the roman colosseum was originally called

They even made an artificial island in the middle of the arena where the sailors landed to fight.įlooding such a huge space in a short period of time would be a difficult task even for us now, using modern equipment. The event replicated the battle between Athens and Syracuse.

Then, they used special flat-bottomed ships during the battle to accommodate for the shallow water. When the Colosseum was finished, Romans asked themselves: what better way to celebrate the building’s capability than to flood the Colosseum and hold a massive naval battle? And so, the first one Colosseum naval battle was held during the arena’s opening ceremony.Įmperor Titus ordered the new Colosseum to be flooded. It was a truly impressive event, attended by people from all over Italy. Up to 3,000 men fought in the sea battle, which featured 12 Roman galleys.

The very first naumachia was part of this celebration, in honor of his military efforts against Gaul and Egypt in 46 B.C.Ĭaesar ordered the excavation of a basin close to the river Tiber, creating a fake lake around 1,800 feet long and 1,200 feet wide and surrounded by marble seating for the wealthy spectators. He had just made his triumphant return after defeating his rival, Pompey the Great. when Rome threw a massive party for Julius Caesar. Staged ship battles were called naumachia and began in 46 B.C.

The roman colosseum was originally called