Colloseum, ROME

It was Emperor Vespasian who commissioned the Colloseum of Rome in 72 AD as an entertainment center for his subjects. It was opened by his son, Emperor Titus, in 80 AD even it was not yet completed with 100 consecutive days of public events, including bloody gladiator fights and non-gory theatrical productions. Commodus was the only emperor to fight in the Coliseum of Rome, which he did just for entertainment purposes. His matches were rigged by selecting opponents who were under-armed, poorly skilled or physically impaired from previous fights. He is the person portrayed as the malicious emperor in the Academy Award winning movie,starring Russel Crowe, The Gladiator. Emperor Honorius outlawed in 404 AD the Colloseum of Rome’s gladiator death duels. After the Rome fell to the Goths, the spectacles were stopped and the colloseum deteriorated due to neglect. In the 16th century, local construction firms quarry some of the large Colloseum of Rome stone building blocks for use in other sites, including St. Peter’s Basilica. It was only in the 19th century when the thru the initiation of the popes, the colloseum was reserved to be preserved for future generations.