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aethelgifu's review against another edition
4.0
Well I swithered and dithered about reading this DURING A219 and how I wish I had: pg 53 discusses Symmachus [of the mosaic in the exam] and how he write letters about putting on gladiatorial shows to celebrate his son's praetorship.....:-0 Anyhoo, I really enjoyed this short chunter through the life of the Colosseum from 80AD to now. Less idiosyncratic and more useful than the volume on the Roman Forum in the same series.
booksrockcal's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Interesting history on the origin and development of the Colosseum from its inception, architecture, and development to its history and site of Christian Martyrdom. It’s interesting that Napoleon was a catalyst to assure its preservation.
sleepyboi2988's review against another edition
2.0
While the authors have interesting points it feels as if they try to cover too much in too little space. Many things I would have liked to have been elaborated on were only mentioned in passing in one sentence, while other things that didnt seem as interesting were discussed at times for pages. This obviously is rather opinion based but this book is merely ok, nothing great but not horrible either.
caroparr's review against another edition
4.0
Concise, informative and lively. How many gladiators really fought in the Colosseum? Were early Christians actually martyred there? And what about the craze for visiting it by moonlight? Well done.
jgolomb's review against another edition
5.0
This is the perfect overview of one of the most iconic buildings in the world. Mary Beard, renowned for her accessible and insightful views on world history, collaborated with Keith Hopkins to create an erudite but very readable history of a building that simply took my breath away the first time I saw it live a few years ago.
The Colosseum was recently named one of the 7 NEW Wonders of the World. It’s eye-catching and iconic series of white stone arches, uniformly built into multilayered tiers that diagonally slope where the building has decayed over the course of almost 2000 years, exudes ancient history and immediately invokes images of toga-festooned senators cheering on blood-soaked gladiatorial battles. Beard and Hopkins write, “the Colosseum has become for us the defining symbol of ancient Rome…” driven by “a combination of admiration, repulsion and a measure of insidious smugness. For it is an extraordinarily bravura feat of architecture and a marker of the indelibility of ancient Rome from the modern landscape…”
The authors effectively combine over 30 pictures, drawings and maps with a blend of history, religion, architecture, opinionated analysis, and a fascinating look at the world of gladiators.
The building itself was placed on the remains of Emperor Nero’s famed Golden House, a vast compound that he had built on the charred remains of a burned Rome. The Emperor Vespasian built the amphitheatre as a way to give something back to the people who’d suffered greatly under the rather unstable Nero. Originally known as The Flavian Amphitheatre (Flavian being the family name of Vespasian), the building opened under the reign of Vespasian’s son Titus, two years after the popular Vespasian died.
The authors take great care to highlight the realities of the many myths surrounding the building. While it was likely that Christians were killed in the Colosseum, there exists no evidence that they were fed to the lions, nor evidence indicating they were killed en masse. Animal hunts were a highlight of the many multi-day events held in the building, but it’s highly unlikely that over 5000 animals were killed during the 100-day opening ceremonies.
Following a 300-400 year run as the marquee sporting venue in the Roman empire, the building’s purpose varied dramatically until the mid-19th century when it was finally recognized for its historic, archeological, and touristic value. Popes chargeed a fee to ‘quarry’ its stone for use in other buildings throughout the city. Christian sects utilized the building off and on throughout the centuries, building a chapel, at one point, on the arena floor, and creating enough infrastructures in and around the building to support pilgrims traveling across Europe. The building had even become a botanists dream where it housed 418 different species of flora until the mid-19th century.
Ancient Emperors, modern world leaders, and even celebrities have all claimed a connection to the ancient building. One of the most impressive images in the book is of Benito Mussolini riding horseback, with the Colosseum as a backdrop, during the inauguration of the Via del Impero. The building has held modern concerts, though the acoustics are thought to not be very good.
Having visited the building personally, I also feel a connection to this world wonder. It feels a bit antiseptic. Tourists are corralled into queues and limited in where they can go. Gates, fences and other touches of modernity are subtle but preset and noticeable. But if you’re a wanderer, you can find more. You’ll find random assemblages of travertine stones - unclear whether they're from a more modern repair, an aborted renaissance "quarry", or simply ancient stone with no clear place in the archaeological puzzle. Look hard, and find ancient graffiti or inscriptions
I'm a bit of an "archaeophile" I'll admit. But a visit to The Colosseum is simply too monumental to go underprepared. "The Colosseum" is a must read. I've dog-eared the pages of this book that I'll read to my family during our upcoming trip to the Eternal city. The book has just over 200 pages, but it's cut smaller than the average trade paperback. The writing is clear and concise, and full of easily consumed information.
