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Colosseum: Quick Facts

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News •

Rome demonstrators storm Colosseum as Europe's youth protests spread • Oct. 25, 2026, 10:16 PM ET (ABC News (Australia))

Did You Know?

  • An estimated half million people and one million animals were killed during events held in the Colosseum.
  • Built in little under ten years, contruction of the Colosseum employed mostly builders who were slaves from the newly conquered province of Judea.
  • Events at the Colosseum were free to attend, but women and slaves were given seats with the worst views. Broken pieces of clay were used as tickets, and those with a higher socioeconomic status were given better seats.
  • The original name of the Colosseum was Flavian Amphitheater, named for the dynasty of the emperor Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian.
  • The vomitorium was the entrance to the Colosseum where spectators would "spill in", analagous to the flow of vomit.

Photos and Videos

Colosseum
Colosseum
Colosseum
Colosseum
Colosseum
Figure 10: Ruins of a wall of the Colosseum, Rome, built by the emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, c. AD 72-80.
Rome: Colosseum
Exterior view of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, showing its massive stone arches and partially ruined upper level, with tourists walking around the base.
Colosseum, Rome, completed 82 ce.
The Colosseum in Rome, Italy, showing the exterior of the ancient stone amphitheater with its multiple arches and partially ruined upper levels.
The video thumbnail image shows an ancient drawing of a gladiator holding a shield and spear.
Learn about the effects of local underground construction on the Colosseum and the preservation efforts to save the monument
History of Rome's Colosseum
The rise and fall of the Roman Empire
Glimpse remnants of the Roman Empire in the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Via Appia
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