Inaugurated1 in A.D. 80 by the emperor Titus, the Roman Colosseum is the earliest prototype of the modern superdome. With a perimeter of 527 meters, 80 entrances, and the capacity to hold between 50 and 70,000 spectators, it rivals even the most advanced sports stadiums in size and utility of design, while greatly surpassing them in architectural grandeur.

Inaugurated in A.D. 80 by the emperor Titus, the Roman Colosseum is the earliest prototype of the modern superdome. With a perimeter of 527 meters, 80 entrances, and the capacity to hold between 50 and 70,000 spectators, it rivals even the most advanced sports stadiums in size and utility of design, while greatly surpassing them in architectural grandeur.

The Colosseum was constructed with tens of thousands of tons of a type of marble called travertine and held together with 300 tons of iron. When completed, it rose up 57 meters in four levels. The lower three provided seating for the spectators and were surrounded by magnificent arcades and 80 perfectly symmetrical arches, each embellished with a statue. The attic story contained brackets which could suspend a canopy for shade.

In spite of its glorious design, the Colosseum was built largely for the distraction of the masses in a cynical age, providing dramatic and often gruesome entertainments. Armies of slaves fought for their lives in horrific recreations of famous battles. Gladiators fought wild animals and one another to the death in return for their continued survival, the glory of victory, and precious gifts from their benefactors.

These spectacles of gratuitous violence may seem a little anachronistic, but they are also analogues in many ways to professional sports today. Perhaps the Colosseum is not really such an "ancient" artifact after all.

公元前80年由提多书大帝宣布落成的罗马竞技场，可谓是超级穹顶的最早原型。罗马竞技场周长527米，有80个入口，可容纳五至七万名观众，其规模及多用途的设计堪与最先进的体育馆媲美，其建筑之宏伟壮丽，更是后者望尘莫及的。

罗马竞技场是由数万吨名为“石灰华”的大理石加上300吨的钢铁铸建而成。完工后，有四层楼57米高。底下三层是观众席，环绕著巨大的环状拱廊，还有80座完全对称的拱门，座座都刻有雕像。顶层部份有托架用以悬挂罩篷，可以遮荫。

尽管设计得金碧辉煌，建造罗马竞技场的主要目的是，在愤世嫉俗的时代中，供人们忘情娱乐，演出戏剧张力十足、不时令人毛骨悚然的娱乐节目。在以著名战役为背景的骇人节目中，成群奴隶为生存而战。战士们与猛兽搏斗或自相残杀，至死方休，换来的除了继续生存的权利、胜利的荣耀、还有赞助者馈赠的厚礼。

这些暴力场面或许有些过时，然而类似的场景在现今职业运动中仍屡见不鲜。或许是罗马竞技场毕竟不是一座真正的“古迹”。