File:The life of the Greeks and Romans (1875) (14582224708).jpg

Identifier: lifeofgreeksroma00guhl (find matches)
Title: The life of the Greeks and Romans
Year: 1875 (1870s)
Authors: Guhl, E. (Ernst), 1819-1862 Koner, W. (Wilhelm), 1817-1887, joint author Hueffer, Francis, 1843-1889, tr
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Publisher: London, Chapman and Hall
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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nterrupted by eighty arcades, forming theopenings of the numerous systematically arranged corridors andstaircases of the interior. The lowest row of these arcades(vomitoria) is adorned with Doric, the second story with Ionic,and the third with Korinthian semi-columns. The fourth storyconsists of a wall adorned with Korinthian pilasters, and inter- THE COLISEUM. 435 mpted by windows. The total height is 156 feet. Figs. 439 and441 show views of the exterior and interior of the Coliseum inits present state. In the upper story 240 small projections areconspicuous, to which answer as many openings in the chiefcornice. These were destined to carry masts, to which ropes werefastened, to support an awning (velarium) stretched across theenormous space. The section (Fig. 440, from a design by Fontana,modified by Hirt) serves to illustrate the interior arrangements(compare also Fig. 434), The Coliseum consists almost entirely oftravertine freestone, carefully hewn ; the interior, partly built of
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Fig. 440. bricks, has considerably suffered during the Middle Ages. Atone time it served as the castle of the Frangipani family ; atanother it was systematically ransacked for building materials(the Palazzo della Cancelleria, Palazzo Farnese, and Palazzo diS. Marco have been built of such) ; but its grand forms havewithstood all these attempts at destruction. In the substructureof the rows of seats, the corridors (itinera), passages, and stairsleading up to them are still recognisable. The lowest part of thespectators* place, viz. the podium, has been built higher than was thecustom in theatres : as a further means of protection against the f f 2 436 THE COLISEUM. wild animals in the arena other contrivances were added. Xearthe podium were the seats of the imperial family, of the highestmagistrates, and of the Yestals; at the back of them followed theordinary rows of seats in three stories (mceniana, corresponding tothose of the exterior arcades), the lower of which, containing aboutt

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