Roman Colosseum, Rome, Italy

If there is an ancient monument that symbolizes the raw power of the Roman Empire at its heyday, then the Roman Colosseum is that place. Then and now, the Colosseum has been hailed for its magnificent architecture from its mighty columns rising up into the sky to its complex set of subterranean passages. Indeed, it is one of the perfect examples of the Romans' vainglorious sense of architecture with their amazing knowledge of engineering, few other examples of which live to this day.

But take note that the Roman Colosseum was not the biggest amphitheater even when it was in full operation during ancient times. The Circo Massimo was then the biggest amphitheater with a capacity of 250,000 people while the Colosseum could only hold 50,000 at a time. Despite its smaller space, nonetheless, the Colosseum was the most fearful arena of its time, a reputation that continues to live on to this day.

Its reputation is well-deserved albeit at the cost of animal and human lives. First and foremost, the Colosseum was the site of thousands of gladiatorial shows where men fought to the death often with their freedom as the prize. You can almost feel the ghosts of the men who perished on the grounds of the Colosseum calling out to your own soul.

Animals, too, were used for entertainment. Animal hunts were popular among the ancient Romans with exotic beasts imported from Africa and Middle East fighting it out to the death with other animals as well as with gladiators. If you had lived then, you would have experienced the great sight of aurochs, wisents, rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, panthers, leopards, bears, Barbary lions, Caspian tigers and crocodiles in quick succession. To say that it was spectacular is an understatement.

Battles on land and on sea were also recreated for the recreation of the Roman plebeians and elite with Trajan providing the longest of these spectacles during a course of 123 days. If you want to get a handle on just how great an undertaking that was, think of 11,000 exotic animals and 10,000 gladiators spilling their blood, sweat and tears on the sand-covered floor of the Colosseum.

All things must come to an end and so it was with the Colosseum. It was abandoned when the Roman Empire fell until such time that only the plants became the permanent inhabitants. The Middle Ages and onwards saw other uses for the Colosseum, a redemption from its bloody past, in a manner of speaking.

The Colosseum then became a fortress for the city's warrior families, a quarry for building materials for the surrounding palazzos, a center for workshops, a housing complex, quarters for a Christian religious order, and a Christian shrine. Indeed, the Roman Empire may have long been gone but the Colosseum still remains and it looks like many more generations will stand in awe of this great monument.

Today, the Colosseum is one of the top draws in Roman tourism. You will find long lines snaking from its entrance and spilling into the streets, which you can avoid by arriving as early as possible before opening time.

To do that, you should book a nearby holiday apartment Rome for the duration of your holiday. You can then easily visit the Colosseum and the other tourist spots of the great city of Rome.

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