Uploaded March 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
From its history, to its legendary fights, and its cultural impact, join us as we explore facts and history of the legendary colosseum! ( coliseum)
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9. A Landmark of the World
The kingdom of Rome was one of the most powerful and legendary empires of its time, or more accurately, both its time as a Republic and a true Emperor-led kingdom. But, in the time after the fall of Nero, a new Emperor rose in the form of Vespasian, and to help keep the people entertained, and to prove that Rome was moving forward, he had over 100,000 slaves (via a war with the Jews) to construct the Coliseum of Vespasian.
It was, and is, the largest Amphitheater ever built. It was so massive, and strong, that it could 80,000 people in it, which was good, because Rome was very large, and the contests that were held in the Coliseum were some of the things that people of Rome lived to see.
And for hundreds of years, this is what the Coliseum was known for, and if you haven't noticed, it's still around. That's because Rome had a way of making concrete that basic made it immortal. Yes, the Coliseum has been damaged in the past, but that honestly only affected the wooden parts, not the concrete for the most part.
Anyway, because of its history, it's one of the most popular landmarks in the world to visit, and by that I mean it's literally one of the most popular places in the world for tourists. Just in 2018, over 7.4 MILLION people went and saw the Coliseum! Making it the most popular tourist attraction in the world.
And as long as it's up, people are going to visit, especially since it's a pop culture icon as we'll detail a little bit later.
8. Chariot Racing - Gladiator Fights
If I was to mention "Rome" to you, there are likely several things that would pop into your mind. The city itself, its history, some of its rulers, and of course, the Coliseum. The Coliseum of Vespasian was one of the major wonders of the ancient world, and it was home to many a gladiator fight. The gladiator fights were battles of will and steel, and featured both proud warriors, and slaves trying to earn their freedom. These battles have been dramaticized heavily over the years via movies like Gladiator and Spartacus, as well as numerous TV series that pay reference to them.
So, you might think that the gladiator fights were the most popular thing in Rome when they were around. But...they weren't. While the Coliseum (at its peak construction before being destroyed partially in a fire) could fit anywhere from 50,000-90,000 people, the Circus Maximus, which was the place they held chariot racing at, could hold 250,000 people. That's quite a bit more.
Granted, there's obviously more aggressive episods and "story" in gladiator fights, which is why not too many movies have been made about chariot racing outside of Ben-Hur, but still, in Roman times, racing was better than fights apparently. Then again, when you look at how fondly Rome is looked at in the modern times, the main thing people remember is the Gladiator fights are one of the main things remembered. My how time changes how we look at things.
In case you were curious, the gladiator fights were outlawed when Christianity became the main faith of the people. The fights were deemed "barbaric", among other things.
7. The Coliseum Was Built For Peace, Not the opposite
Because of the...dramatic things that happened in the Coliseum, it's easy to think that something like that structure was built as a monument to aggressions. A display of the power of Rome, and what others who aren't as high classed as some have to look forward to. But in fact, that's not true.
We've teased out some of the things that led to the construction of the Coliseum, but there is a lot more to the story than we've told you. As mentioned, Nero was the last "great" emperor before he himself in 68 AD. What was to follow was a series of civil wars, each one starting and ending because various factions of people wanted a new leader, a better leader, and one that was as far apart from what Nero was as possible. Which if you think about it, is not a bad request. The problem was that the first three emperors weren't exactly up to , and thus more wars continued.
Which brings us to Vespasian. Vespasian was not a politician, he was a general, a good one too. And it was actually his men that all but forced him to take the mantle of Emperor. He only agreed to it because he realized that after all the politics and that had gone on with previous emperors, a more militaristic approach would be needed for what was to come.
I know that may seem to sound like he did a dictatorship, but that's it at all. Instead, he used the more basic and noble forms of military leadership to make Rome a better place. He made sure the senate was reinstated and given their rightful and just powers.
