20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn’t Know

Are you looking for some fun facts about the Colosseum in Rome? Then you’re in the right place.

It’s easy to see why Italy is a dream destination for most people who like to travel. It has old buildings that haven’t changed over time, winding streets with cobblestones, and quiet cafés at every corner. 

Among all the cities in Italy, Rome is the most popular when it comes to history and incredible Roman artifacts.

Legend says that Rome was founded by twins Romulus and Remus in 753 BC. It became the center of the Roman Republic, then of the Roman Empire, until in 4th century it finally became the capital of the Christian world.

Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980, the Colosseum is arguably the most famous monument in Rome. The Italian capital is often represented by this outstanding landmark.

So, you want to learn some interesting facts about the Colosseum for your upcoming trip to Rome? Read on.

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn't Know

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome

Here are 20 fun facts about the Colosseum in Rome that you probably didn’t know.

1. The Colosseum is nearly 2,000 years old

Over 1,900 years have passed since this architectural masterpiece of the ancient Romans was completed.

Amazing, right? No wonder it landed on top of our Roman Colosseum facts list.

The Colosseum is an indispensable component of the urban landscape of Rome. The construction work started in the year 72 AD and continued until the year 80 AD.

2. “Colosseum” is actually not its real name

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn't Know
Bust of Roman Emperor Vespasian (9 – 79 AD)
©shakko | Wikimedia Commons

Surprised? You’re not alone. There are Colosseum facts that we aren’t aware of, its real name being one of them.

If you asked someone in Rome where the Colosseum stood about 2,000 years ago, they would look at you blankly. The term “Colosseum” was given to this structure considerably later in history, which we are going to discuss next.

This giant amphitheater was built by the Emperor Vespasian, who belonged to the Flavia gens. Hence, the name “Flavian Amphitheater.”

Even though Vespasian died before it was completed, his son Titus and then the younger son Domitian took over and constructed the massive stadium. The name Flavius or Flavian remained.

3. The name “Colosseum” doesn’t refer to the structure’s size

This is probably one of the most surprising facts about the Colosseum.

The word colosseum is from the neuter Latin noun formed from the adjective colosseus, which is translated as “gigantic.”

It’s easy to think the Colosseum is so named due to its colossal size, but this isn’t the case.

The name is said to be derived from Colossus Neronis or the Colossus of Nero, a giant bronze statue – 98-foot tall – that the Emperor Nero (37–68 AD) had made in the lobby of his imperial villa complex in Rome.

It was in the year 1000 AD that it began to be called “Colosseum,” in reference to the amphitheater from the nearby “Colossus Solis.”

4. The Colosseum’s construction took only 8 years

When we ask people standing in front of the building how long they think it took to build, they frequently say 50 – 100 years. 

The time it took to construct the Colosseum is one of the most well-known statistics about the structure. You can better understand the Romans’ power when you consider the fact that the massive amphitheater was constructed in only eight years.

The actual building, however, was done largely by some 60,000 to 100,000 Jewish slaves.

5. The Colosseum is built on top of a man-made lake

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn't Know
The Colosseum in Rome

The Emperor Nero constructed a large residence for himself known as the Domus Aurea – or golden house. You will remember his giant statue from which the name “Colosseum” derives from. This was the place. Anyway, as part of his palace, Nero built a massive man-made lake surrounded by pilasters. 

When Vespasian took power after Nero committed suicide, he decided to drain the lake and build a massive amphitheater on top. 

As you might imagine, draining a lake of that size is not easy, so Vespasian’s engineers built a system of canals and transformed them into giant sewers, allowing the water to drain away and provide a continual flow of water beneath the Colosseum for sewage.

6. The Colosseum is the world’s largest amphitheater

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn't Know
The Colosseum Ampitheatre

The Colosseum is 157 feet at its highest point. That’s around the same as the Washington Monument. The area is twice the length of a football field.

The Colosseum has four levels; over 50,000 onlookers could enter through the 80 gates in ancient Rome.

The entire arena has a surface area of 6 acres, which makes it the world’s largest.

7. It has a capacity of 85,000 people

Archaeologists estimate a population of 50,000 – 60,000 people. However, according to Roman Regional Catalogues, at the end of the 4th century, a population of 85,000 might fit in.

Even if the number is closer to the low end of 50,000, that is still an impressive feat and a remarkable fact about the Colosseum, given that it was built almost 2,000 years ago.

Once you step on the Colosseum’s arena floor, you’ll realize how huge it is.

8. The Colosseum’s seating arrangement reflected ancient Roman hierarchy

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn't Know
The Colosseum’s mottled stone chairs

Seating at the Colosseum used to be organized by class, citizenship, and even gender. Seats were arranged in a tiered manner, which was proof of ancient Roman hierarchy.

There was a separate entrance and dining area for the Emperor and his entourage. The remaining people were segregated by class and seated on hundreds of rows of steps.

Women were separated from non-citizens, and enslaved people were forced to stand on built terraces that no longer existed.

A numbering system over each entry was utilized to direct guests to their proper locations.

9. The Colosseum was painted

While it may come as a surprise to you, most buildings and temples were once painted.

