It was the last thing they would see a trapdoor opening in the floor of the Colosseum to unleash a snarling ... The seven-metre high wooden machine, powered by slaves deep in the stadium's belly ...

Explore a plan of the Colosseum to investigate six key areas. Each shows an aspect of the sophisticated technology and planning that lie behind this incredible structure.

If one adds the slaves that were working in the quarries to cut the stones, one gets at least 20,000 to 30,000 people involved. How many bricks or stones went into building the Colosseum?

It’s 157 feet tall, like a 15-story building ... of gladiators. The Colosseum, about 189 x 156 meters, could hold over 65,000 people. Gladiators, including slaves and prisoners, were key ...