Editing Colosseum (section)

=== Exterior ===
[[File:Colosseum exterior, inner and outer wall AvL.jpg|thumb|left|The exterior of the Colosseum, showing the partially intact outer wall (left) and the mostly intact inner wall (center and right)]]
Unlike [[Roman theatre (structure)|Roman theatres]] that were built into hillsides, the Colosseum is an entirely free-standing structure. It derives its basic exterior and interior architecture from that of two theatres back to back. It is elliptical in plan and is 189 meters (615&nbsp;ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 meters (510&nbsp;ft / 528 Roman feet) wide, with a base area of {{convert|6|acre|m2|order=flip}}. The height of the outer wall is 48 meters (157&nbsp;ft / 165 Roman feet). The perimeter originally measured 545 meters (1,788&nbsp;ft / 1,835 Roman feet). The central arena is an ellipse 87&nbsp;m (287&nbsp;ft) long and 55&nbsp;m (180&nbsp;ft) wide, surrounded by a wall 5&nbsp;m (15&nbsp;ft) high, above which rose tiers of seating.

The outer wall is estimated to have required over {{convert|100000|m3|e6ft3|abbr=off|lk=out}} of [[travertine]] stone which were set without mortar; they were held together by 300 tons of iron clamps.<ref name="claridge"/> However, it has suffered extensive damage over the centuries, with large segments having collapsed following earthquakes. The north side of the perimeter wall is still standing; the distinctive triangular brick wedges at each end are modern additions, having been constructed in the early 19th century to shore up the wall. The remainder of the present-day exterior of the Colosseum is in fact the original interior wall.

[[File:Exterior of the Colosseum 01.JPG|thumb|[[Superposed order]] of the Colosseum]]
The surviving part of the outer wall's monumental façade comprises three [[Superposed order|superposed]] storeys surmounted by a [[podium]] on which stands a tall [[attic]], both of which are pierced by windows interspersed at regular intervals. The arcades are framed by half-columns of the [[Doric order|Doric]], [[Ionic order|Ionic]], and [[Corinthian order|Corinthian]] orders, while the attic is decorated with Corinthian [[pilaster]]s.<ref name="oxford_classical">Ian Archibald Richmond, [[Donald Emrys Strong]], [[Janet DeLaine]]. "Colosseum", ''The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization''. Ed. Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth. Oxford University Press, 1998.</ref> Each of the arches in the second- and third-floor arcades framed statues, probably honoring divinities and other figures from [[Classical mythology]].

Two hundred and forty mast [[corbel]]s were positioned around the top of the attic. They originally supported a retractable [[awning]], known as the ''[[velarium]]'', that kept the sun and rain off spectators. This consisted of a canvas-covered, net-like structure made of ropes, with a hole in the center.<ref name=roth/> It covered two-thirds of the arena, and sloped down towards the center to catch the wind and provide a breeze for the audience. Sailors, specially enlisted from the Roman naval headquarters at [[Misenum]] and housed in the nearby ''Castra Misenatium'', were used to work the ''[[velarium]]''.<ref>{{cite web| last = Downey | first =  Charles T. | date = 9 February 2005 | url = http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2005/02/colosseum-was-skydome.html | title =  The Colosseum Was a Skydome? | access-date =2 August 2006}}</ref>

[[File:Colosseum-Entrance LII.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Entrance LII of the Colosseum, with [[Roman numerals]] still visible]]

The Colosseum's huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled or evacuated quickly. Its architects adopted solutions very similar to those used in modern stadia to deal with the same problem. The amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators.<ref name=roth/> Each entrance and exit was numbered, as was each staircase. The northern main entrance was reserved for the [[Roman Emperor]] and his aides, whilst the other three axial entrances were most likely used by the elite. All four axial entrances were richly decorated with painted [[stucco]] reliefs, of which fragments survive. Many of the original outer entrances have disappeared with the collapse of the perimeter wall, but entrances XXIII (23) to LIIII (54) survive.<ref name="claridge"/>

Spectators were given tickets in the form of numbered pottery shards, which directed them to the appropriate section and row. They accessed their seats via ''[[vomitorium|vomitoria]]'' (singular ''vomitorium''), passageways that opened into a tier of seats from below or behind. These quickly dispersed people into their seats and, upon conclusion of the event or in an emergency evacuation, could permit their exit within only a few minutes. The name ''vomitoria'' derived from the Latin word for a rapid discharge, from which English derives the word vomit.