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The Colosseum or Coliseum ( ), also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: ''Amphitheatrum Flavium''; Italian: ''Anfiteatro Flavio'' (:amfiteˈaːtro ˈflaːvjo) or ''Colosseo'' (:kolosˈsɛːo)), is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and sand,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Building the Colosseum )〕 it is the largest amphitheatre ever built and is considered one of the greatest works of architecture and engineering ever. The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in 72 AD,〔Hopkins, p. 2〕 and was completed in 80 AD under his successor and heir Titus. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (81–96). These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named in Latin for its association with their family name ''(Flavius)''. The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators,〔William H. Byrnes IV (Spring 2005) "Ancient Roman Munificence: The Development of the Practice and Law of Charity". ''Rutgers Law Review'' vol. 57, issue 3, pp. 1043–1110.〕 having an average audience of some 65,000;〔(Dark Tourism - Italy's Creepiest Attractions ), The Local〕 it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine. Although partially ruined because of damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is still an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and has also links to the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Frommer's Events – Event Guide: Good Friday Procession in Rome (Palatine Hill, Italy) )〕 The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin. The Colosseum's original Latin name was ''Amphitheatrum Flavium'', often anglicized as ''Flavian Amphitheater''. The building was constructed by emperors of the Flavian dynasty, following the reign of Nero. This name is still used in modern English, but generally the structure is better known as the Colosseum. In antiquity, Romans may have referred to the Colosseum by the unofficial name ''Amphitheatrum Caesareum'' (with ''Caesareum'' an adjective pertaining to the title ''Caesar''), but this name may have been strictly poetic〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=The Colosseum – History 1 )〕 as it was not exclusive to the Colosseum; Vespasian and Titus, builders of the Colosseum, also constructed an amphitheater of the same name in Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli).〔Mairui, Amedeo. ''Studi e ricerche sull'Anfiteatro Flavio Puteolano''. Napoli : G. Macchiaroli, 1955. (OCLC )〕 The name ''Colosseum'' has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby〔 (the statue of Nero was named after the Colossus of Rhodes). This statue was later remodeled by Nero's successors into the likeness of Helios (''Sol'') or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero's head was also replaced several times with the heads of succeeding emperors. Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome. In the 8th century, a famous epigram attributed to the Venerable Bede celebrated the symbolic significance of the statue in a prophecy that is variously quoted: ''Quamdiu stat Colisæus, stat et Roma; quando cadet colisæus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus'' ("as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world").〔; the form quoted from the Pseudo-Bede is that printed in Migne, ''Pat. Lat'' 94 (Paris), 1862:543, noted in F. Schneider, ''Rom und Romgedanke im Mittelalter (Munich) 1926:66f, 251, and in Roberto Weiss, ''The Renaissance Discovery of Classical Antiquity'' (Oxford:Blackwell) 1973:8 and note 5.〕 This is often mistranslated to refer to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus (as in, for instance, Byron's poem ''Childe Harold's Pilgrimage''). However, at the time that the Pseudo-Bede wrote, the masculine noun ''coliseus'' was applied to the statue rather than to what was still known as the Flavian amphitheatre. The Colossus did eventually fall, possibly being pulled down to reuse its bronze. By the year 1000 the name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. The statue itself was largely forgotten and only its base survives, situated between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.〔 The name further evolved to ''Coliseum'' during the Middle Ages. In Italy, the amphitheatre is still known as ''il Colosseo'', and other Romance languages have come to use similar forms such as ''Coloseumul'' (Romanian), ''le Colisée'' (French), ''el Coliseo'' (Spanish) and ''o Coliseu'' (Portuguese). == History == 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Colosseum」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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