The ancient Colosseum in Rome was built 2,000 years ago. Tens of thousands of Romans stood alongside and watched a series of events, majority gruesome, take place inside it.
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Colosseum was used only about a dozen times a year, on religious holidays, festivals or the emperor's birthday.
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Here are five of the most over-the-top shows ancient Romans could watch at the Colosseum:
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1) Staged naval battles Not many would know this but Romans used to have mock naval battles, known as naumachia, inside the Colosseum.
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Smaller, scaled-down boats were used for the combat, according to the historians. Naumachia was primarily used to captivate the audience.
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2) Gladiator battles Gladiators in their shiny armours turned up on the hallow ground of Colosseum to engage in brutal and vicious fights.
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Spartacus, Marcus Attilius, Spiculus, Priscus and Verus were some of the popular gladiators.
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3) Human executions Convicted criminals, early Christians and non-citizens were routinely executed. To build drama, Greek and Roman myths were reenacted.
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4) Exotic animal fights Large apex-predators like lions, bears, and tigers often squared up against the gladiators as Romans vyed for grander spectacles.
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5) Forest hunting Apart from pitting predators and humans, Colosseum was transformed into a forest where animals and trained hunters were left inside to duke it out.