#e <t>construction<d>69<e>80<n>Colosseum<c>Rome<info>The Colosseum is the popular name for the Flavian Amphitheater. It was so named because the amphitheater stood next to a colossal 37-m high statue (now demolished) of Nero. Construction of the Colosseum was started by Vespasian in A.D. 69. When inaugurated by his son Titus in A.D. 80, the immense oval superstructure stood 49 m high and covered an area 615 m long by 156 m wide. The exterior walls were of travertine, the inner walls of tufa, and the vaulting of the ramped seating area of monolithic concrete. The outer wall had four stories, and its arches were framed by superimposed orders: Roman Doric on the ground floor, Ionic above that, and Corinthian on the third level. The fourth story, embellished with Corinthian pilasters, carried wooden masts from which an awning (velarium) was suspended to shield spectators from the sun. Marble and wooden seats accommodating up to about 50,000 spectators surrounded an arena 86 m by 54 m. The floor of the arena was made of heavy wooden planks; chambers below housed animals for the games. The ravenous beasts were passed from these chambers to the arena by means of special corridors and counterbalanced elevators. Sometimes the flooring was removed and the entire area flooded for mock naval battles. Although the Colosseum has been damaged in several earthquakes, much of it is still standing. Only a portion of its masonry remains, however, because it served as a handy quarry during the Middle Ages; much of the travertine for Saint Peter's Basilica came from the Colosseum.<ref>Grolier
#e <t>volcano<n>Pompeii destroyed<d>79 Aug 24<c>Napoli
#e <t>construction<d>118<e>128<n>Pantheon<c>Rome<info>Built in the reign of Emperor Hadrian, the Pantheon is the best preserved and most impressive of all Roman buildings. It has exerted an enormous influence on all subsequent Western architecture. The Pantheon was designed and built by Hadrian to replace an earlier temple established by Agrippa. The existing structure is an immense round temple covered by a single dome, fronted by a transitional block and a traditional temple portico of eight Corinthian columns carrying a triangular pediment. Originally, the awkward juxtaposition of these three sections was softened by a rectangular forum in front of the temple. The temple is deceptively simple in appearance, consisting of a circular drum carrying a hemispherical dome with an inside diameter of 43 m. The proportions are such that, if extended to the floor, the curve of the inner surface of the dome would just "kiss" the floor; thus, a perfect sphere is contained, a symbolic reference to the temple's dedication to all the gods - pan ("all") plus theos ("god") - in the sphere of the heavens.<ref>Grolier
#e <t>construction<d>122<e>128<n>Hadrian's Wall<c>Great Britain<info>The Romans built a rampart known as Hadrian's Wall as a defense against the Picts and Scots of northern Britain. This 117-km stone and turf wall links castles and forts, stretching from the mouth of the Tyne to the Solway Firth.
#e <t><d>312 Oct 26<n>Constantine's vision<c>Rome<info>Constantine claimed to have a vision (doubted by his chroniclers) on this day in A.D. 312. He saw a flaming cross blazing above the sun. The cross was inscribed with the Greek words, "en toutoi nika," meaning "in this sign conquer." The following day he fought a victorious battle against his rival, Maxentius, north of Rome.
