 |
The real name is Flavius Amphitheatre but why does the entire world call it the Coliseum?
It has got the name from the big statue of the Emperor Nero, "the colossus" 35 metres high, which was right next to the amphitheatre and has been completely destroyed.
Like most of the modern sports stadiums, the Coliseum gave spectators good protection from the sun thanks to its ingenious roof covering, the "Velarium". The Velarium was an enormous linen tarpaulin hung by a system of ropes, winches and wooden poles that girded the top of the outer wall. It took one hundred sailors from the Imperial fleet to move it. They moved in perfect synchrony to the beating of a drum.
Today we can still view the magnificent Colosseum wich has been there for more than 2700 years!
|
ENGLISH 
