The Colosseum (ancient name: Amphitheatrum Novum or Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian: Colosseo, Anfiteatro Flavio) is the largest amphitheater built in ancient Rome, the largest enclosed structure of Roman antiquity and further the largest amphitheater ever built in the world. Constructed between 72 and 80 AD, the Colosseum served as a venue for mostly highly cruel and brutal events, hosted by members of the imperial family for the entertainment and amusement of the free inhabitants of Rome and the Roman Empire, with free admission. Today the structure’s ruins are one of the city’s landmarks and simultaneously a testimony to the high level of Roman architecture in ancient times.
