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The Colosseum as an Enduring Icon of Rome: A Comparison of the Reception of the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus

The Colosseum as an Enduring Icon of Rome: A Comparison of the Reception of the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus

By Andrea. D. Van Drew

Western Illinois Historical Review, Vol.1 (2009)

Colosseum in 1757

Introduction: “While stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand; When falls the Coliseum, Rome shall fall; And when Rome falls – the World.” The preceding quote by Lord Byron is just one example of how the Colosseum and its spectacles have captivated people for centuries. However, before the Colosseum was constructed, the Circus Maximus served as Rome’s premier entertainment venue. The Circus was home to gladiator matches, animal hunts, and more in addition to the chariot races. When the Colosseum was completed in 80 CE, it became the new center of ancient Roman amusement. In the modern day, thousands of tourists each year visit the ruins of the Colosseum, while the Circus Maximus serves as an open field for joggers, bikers, and other recreational purposes, and is not necessarily an essential stop for tourists. The ancient Circus does not draw nearly the same crowds that the Colosseum does. Through an analysis of the sources, there are several explanations as to why the Colosseum remains a popular icon of Rome while the Circus Maximus has been neglected by many people, despite it being older than and just as popular as the Colosseum in ancient times.

Early scholarship on the Colosseum and other amphitheaters focused on them as sites of death and immorality. Katherine Welch sites L. Friedländer as one who adopted such a view, arguing that his Christian values clouded his objectivity. He thought the spectacles consumed the Roman people, corrupting them in some manner.



With time, historians began to view the Colosseum as a symbol of the power of the Roman state. Welch emphasizes the Colosseum and amphitheaters in general, as one of Rome’s most “emblematic” constructions. She argues that because amphitheaters were so common in Roman culture, they were often ignored by scholars or passed off as a “manifestation of Roman cruelty.” Welch’s book specifically addresses the evolution of both amphitheater architecture and of the spectacles held within their walls.

Alison Futrell and Paul Plass focus on the spectacles produced in Roman amphitheaters, viewing the arena as a social and political institution. Futrell states that the Colosseum especially was a site of “emperor-worship”, but other Roman leaders like Augustus emphasized this in amphitheaters that pre-date the Colosseum. Plass’ work also centers on bloodshed and the political aspects of the games in the Colosseum. He claims that there was a “need to process violence,” which was the purpose of the games.

Click here to read this article from Western Illinois Historical Review

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