Why Was the Colosseum Important to Rome?
It was a political statement. After the Great Fire of 64, Nero had taken over much of the area for his palace, the Domus Aurea, with an artificial lake in front of it. Vespasian filled in the lake and built the amphitheater on the land, a decision that can be read as a populist gesture: giving back to the people a part of the city that Nero had kept for himself. Why the Flavians chose an arena is told in
why the Roman Colosseum was built.
It stood in the center. Many amphitheaters were on the outskirts of their cities. The Colosseum was built in the city center, placing it symbolically and geographically at the heart of Rome.
It displayed Rome's hierarchy. Seats followed the social order: boxes for the emperor and the Vestal Virgins, a podium for senators, then knights, ordinary citizens and, at the very top, the poor, slaves and women.
It showed conquest. A reconstructed inscription says the emperor Vespasian paid for it from his share of the booty, and the booty came from the Jewish Temple after the war of AD 70. The park sums up the building as "A symbol of the splendour of the empire".
The trade-off: the populist reading is an interpretation of what Vespasian meant to do. The building and the inscription are the evidence, and his intent is inferred from them.
Why Is the Colosseum Famous?
Size comes first. The park calls it "the largest amphitheatre in the world", and Livius describes it as the largest amphitheater of the ancient world. How big it is, in numbers, is in
our Colosseum facts page.
Then there is what happened inside: hunts, executions and gladiator fights.
What really took place in the arena has its own page.
Its design still looks familiar. Numbered entrances and passageways that could empty the seats within minutes work much like those of a modern stadium.
And it is still there. After fire, earthquakes and centuries as a quarry, the north side of the outer wall still stands. UNESCO names the Colosseum among the monuments of antiquity that justify the World Heritage listing of Rome's historic centre, inscribed in 1980, and says the achievements of ancient Rome in architecture served as a universal model for later periods.
| Reason | In ancient Rome | Today |
|---|
| Location | built on land Nero had taken, in the city center | in the historic centre listed by UNESCO |
| Scale | seated about 50,000 by modern estimates | the park calls it the largest amphitheatre in the world |
| Meaning | a display of imperial power and social order | a symbol used in the campaign against the death penalty |
| Survival | used for at least five centuries | north side of the outer wall still standing |
Is the Colosseum a Wonder of the World?
It is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, a title from a campaign, not from a scientific ranking. The winners were announced on 7 July 2007 after a popularity poll by web and telephone, and the poll was considered unscientific partly because participants could vote repeatedly. UNESCO distanced itself from the project in 2001 and again in 2007.
The other six are the Great Wall of China, Petra, Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal and Christ the Redeemer.
The trade-off: the title measures popularity. The UNESCO World Heritage listing is a separate thing, and the two should not be confused.
Is the Colosseum Still Standing and Still Used?
It is partly standing. The north side of the outer wall survives, and most of what you see from the street elsewhere is the original inner wall.
It is not used as an arena. Because of the ruined interior, large events are impractical, and only a few hundred spectators fit in temporary seating. Much larger concerts have been held just outside, with the building as a backdrop.
It keeps other roles. It has hosted Roman Catholic ceremonies, including the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday led by Pope Benedict XVI. It has also become a symbol of the campaign against the death penalty: the city has changed its night lighting from white to gold when a death sentence is commuted or a jurisdiction abolishes capital punishment. The most recent case our source records is from 2012, so we cannot say how often this happens now.
Mainly, it is visited. What each ticket shows you today is in
our guide to the Colosseum ticket tiers.
Common questions
❓ Why was the Colosseum important to Rome?
It turned land Nero had taken for his palace into a public arena, stood at the heart of the city, displayed the social order in its seating, and was paid for with the spoils of war. The park calls it a symbol of the splendour of the empire.
❓ Why is the Colosseum so famous?
Its size, what took place in its arena, its engineering, and how much of it survives. The park calls it the largest amphitheatre in the world.
❓ Is the Colosseum one of the seven wonders of the world?
It is one of the New 7 Wonders, chosen in a popular vote announced in 2007. That poll was considered unscientific, and UNESCO distanced itself from it.
❓ Is the Colosseum a UNESCO World Heritage site?
Yes, as part of the Historic Centre of Rome, inscribed in 1980. UNESCO names the Colosseum among the site's monuments of antiquity.
❓ Is the Colosseum still used today?
Not as an arena. Only a few hundred spectators fit in temporary seating. It has hosted Good Friday ceremonies, and larger concerts have been held just outside.
❓ Is the Colosseum still standing?
Partly. The north side of the outer wall survives, and much of what you see elsewhere is the original inner wall.
Why a building was important is partly a matter of interpretation. This page separates what the sources record from what historians infer, and the uses described here are dated where our sources date them.
