Imagine 50,000 spectators, refreshment stands, a giant retractable sail to act as a roof, and gladiators fighting panthers, hippopotami, crocodiles, and occasionally each other. According to Wikipedia, it has been estimated that 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games. However, according to the tour guide of the tour we joined to avoid the queue to get in (good tip), those numbers shoud be closer one million people and three million animals, so who knows. The arena continued to be used for contests well into the 6th century.
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