Eight Days That Made Rome

The Colosseum's Grand Opening (1x7)

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Bettany Hughes explores the day in 80AD when the Colosseum opened its gates for the first time. For new emperor Titus, the spectacular games and events were an opportunity to win over the people and secure his place on the imperial throne. Titus was in this position because out of the carnage of Emperor Nero's death and the civil war that followed, a new imperial dynasty was born, one that looked to win over the hearts of the people by building the largest arena the world had ever seen: Rome's Colosseum. Examine the day in 80 A.D. when the Flavian Amphitheatre opened with a 100-day exhibition of animal and human slaughter. The episode visits the site, explores ancient artifacts, and sees how the Colosseum remains a testament to Rome's reach and ambition and its thirst for blood and glory.