Roman Colosseum

The Colosseum in Rome is a magnificent structure a 50,000-seat Amphitheatre. A history that dates back to its Construction between 70-80 AD.

The Roman Colosseum is now a tourist attraction of epic proportions constructed by the Vespasian, Titus Empire. A massive structure with incredible walls that could rival the most modern soccer and football stadiums of the modern era. The Colosseum was constructed with the purpose to entertain the ordinary people.

The Roman’s entertainment -unlike our organized sports teams- was to have prisoners fight wild animals. I’m pretty sure they had an annual People vs. Lions Super Bowl. The Roman Empire most likely had a different name for it and probably banned tailgating. To be clear, some professional Gladiators fought to put on shows and re-enactments of Roman battles for entertainment.
On the other hand, stripped-down prisoners condemned to death entered the Colosseum without a weapon only to be ripped apart by wild beasts.

Looking out over this magnificent structure, it struck me that it was not a “happy place.” A place where you would take a selfie with a big grin or pose for a picture with your significant others smiling face. I say this because it is estimated that 400,000 people lost their lives and 1000,000 animals were slaughtered there; that’s not a lot to smile about.

The very thought of humans vs. animals in an arena is nothing short of barbaric. It seems that our ancestors’ entertainment options were limited. To think where would we be without Hollywood and the NFL?

Although I was fortunate enough to experience this fantastic structure, the Colosseum, my thoughts were not without emotion for the lives lost. There is an image of me looking solemn overlooking the inner portion. I never thought much about the photo and my expressionless look until uploaded to the website.

It’s clear to me that the emptiness that I displayed was real. There are plenty of historical sites in Rome to appreciate and smile during a photo shoot. But, the Colosseum one of the 7th wonders of the world in all its glory is not a laughing matter.