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Voted one of the seven modern wonders of the world, Rome’s Colosseum is an instantly recognizable building. Constructed by Emperor Flavian in the first century AD as a gift to his people, and still standing almost two millennia later, it has a rich and fascinating history. Films such as Gladiator and Spartacus popularize its reputation as home to brutal gladiator battles, but what is the real story behind the Colosseum? How did one emperor’s dream become a reality? Why was the arena abandoned for centuries? And what makes it so iconic in the 21st Century?

From Noiser, this is a Short History Of The Colosseum. Written by Nicole Edmunds.

With thanks to Greg Woolf, Ronald Miller Distinguished Professor of Ancient History at UCLA, and author of ‘The Life and Death of Ancient Cities’.