Secrets of the Colosseum- page 3 | History | Smithsonian Top
Cities for the Cultural Traveler: Rome Rome: Top Cities for the
Cultural Traveler During gladiatorial games in the arena, a vast
network of man-powered machinery made animals and scenery appear
from beneath a wooden floor as if by magic. (Dave Yoder)
Secrets of the Colosseum  A German archaeologist has finally
deciphered the Roman amphitheater's amazing underground
labyrinth  Smithsonian Magazine | Subscribe  (Continued from
page 2)  Beste says the hypogeum itself had a lot in common with
a huge sailing ship. The underground staging area had “countless
ropes, pulleys and other wood and metal mechanisms housed in
very limited space, all requiring endless training and drilling
to run smoothly during a show. Like a ship, too, everything
could be disassembled and stored neatly away when it was not
being used.” All that ingenuity served a single purpose: to
delight spectators and ensure the success of shows that both
celebrated and embodied the grandeur