most visitors standing outside it do not know, and knowing it changes the weight of the building. The Flavian Amphitheatre was completed in 80 CE under Emperor Titus, financed by the looting of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE and built by the Jewish captives brought back as slaves after the Roman siege. The Arch of Titus, immediately to the west in the Roman Forum, commemorates that same campaign – the relief sculpture inside the arch shows Roman soldiers carrying the Temple menorah in triumph. Both monuments occupy the same small area of Rome.

The Colosseum held approximately 50,000 to 80,000 spectators in seating segregated by social class: senators at the front on marble, knights behind, citizens above, women in the upper tiers. A retractable awning (velarium) was managed by a dedicated crew of sailors from the Misenum fleet. Spectacles included gladiatorial combat, animal hunts (venatio), public executions, and occasionally mock naval battles when the arena floor was flooded.

Two-thirds of the original stone and marble was removed over the centuries for other construction projects. What remains is the concrete core and travertine limestone piers.

Tickets and Booking

Adult entry costs EUR 18 and includes the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill on the same day. Book online at coopculture.it in advance – the walk-up queue exceeds two hours in summer. The Hypogeum (underground passages beneath the arena floor) and the upper third tier require separate tickets with limited availability (approximately EUR 8 to 22 additional) that sell out weeks ahead in peak season.

What to See

The arena floor was partially reconstructed in 2023 with a wooden section that allows events and gives visitors the gladiator-level perspective. Looking down into the exposed hypogeum from arena level shows the network of corridors, lifts, cages, and chambers below: 28 lift shafts used to raise animals and set pieces from below, counterweighted and operated by teams of slaves. The engineering is as impressive as the spectacle it served.

The third tier gives the best structural overview of the entire interior: the geometry of the seating cavea, the radial corridors, and the barrel vaults all visible simultaneously.

The Roman Forum

The combined ticket covers the Roman Forum immediately west. Allow one to two hours separately. The Temple of Saturn (six columns standing), the Arch of Titus, and the House of the Vestal Virgins are the main structures. Walk up the Palatine Hill behind the Forum; the ruins and the views over the Circus Maximus are the best archaeological panorama in Rome.

Practicalities

Metro Line B stops directly outside. Arrive at opening (09:00) to minimise crowd density. July and August are the worst months; May and October are significantly quieter. The restaurants immediately surrounding the Colosseum are tourist traps without exception; walk ten minutes toward the Celio neighbourhood or the Testaccio market district for food that bears any resemblance to what Romans actually eat.