On a sunny afternoon a tour guide showed us and thirty of our new best friends the noteworthy parts of the Colosseum and Roman Forums, two of the most visited sites in Italy. 

Colosseum – Depicted on the Italian five cent euro coin and visited by over 6 million people each year, the Colosseum was built between 72 and 80 AD by 60,000 Jewish slaves. At that time it was the largest amphitheater ever built. The Flavian Dynasty of Roman emperors commissioned the construction of the oval-shaped Colosseum to increase their popularity, show the world examples of Roman engineering methods, and provide a place for different types of entertainment. 

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The Flavian Ampitheater, as the Colosseum is also called, could seat over 50,000 spectators for activities such as gladiator fights, mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, mythological dramas, and re-enactments of battles. Many years later the ampitheater was such was used for housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

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Our guide explained that the outer wall of the Colosseum was built without mortar and the 100,000 cubic meters of travertine stone was held together with 300 tons of metal clamps. Earthquakes in the 9th and 13th centuries caused most of the damage that we saw on our tour. Many of the stones that fell during the trembling were moved to other parts of Rome for building hospitals, churches, and palaces. During our time at the Colosseum we walked past stone walls without the structural metal clamps. Thieves left pockmarks in the walls when they pried or beat out metal.  Some of the majestic walls have already been rebuilt and restoration is continuing, especially in the floor area in the center of the large oval.

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Roman Forum – Our tour group and guide headed immediately to the next door Roman Forum after seeing the Colosseum. In the center of the city, this large rectangular open area provided a gathering spot surrounded by temples, basilicas, and government buildings. The site quickly became the financial center of the Roman Empire.  Over the years processions, elections, speeches, and criminal trials also occurred here. After the fall of the Roman Empire the forum was used as pasture land. Excavation began in the 18th century and still continues today. 

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