Private Skip-the-Line Colosseum Tour, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Le Colisée, aussi appelé l’Amphithéâtre Flavien, est le plus ancien amphithéâtre de l’Antiquité jamais construits. La construction fut terminée en 80 après J-C, le Colisée a donc bien plus de 1000 ans. The Colosseum, also called the Flavian Amphitheater, is the oldest ancient amphitheater ever constructed. Building was completed in 80 AD, making the Colosseum over 1,000 years old.

Construction of the Roman Colosseum began under Emperor Vespasian in 70 AD and was completed in 80 AD under his successor Titus with several modifications after that during the reign of Domitian -like the fourth story that was added in 82 AD.

Although the Gladiator movie plot by Ridley Scott was fictional as were some of the characters in it, there were some historical accuracies. The beginning of the Gladiator movie takes place in 180 AD when Emperor Marcus Aurelius was in power. Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was actually a real Roman emperor that ruled from 161 to 180, known as the ‘Five Good Emperors’ of Rome. While Marcus’ son Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix in the Gladiator movie) did become Emperor upon his death, the rest of the storyline is largely fictional and historically inaccurate. Commodus ruled jointly with his father from 176 to 180 and then solo from 180 until 192 but little of his life or details of his reign are known. And unfortunately there is no evidence that Russel Crowe’s character of Maximus Decimus Meridius ever existed.

The Roman Forum or Foro Romano are the ruins that remain of the ancient forum (plaza) of Imperial Rome, now located in the city center of Rome. The Roman Forum was once the center of day-to-day life in Rome, where political meetings, speeches and processions were held. It was also a common meeting place for everyday Roman citizens. Originally a marketplace and commercial epicenter of the Roman Empire, The Forum Romanum (in Latin) is now one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the world, especially being alongside an active and bustling modern city.