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Domus Aurea Vs Colosseum

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Once Vespasian became emperor, the Flavian Empire had to do something better. To condemn Nero’s memory, Vespasian wanted to build something more magnificent. The main parts of the Golden House were destroyed and Nero’s lake was drained to build the Flavian Amphitheater, also known as the Colosseum. Similarly to the Domus Aurea, the Colosseum stands as a spectacular monument of the Roman Empire with remarkable architecture and engineering. But, traces of the Domus Aurea could still be seen. Outside of the Colosseum is a standing statue of Nero that has been remodeled to be the Roman Sun God, Solis. This remodeling was done to create a more popular public opinion. Rome was a very large city of over a million people and after Nero’s unfavorable …show more content…

Rome was destroyed by the Great Fire to construct the Domus Aurea, while that was then destroyed to construct other places including the Colosseum, which in turn, took out many animal and human populations. Both emperors wanted to show power but just in different ways, just like Nero, the Colosseum took advantage of slaves. The Domus Aurea was a way for Nero to hold his power, keep it to himself and live how he wanted while draining government money and ignoring the poor community. While, “the Colosseum was a monument extolling the traditional male virtues of courage (virtus), discipline (disciplina) and skill at arms (ars militaris)…Vespasian was trying to re-instill into the ruling classes of Rome the traditional military virtues and traditions which had made Rome triumphant…while the Colosseum was not a monument to deprave, it was a testimony to the power and stability of the social order of Roman society and position if military virtues within that.” The Colosseum stands as a glorious but troubling monument to Roman Imperial power and cruelty. Inside it, for century’s people killed cold bloodedly as entertainment. It seems as if the buildings had gone from one type of extreme to the next. There was very much still a control of power but the values of each monument are different. There are some interesting similarities and ironies in the two monuments like the incredible architecture and engineering, power being exhibited, and it is ironic because the huge stature of Nero that turned into to Solis was once called the colossus which was in turned used as name inspiration for the

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