The limestone used to build the Colosseum, travertine, is a porous stone. They adopted a process known as “scialbatura,” which entails applying a thin layer of mortar and marble dust to keep the stone from degrading. This would turn the original white into a light pink or beige tone.

In terms of the rest of the structure, they painted the archways and statues to bring the entire complex to life.

10. There was no concrete in the Colosseum’s main structure

Impossible though it may seem, the Colosseum’s exterior construction was not built with concrete and cement. Instead, large blocks of stone weighing up to 20 tons were stacked on top of each other and held together with iron pins.

This is why the Colosseum appears like a slice of Swiss cheese today since those gaps are where the iron was pulled out of it throughout the Middle Ages.

11. The Colosseum hosted gladiator contests

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn't Know
A gladiator street show

Gladiators fought each other at the Colosseum, and thousands came to watch.

This was the ancient Roman equivalent to a great sporting event, and there were many spectators who regarded the bouts as entertainment.

While the Colosseum held other spectacles such as hunts and executions, the bloody gladiator games were the most common and also the most well-known.

12. Gladiators did not fight to their literal deaths

One of the lesser-known facts about the Roman Colosseum is that the gladiators were mostly enslaved. Most people believe that gladiatorial conflicts invariably result in death, but we’re here to dispel that notion.

Gladiators got expensive specialized training. Those who trained the warriors and promoted the tournaments did not want their gladiators to die in vain.

Contrary to common belief, the combat was frequently called off when one of the gladiators became too injured to continue.

13. A saint was martyred inside the Colosseum

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn't Know
St. Telemachus
Image courtesy: Orthodox Monastery Icons

St. Telemachus was an ascetic monk who was martyred in his attempt to stop an ongoing gladiatorial fight in the Flavian Amphitheater. This angered crowd stoned him to death.

This historic event took place during the reign of Emperor Honorius from 393 AD to 423 AD. The emperor was there at the time and did nothing to stop the martyrdom.

However, it is said to have inspired and spurred Honorius to eventually issue a ban on the brutal gladiatorial fights.

14. The Colosseum had elevators

One of the fantastic facts about the Colosseum is its elevators — but it is not the elevators used to get spectators to their seats.

The actual elevators were located beneath the arena floor. They were used to bring animals and gladiators to the main fighting area.

If you have watched the 2000 movie Gladiator, you may have observed that lions emerge from nowhere during battle sequences. In real life, such was made possible by the underground elevators.

15. A section of the Colosseum that was once underground can now be seen

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn't Know
The Colosseum’s arena showing the hygeum now filled with walls

Emperor Domitian added the Colosseum’s substructure called the hypogeum. The word translates as “underground” in English.

Before the hypogeum, the arena was flooded for naval fights. Gladiators and feral animals stayed in this bi-level underground arena portion before bouts.

The hypogeum had sand-covered wood flooring, like the Colosseum. Tunnels connected this arena section to the outer world. A rope-and-pulley system controlled 80 vertical corridors to bring gladiators and animals out to the public. 

Today, the hypogeum is plainly visible, and your tour guide will paint a vivid picture of the sites on any of our Rome trips.

16. The Colosseum was devastated by earthquakes

In 1348, an earthquake shook the site and shattered the foundation, resulting in the diagonal break down the side of the arena.

Because the Colosseum was built on soft silt, it trembled more than other amphitheaters during the earthquake.

A year later, in 1349, the Colosseum had to deal with another earthquake, and then another in 1703.

Although the last two quakes were not as destructive as the one in 1348, they still shook the Colosseum’s main structure significantly.

17. Vandalizing the Roman Colosseum was made illegal in 1749

We have Pope Benedict XIV to thank for saving the Colosseum.

In 1749, His Holiness decreed that since the Colosseum was a sacred site of Christian martyrdom (remember St. Telemachus), the famous Roman landmark was no longer allowed to be vandalized.

18. What we see today is only a third of the original Colosseum

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn't Know
The Colosseum “broken,” both by man and nature

You may be wondering why the Colosseum is “broken.” A huge chunk of this ancient structure is missing.

In fact, what survives of this massive Roman amphitheater today is just a third of the original structure.

The ancient amphitheater’s travertine stone blocks were removed and reused in building other structures such as churches. Some of these stones are now in the façade of the Basilica di Sant’Agostino near the Pantheon.

While we’ve mentioned the devastating earthquakes, they weren’t the only culprits. Looting barbarians and the Romans themselves also caused the damages that made the Colosseum look “broken.”

The structure suffered from bombings during World War II as well.

19. There are somewhere around 337 plant species outside the dome

Not only historians and archaeologists are interested in the Colosseum. There is a lot of interest in the Colosseum from botanists as well. 

Since 1642, botanists have been compiling a list of the various plant species that have established themselves as residents on the grounds of this abandoned amphitheater with time.

The current estimate is somewhere around 337 plant species creating a fabulous floral arrangement outside the dome.

20. The Colosseum is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World

20 Fun Facts About the Colosseum in Rome That You Probably Didn't Know
The Colosseum is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World

The Colosseum’s history and international acclaim won it a spot on the New 7 Wonders of the World list. 

Thousands of people voted for the Colosseum to be included on the list, and the accolade was announced on July 7, 2007.

The list also includes Petra and Machu Picchu, so the Colosseum is in good company.