The spelling was sometimes altered in Medieval Latin: coloseum and coliseum are attested from the 12th and 14th centuries respectively. By the year 1000 the Latin name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre from the nearby "Colossus Solis". The word colosseum is a neuter Latin noun formed from the adjective colosseus, meaning "gigantic" or "colossean". The giant bronze sculpture of Nero as a solar deity was moved to its position beside the amphitheatre by the emperor Hadrian ( r. 117–138). The name Colosseum is believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero on the model of the Colossus of Rhodes. The name colosseum for the amphitheatre is attested from the 6th century, during Late Antiquity. In antiquity, Romans may have referred to the Colosseum by the unofficial name Amphitheatrum Caesareum (with Caesareum an adjective pertaining to the title Caesar), but this name may have been strictly poetic as it was not exclusive to the Colosseum Vespasian and Titus, builders of the Colosseum, also constructed an Flavian Amphitheatre in Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli). This name refers to the patronage of the Flavian dynasty, during whose reigns the building was constructed, but the structure is better known as the Colosseum. Though the modern name Flavian Amphitheatre ( Latin: amphitheatrum Flavium) is often used, there is no evidence it was used in Classical Antiquity. Originally, the building's Latin name was simply the Latin: amphitheatrum, lit.'amphitheatre'. The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and also has links to the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum. Īlthough substantially ruined because of earthquakes and stone-robbers (for spolia), the Colosseum is still an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and was listed as one of the New7Wonders of the World. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. The Colosseum could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators at various points in its history having an average audience of some 65,000 it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles including animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Roman mythology, and briefly mock sea battles. The Colosseum is built of travertine limestone, tuff (volcanic rock), and brick-faced concrete. The three emperors that were patrons of the work are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named the Flavian Amphitheatre ( Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio ) by later classicists and archaeologists for its association with their family name ( Flavius). Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian ( r. 81–96). Construction began under the emperor Vespasian ( r. 69–79 AD) in 72 and was completed in 80 AD under his successor and heir, Titus ( r. 79–81). It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world today, despite its age. The Colosseum ( / ˌ k ɒ l ə ˈ s iː ə m/ KOL-ə- SEE-əm Italian: Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum.
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