What was the population of Rome when the Colosseum was built

A.
The Colosseum was built over ten years and finished in 80AD. Very few documents exist which would give Rome's population then, so Abots's question is a tough one.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Q. Any rough idea, though

A. The only sources worth using are official documents and inscriptions. Death registers at that time were kept only for select groups. It would be possible to use results from archaeological digs, however. By multiplying the evidence of the number of homes (insulae, or tenements) by an average number of people who lived in them, a result can be found.

Q. So for this period...

A. The best figure I can find is between 450,000 and 600,000 within Rome's walls and 1 million to 1.5 million in the hinterland. This compares with a 1999 figure of 293,068 for Rome alone. Comeleon, in his (or her) answer to the question, says: 'The population of Ancient Rome is the subject of much debate about how to interpret the results of the census. Did they include women and children Did they include slaves The most recent academic research seems to point to a number in the region of 500,000.'

Q. Tell me more about the Colosseum.

A. Aha, you've been watching Gladiator, haven't you The Colosseum, or Flavian Amphitheatre, was begun by the emperors Vespasian and Titus in 80AD and completed by Domitian. It is built as a vast ellipse with tiers of seating for 50,000 spectators around a central arena. The Colosseum had about 80 entrances so crowds could arrive and leave easily and quickly. Below the wooden arena floor, there was a complex set of rooms and passageways for wild beasts.

Q. Beasts

A. Lions, elephants etc. Romans had some horrible habits.

Q. Such as

A. Gladiators (or bestiarii to be more precise) fought lions, elephants and monkeys. Actually, they massacred them. These cruel spectacles were immensely popular and by the time they were abolished in 523, entire species had been removed from their habitat, including hippopotamuses in Nubia and elephants in northern Africa. Up to 9,000 animals were killed in the dedication of the Colosseum alone.

Q. Yuck! And occasionally these poor lions would be able to feast on a religious morsel or two

A. Christians being fed to the lions Contrary to common belief, there's no documentation to back this up.

Q. Oh. What about the gladiatorial shows then

A. Most shows in the Colosseum lasted all day, beginning with comedic contests and exotic animal shows in the morning and moving on to professional gladiator events in the afternoon.

Q. Professionals

A. Professional gladiators, primarily condemned criminals, prisoners of war, and slaves, fought either animals or each other, usually until death. Their weapons might include nets, swords, tridents, spears, or firebrands. Free Romans and women would sometimes enter the fight for a few brief moments of glory.

Q. Hmm. Some glory. Any other weird events

A. Mock sea battles.

Q. Without water. Obviously.

A. With water actually. The Colosseum could be flooded for simulated naval battles (naumachiae) on large artificial lakes. However, the Romans found it was damaging to the foundations as well the flooring and stopped it after the first ten years.

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By Steve Cunningham