why was the colosseum called the colosseum

And apparently, bigger was better even back then. The Emperor Nero decided to have a bronze sculpture of himself erected outside his private home. But to fully understand how this magnificent structure got the name Colosseum, we have to back up a few more years to 68 AD. Emperor Vaspasian began the project but it was finished by Titus, his son. The Colosseum was built in record time between 72 – 80 AD. You can still see the large stone plaque on the Colosseum today. The amphitheater was built by Emperors of the Flavium Dynasty and was originally named the Amphitheater Flavium. Actually, like a colossal step back! Building the Colosseum aka Amphitheater Flavium To answer these questions we have to take a small step back in time. How was this possible? Was I asleep during my history class? Has it just been known as the Colosseum for so long that no one remembers the original name?

But I had no idea it wasn’t originally named the Colosseum.

I knew what it looked like from pictures, I knew it was a UNESCO world heritage site and I knew it was one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

When I was planning my trip to Rome, the Colosseum was at the top of my list. Have you ever wondered why you’re planning a trip to the Colosseum and not the Amphitheatrum Flavium? Or even the Colosseum and not the Coliseum?

Why was the colosseum called the colosseum