Note 192 — THE FLAVIAN AMPHITHEATRE, COMMONLY CALLED THE COLOSSEUM.

See pp. 1, 8. That the amphitheatres were among the finest buildings of the Romans in all their cities it is hardly necessary to say; it seems clear that they were first built for the favourite amusement of the hunting of wild beasts, and that the first name for them was Theatrum Venatorium; but the gladiators were soon introduced, for the further amusement of the people in the same buildings. Both amusements are believed to have been used in Greece before they were introduced into Rome, but they were in use in Rome before the time of the Empire. At first, the amphitheatres were temporary buildings of wood only (as has been shewn), but there were several of these. After the great Flavian amphitheatre was completed, this seems to have been the only one in Rome; but those of several other cities, such as Capua and Verona (see the learned work of Scipio Maffei, Verona Illustrata, Milano, 1876, parte quarta) must have been nearly equal to it.