Like other famous monuments worldwide like the Parthenon in Athens, many different regimes made their mark on the Colosseum. Elkins, such events give the Colosseum its legacy as a “monument to dynasty and death.” However, there is also the initial function as a venue for staging events like gladiatorial contests.
In fact, there is arguably no better remaining monument to the architectural and engineering marvels of the Roman Empire. Indeed, in many ways, the Colosseum is the forerunner of the mega stadiums of our world.īut the Colosseum is so much more than an ancient arena. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena hosts the game popularly called the “Grandaddy of them all.” But that would make the games held in the Colosseum the great-great- (many more greats)-grandaddy of all competitions.
