Blood Lust...

Rome, Italy

October 9, 2007
N41°53.384
E012°29.562

The anxious crowd of 70,000 scurries through one of the eighty entrances and finds their assigned seats; peasants find their cheap seats nearly 300 feet above the action, women in their special section away from the commoners, the wealthy citizens in the mezzanine, and knights in the lowest section, just meters from the action. The main podium in the center of the arena is reserved for VIPs such as emperors and senators with its own private entrance.

Gladiators walk into the arena, the size of an American football field covered in sand, unsure of what beast they will face and most likely be the victims of today. Beneath them is a labyrinth where animals and other entertainment wait, usually regretfully, for their turn to go on stage.

The gladiators (usually prisoners of war or slaves) anxiously dig their feet into the sand that effectively soaks up the blood from a previous battle. They nervously scan the arena, not sure where the threat will come from, but knowing it will be just minutes before they are fighting for their lives.

The crowd begins to get restless and a gradual roar fills the air of the coliseum. Finally, a trap door snaps open and an exotic wild animal rushes into the arena looking to destroy anything in its path… the Gladiators. The frenzied roar of the lions and tigers, the growl of a bear (oh, my), or mighty grunts of elephants and rhinos are muffled by the fanatical screams of the Roman spectators that fill the arena. It’s time for blood to be spilt! Yes, we are in the great Coliseum of Rome!

As we stood in the middle of the great Roman Coliseum today, we tried to picture the excitement of the crowd as the battles occurred. At times the Coliseum would be filled with spectators 24 hours a day, witnessing the bludgeoning of animals and humans. The inauguration of the awesome building lasted for 100 days and over 5,000 animals were slaughtered.

In addition to the blood shed that probably still haunts the site today; we discussed the incredible architectural feat of building the immense structure. It was built over 2,000 years ago of brick, stone and marble and only took eight years to complete. Unfortunately, after the fall of the Roman Empire the site was rarely used, pretty much abandoned, and then most of the valuable marble and stone was poached by Michelangelo or other artists contracted by the church, for use in the Vatican.

The current day Romans continue to renovate this great structure, rightfully so, since it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was definitely impressive, but this is just a mere glimpse of the great city of Rome!