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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Roman Games

Colosseum underground. Source:  Lukasz Janyst / Adobe Stock.

Beneath the Arena: A Journey Through the Colosseum’s Subterranean World (Video)

In 83 AD, Emperor Domitian ordered a major renovation of the Colosseum in Rome to create a hypogeum , a vast labyrinth beneath the arena floor. With the help of skilled master builder Haterius and...
Top image: Roman Soldiers at rest at a Roman camp.	Source: Андрей Журавлев/Adobe Stock

When Soldiers Play: The Surprising History of Gaming in the Roman Army (Video)

Think gaming is a recent phenomenon? Think again. The ancient Roman Army was also known to indulge in various forms of games and gambling, particularly during their leisure time. But these games were...
Wild carnivorous animals emerge from a trap door into the Colosseum. ‘The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer, by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1883.

Complex Elevator and Trap Door System for Raising Wild Animals into the Colosseum Reconstructed

Many thousands of people suffered violent deaths in the gladiatorial contests of the Colosseum and other arenas of the ancient Roman empire. Innumerable animals killed and were killed in the blood-...
Inside the Roman Colosseum.

Red-painted numbers helped Romans find their seats in the Colosseum

Archaeologists have discovered that the carved seat numbers in the Roman Colosseum had been painted red to make the seats easier to see, assuring orderly, trouble-free seating of the crowd--who then...