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Amphitheater/Arena and Current Day Stadium
The Colosseum was the largest and most famous of all Roman Amphitheaters/Arenas. The present day New York Yankees Stadium (which most are called) is one of the most famous Modern Arenas. An amphitheater in definition is an open-air venue for spectator sports, concerts, rallies and theatrical performances. Amphitheaters were given this name because they resembled two theaters joined together. Modern day arenas and stadiums even though have the same basic shape can be semicircle or more of a theatrical seating in front of the stage rather than an oval or complete circle shape. This is one of the similarities in the Roman Colesseum (Flavian Ampitheater) and the New York Yankees Stadium. I hope to validate the derivitive of our Stadiums from the Roman times and present not only different yet similar attributes of both.
The Colosseum also known as the (Flavian Ampitheater) was originally constructed by emporer Vespasian after the destuction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D, it was dedicated by Titus and completed by his younger son Domitian. This ampitheaters exterior consisted of three tiers of arches and an attic story, which made four total teirs. The outter wall stood 157 feet high. The Colosseum was oval and measured about 600’ X 480’ and the actual areana was about 90’ X 55’. Estimates of the Colosseums capacity ranged from 40,000 to 60,000 spectators. The seating arrangements reflected the stratification of Roman society. On a large podium the senators had a large box and sat on marble seating divided into fourteen sections. Next came the equestrian order, who sat in the lower tier (ima cavea) on marble seats. Citizens wealthy enough to afford wearing togas occupied the nineteen rows of marble seating in the middle area (media cavea). Above them in the summa cavea sat poor slaves, freedmen and foreigners residing in Rome. These were made of limestone and divided into sixteen sections. Finally at...