The Colosseum

Today the entire abroad program went on a guided tour of the Colosseum. We learned about the history of ancient Rome, the Emperors and the history of the games. Our Guide taught us about the Gladiators, naval battles, and wild animals that were all in the building. But apparently no Christians were ever killed in the building, they were executed elsewhere.

It was brutally cold and we rushed through some of the areas but still saw everything. We also got to see computer recreations of what the building looked like while it was still in use. The Romans extended the building even further with wooden supports to add an additional level above where the stone ended. They also suspended rocks on ropes from the exterior to cantilever canvas over the audience to protect them from the rain and sun. All very impressive considering they used no modern tools.