The Colosseum was recently named one of the 7 NEW Wonders of the World. It’s eye-catching and iconic series of white stone arches, uniformly built into multilayered tiers that diagonally slope where the building has decayed over the course of almost 2000 years, exudes ancient history and immediately invokes images of toga-festooned senators cheering on blood-soaked gladiatorial battles. Beard and Hopkins write, “the Colosseum has become for us the defining symbol of ancient Rome…” driven by “a combination of admiration, repulsion and a measure of insidious smugness. For it is an extraordinarily bravura feat of architecture and a marker of the indelibility of ancient Rome from the modern landscape…”
The authors effectively combine over 30 pictures, drawings and maps with a blend of history, religion, architecture, opinionated analysis, and a fascinating look at the world of gladiators.
The building itself was placed on the remains of Emperor Nero’s famed Golden House, a vast compound that he had built on the charred remains of a burned Rome. The Emperor Vespasian built the amphitheatre as a way to give something back to the people who’d suffered greatly under the rather unstable Nero. Originally known as The Flavian Amphitheatre (Flavian being the family name of Vespasian), the building opened under the reign of Vespasian’s son Titus, two years after the popular Vespasian died.
The authors take great care to highlight the realities of the many myths surrounding the building. While it was likely that Christians were killed in the Colosseum, there exists no evidence that they were fed to the lions, nor evidence indicating they were killed en masse. Animal hunts were a highlight of the many multi-day events held in the building, but it’s highly unlikely that over 5000 animals were killed during the 100-day opening ceremonies.
Following a 300-400 year run as the marquee sporting venue in the Roman empire, the building’s purpose varied dramatically until the mid-19th century when it was finally recognized for its historic, archeological, and touristic value. Popes chargeed a fee to ‘quarry’ its stone for use in other buildings throughout the city. Christian sects utilized the building off and on throughout the centuries, building a chapel, at one point, on the arena floor, and creating enough infrastructures in and around the building to support pilgrims traveling across Europe. The building had even become a botanists dream where it housed 418 different species of flora until the mid-19th century.
Ancient Emperors, modern world leaders, and even celebrities have all claimed a connection to the ancient building. One of the most impressive images in the book is of Benito Mussolini riding horseback, with the Colosseum as a backdrop, during the inauguration of the Via del Impero. The building has held modern concerts, though the acoustics are thought to not be very good.
Having visited the building personally, I also feel a connection to this world wonder. It feels a bit antiseptic. Tourists are corralled into queues and limited in where they can go. Gates, fences and other touches of modernity are subtle but preset and noticeable. But if you’re a wanderer, you can find more. You’ll find random assemblages of travertine stones - unclear whether they're from a more modern repair, an aborted renaissance "quarry", or simply ancient stone with no clear place in the archaeological puzzle. Look hard, and find ancient graffiti or inscriptions
I'm a bit of an "archaeophile" I'll admit. But a visit to The Colosseum is simply too monumental to go underprepared. "The Colosseum" is a must read. I've dog-eared the pages of this book that I'll read to my family during our upcoming trip to the Eternal city. The book has just over 200 pages, but it's cut smaller than the average trade paperback. The writing is clear and concise, and full of easily consumed information.
donzhivago's review against another edition
4.0
Reasonably interesting enough as a history of the Colosseum, but far more compelling were two ideas presented at the end.
First, the Colosseum's fascinating re-use as manure pit, fortress, housing, glue factory, and church in the centuries following its abandonment. This hauntological consideration of the Colosseum's many lives deserves its own book; I would relish 1,000 pages of Michener or Rutherfurd historical fiction.
The other is the botanical history of the Colosseum, which for whatever reason was home to hundreds of exceptionally rare plant specimens. The plants kill the structure, risking collapse, while archaeology kills the plants, eradicating them from our planet, so who deserves to win out?
The history part is fine, and well done, but these two ideas will stay with me far more than the preceding gladiatorial combat.
First, the Colosseum's fascinating re-use as manure pit, fortress, housing, glue factory, and church in the centuries following its abandonment. This hauntological consideration of the Colosseum's many lives deserves its own book; I would relish 1,000 pages of Michener or Rutherfurd historical fiction.
The other is the botanical history of the Colosseum, which for whatever reason was home to hundreds of exceptionally rare plant specimens. The plants kill the structure, risking collapse, while archaeology kills the plants, eradicating them from our planet, so who deserves to win out?
The history part is fine, and well done, but these two ideas will stay with me far more than the preceding gladiatorial combat.
evygirl's review
4.0
Fart joke turned this from 3 to 4 stars. Not bad but I think I liked the Temple of Jerusalem one better.