It's all about the plumbing

Today we visited two sites: the Colosseum and the Baths of Caracalla. While this two sites many appear to be very different from each other, they both were built for use by the public (although different purposes) and they both had water features.

The Colosseum
Prior to the construction of the Colosseum, Rome did not have a permanent amphitheater. The plan of the Colosseum featured two amphitheater placed back to back, which creates the elliptical shape. Construction began in the 1st century under Vesapasian and was completed under Titus. The Colosseum hosted a number of events, including gladiator matches, executions, re-enactments of battles, and mock sea battles. Prior to the Colosseum, an artificial lake existed on the site. When the Colosseum was built, it was possible to 'flood' the lower levels to create a lake where sea battle could take place. As time passed, the floor was raised so that trapped doors could be added. These trap doors surprised participants when animals or people were hoisted up onto the arena floor.




The Baths of Caracalla
The Baths of Caracalla were public baths, or thermae, estimated to be able to hold 1600 bathers at any given time, with between 6000-8000 visitors per day. The Baths of Caracalla featured not only cold and hot water (heated underground... the floor would get so hot that people had to wear wooden sandals over risk burning their feet) baths, but also gymnasiums, changing rooms, and libraries.

Today, it's hard to get a really sense of what the Baths were really like. Only a few walls, tiled floors, and mosaics remain.