Hofstra Odyssey

The Colosseum

There are so many important monuments and sights to see in Rome that it is difficult to choose where to go first.  We decided to go with one of the most well known symbols of this ancient city: the Colosseum. My favorite part about visiting the Colosseum is how much a part of Rome it still is. When we stepped out of the dark, crowded metro station, the first thing we saw was this massive building. It was an image we were used to seeing only in movies or history textbooks, and here it was right next to regular panini shops, local Romans going about their daily business, and men dressed in gladiator costumes trying to trick you into paying for a picture with them.

Construction on the Colosseum began around the year 72 A.D., and lasted until about 80 A.D. The stadium could seat thousands of Roman spectators as they watched the gory gladiator battles. We not only admired the structure from the outside, but also went inside and got an idea of what the stage used to look like, and saw the underground labyrinth- like structure that once held the animals that the gladiators had to fight. We all agreed that the Colosseum was well worth the visit, and it definitely sticks out in my mind as one of the highlights of Rome.