The Wonders of Rome!!! :D

Rome has a vast collection of ancient wonders and sites, and a famous building Rome had constructed was the Colosseum. The Colosseum was an elliptical structure that could hold approximately 55,000 spectators and measured more than four stories high. The Colosseum was covered with an enormous awning known as the velarium. This protected the spectators from the sun. It was attached to large poles on top of the Colosseum and anchored to the ground by large ropes. A team of about 1,000 men was used to install the awning. Emperors used the Colosseum to entertain the public with free games. Those games were a symbol of prestige and power, and they were a way for an emperor to increase his popularity. Games were held for a whole day, or even several days in a row. They usually started with comical acts and displays of exotic animals, and ended with fights to the death between animals and gladiators, or gladiators between gladiators. These fighters were usually slaves, prisoners of war or condemned criminals. Sometimes free Romans and even Emperors took part in the action. Hundred-day games were held by Titus, Vespasian's successor, to mark the inauguration of the building in AD 80. In the process, some 9,000 wild animals were slaughtered. The southern side of the Colosseum was destroyed by an earthquake in AD 847. Parts of the building - including the marble facade - were used for the construction of later monuments, including the St. Peter's Basilica.

~Jon