#DownTheRabbithole #Colosseum #Coliseum
From its history, to its legendary fights, and its cultural impact, join us as we explore facts and history of the legendary colosseum! ( coliseum)
Subscribe for more videos: youtube.com/c/DownTheRabbitHoleG9As1e?sub_confirmation=1?
9. A Landmark of the World
The kingdom of Rome was one of the most powerful and legendary empires of its time, or more accurately, both its time as a Republic and a true Emperor-led kingdom. But, in the time after the fall of Nero, a new Emperor rose in the form of Vespasian, and to help keep the people entertained, and to prove that Rome was moving forward, he had over 100,000 slaves (via a war with the Jews) to construct the Coliseum of Vespasian.
It was, and is, the largest Amphitheater ever built. It was so massive, and strong, that it could 80,000 people in it, which was good, because Rome was very large, and the contests that were held in the Coliseum were some of the things that people of Rome lived to see.
And for hundreds of years, this is what the Coliseum was known for, and if you haven't noticed, it's still around. That's because Rome had a way of making concrete that basic made it immortal. Yes, the Coliseum has been damaged in the past, but that honestly only affected the wooden parts, not the concrete for the most part.
Anyway, because of its history, it's one of the most popular landmarks in the world to visit, and by that I mean it's literally one of the most popular places in the world for tourists. Just in 2018, over 7.4 MILLION people went and saw the Coliseum! Making it the most popular tourist attraction in the world.
And as long as it's up, people are going to visit, especially since it's a pop culture icon as we'll detail a little bit later.
8. Chariot Racing - Gladiator Fights
If I was to mention "Rome" to you, there are likely several things that would pop into your mind. The city itself, its history, some of its rulers, and of course, the Coliseum. The Coliseum of Vespasian was one of the major wonders of the ancient world, and it was home to many a gladiator fight. The gladiator fights were battles of will and steel, and featured both proud warriors, and slaves trying to earn their freedom. These battles have been dramaticized heavily over the years via movies like Gladiator and Spartacus, as well as numerous TV series that pay reference to them.
So, you might think that the gladiator fights were the most popular thing in Rome when they were around. But...they weren't. While the Coliseum (at its peak construction before being destroyed partially in a fire) could fit anywhere from 50,000-90,000 people, the Circus Maximus, which was the place they held chariot racing at, could hold 250,000 people. That's quite a bit more.
Granted, there's obviously more aggressive episods and "story" in gladiator fights, which is why not too many movies have been made about chariot racing outside of Ben-Hur, but still, in Roman times, racing was better than fights apparently. Then again, when you look at how fondly Rome is looked at in the modern times, the main thing people remember is the Gladiator fights are one of the main things remembered. My how time changes how we look at things.
In case you were curious, the gladiator fights were outlawed when Christianity became the main faith of the people. The fights were deemed "barbaric", among other things.
7. The Coliseum Was Built For Peace, Not the opposite
Because of the...dramatic things that happened in the Coliseum, it's easy to think that something like that structure was built as a monument to aggressions. A display of the power of Rome, and what others who aren't as high classed as some have to look forward to. But in fact, that's not true.
We've teased out some of the things that led to the construction of the Coliseum, but there is a lot more to the story than we've told you. As mentioned, Nero was the last "great" emperor before he himself in 68 AD. What was to follow was a series of civil wars, each one starting and ending because various factions of people wanted a new leader, a better leader, and one that was as far apart from what Nero was as possible. Which if you think about it, is not a bad request. The problem was that the first three emperors weren't exactly up to , and thus more wars continued.
Which brings us to Vespasian. Vespasian was not a politician, he was a general, a good one too. And it was actually his men that all but forced him to take the mantle of Emperor. He only agreed to it because he realized that after all the politics and that had gone on with previous emperors, a more militaristic approach would be needed for what was to come.
I know that may seem to sound like he did a dictatorship, but that's it at all. Instead, he used the more basic and noble forms of military leadership to make Rome a better place. He made sure the senate was reinstated and given their rightful and just powers.
#DownTheRabbithole #Colosseum #Coliseum
