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Inside the Roman Colosseum: Bloodsport for 50,000 Fans | Smartest Year Ever (June 14, 2025)
What kind of empire builds a stadium where trapdoors launch tigers, elevators lift rhinoceroses, and ships fight naval battles on floodwater—all in front of 50,000 fans breathing rose-scented mist?
In this episode, Gordy explores the Colosseum: not just an ancient arena, but a precision-engineered machine of blood, power, and propaganda. From hypogeum trapdoor systems that rival modern stagecraft, to naumachiae—actual sea battles fought inside the arena—this isn’t just a story about gladiators. It’s a story about control, spectacle, and the very human urge to turn violence into theater.
And wait until you hear what was happening underneath the arena floor.
Come for the lions. Stay for the scent machines.
Sources:
Hopkins, K. (1983). Death and Renewal. Cambridge University Press.
Futrell, A. (2006). The Roman Games: A Sourcebook. Blackwell Publishing.
Suetonius. The Twelve Caesars.
Cassius Dio. Roman History.
Coarelli, F. (2007). Rome and Environs: An Archaeological Guide. University of California Press.
Golvin, J.-C. (1992). L’Amphithéâtre Romain: Essai sur la Théorisation de sa Forme et de ses Fonctions.
Hopkins, K. (2011). Colosseum. Harvard University Press.
Beard, M. (2015). SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. Liveright.
Golvin, J.-C. (1988). L'Amphithéâtre Romain: Essai sur la Théorie de sa Construction. École Française de Rome.
Coleman, K. (1990). “Fatal Charades: Roman Executions Staged as Mythology.” Journal of Roman Studies, 80, 44–73.
PBS Nova. (2015). Colosseum: Roman Death Trap.
#AncientRome #Gladiators #RomanEmpire #colosseum #SmartestYearEver #sevenwonders #wondersoftheworld #historyfacts
Music thanks to Zapsplat.
View all episodes
By GordyWhat kind of empire builds a stadium where trapdoors launch tigers, elevators lift rhinoceroses, and ships fight naval battles on floodwater—all in front of 50,000 fans breathing rose-scented mist?
In this episode, Gordy explores the Colosseum: not just an ancient arena, but a precision-engineered machine of blood, power, and propaganda. From hypogeum trapdoor systems that rival modern stagecraft, to naumachiae—actual sea battles fought inside the arena—this isn’t just a story about gladiators. It’s a story about control, spectacle, and the very human urge to turn violence into theater.
And wait until you hear what was happening underneath the arena floor.
Come for the lions. Stay for the scent machines.
Sources:
Hopkins, K. (1983). Death and Renewal. Cambridge University Press.
Futrell, A. (2006). The Roman Games: A Sourcebook. Blackwell Publishing.
Suetonius. The Twelve Caesars.
Cassius Dio. Roman History.
Coarelli, F. (2007). Rome and Environs: An Archaeological Guide. University of California Press.
Golvin, J.-C. (1992). L’Amphithéâtre Romain: Essai sur la Théorisation de sa Forme et de ses Fonctions.
Hopkins, K. (2011). Colosseum. Harvard University Press.
Beard, M. (2015). SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. Liveright.
Golvin, J.-C. (1988). L'Amphithéâtre Romain: Essai sur la Théorie de sa Construction. École Française de Rome.
Coleman, K. (1990). “Fatal Charades: Roman Executions Staged as Mythology.” Journal of Roman Studies, 80, 44–73.
PBS Nova. (2015). Colosseum: Roman Death Trap.
#AncientRome #Gladiators #RomanEmpire #colosseum #SmartestYearEver #sevenwonders #wondersoftheworld #historyfacts
Music thanks to Zapsplat.