The Lion and the Slave in the Arena

Hope and Love in the Time of Cruelty and Death

Perhaps the greatest tourist trap in the city of Rome is the massive arena known as the Colosseum. Its ancient name was Amphitheatrum Flavium (Flavian amphitheatre) because it was built by the Flavian emperors and opened with a series of spectacular games in 80 CE. Nowadays it is crammed and besieged by tourists all year round. It has a beautiful exteri…