How Did The Colosseum Influence Roman Culture

1. Octavian was born in a wealthy equestrian, plebeian family in 63 B.C.E. He served under his maternal great-uncle Julius Caesar whom adopted Octavian and appointed him as his future heir. Being too powerful and admired, Julius Caesar was threatened and assassinated by as many as 60 Senators within Rome. Shortly after the assassination, Octavian and Mark Antony briefly attempted to defeat the assassins together in revenge for Julius Caesar. After their victory, they divided among themselves within the territory of the Roman Republic and eventually torn apart. Octavian along the Roman Senate later broke with Antony because of his decision to govern a vast Roman world-state with his wife Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. Octavian successfully overpowered …show more content…
Colosseum distributed an important aspect to Roman life of which it advertised a symbol of prestige and power the Roman Empire to its huge urban population. Its purpose was mainly dedicated to sports and spectacle, which were extremely important aspects of Roman culture. The Colosseum was constructed during the Flavian Dynasty in Rome where all different kind of games and entertainment took place such as famous gladiatorial combats, naval battles, displays of exotic animals, and even public executions and so on. Beside a variety of sports and spectacle, the Colosseum purposely kept its large unemployed and riot citizens distracted from the verge of revolt and their problems. Being constructed and opened in 80 C.E. as the largest of all the amphitheaters throughout the Roman Empire, the Colosseum covered 6 acres and was able to accommodate 50,000 spectators. The classical design features of the Colosseum were extremely complex, reminiscent of classical Greek style combining with Roman architecture. The freestanding structure of stone and concrete was covered with white marble exterior and rose to a height of almost 160 feet. It consisted of three levels of arched entrances supported by semi-circular columns. These three levels were intentionally arranged in their order by social class. The first level was Doric and mainly reserved for the important Romans such as the emperor, senators, Patricians and even rich citizens. The second was Ionic, which occupied the majority of …show more content…
Paul of Tarsus (originally known by the Jewish name of Saul) was the most significant figure in early Christianity. Paul was a wealthy Roman citizen and Jewish. He was a well-educated apostle that was given a very thorough Hebrew education as well as a traditional Greek education. Originally, Paul was a member of the Pharisees, an active persecutor group of Christians. He was strictly committed to Jewish law in which believed the Christians perverted Judaism by claiming Christ’s divinity. He was said to have encountered Jesus’s vision while on the road to Damascus to extradite Christians. After his conversion to Christianity, Paul converted to a new religion that soon made him the most prominent leader in the new movement. Paul began his ministry and spent the rest of his life preaching what he believed to be the principles of Jesus of Nazareth even though he never actually met him in the flesh. He then became one of the earliest evangelists (bearer of god), spreading the message of Christianity. Paul also distributed Christianity through his many writings accounting of the ideas and interpretations of Jesus’s life throughout the Roman world. He was the author of over half of the New Testament or Christian scripture (14 of the 27 books), emphasizing the main message of Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection. His popularity from a privileged Roman citizen to amongst Jewish leaders and influence toward Christianity made him the founder or creator of Christianity. Paul was