Image Details:

This panoramic photograph of the Roman Coliseum was taken by James Blakeway. The Coliseum is one of Rome's most visited tourist attractions. When the Coliseum was completed in 80 A.D., the opening was celebrated with 100 days of games. It sat over 50,000 spectators, was over 160 feet high and had eighty entrances. Public events such as gladiator fights and wild animal hunts were held with professional fighters, volunteers or people who were captured to fight. The gladiator fights were held until 404 A.D., and for much of that time, according to tradition, Christians were thrown to the beasts.