[Romulus]

Despite the undeniably bloody history of Rome's Flavian Amphitheatre (popularly known as the "Colosseum" -- so spelt), there's surprisingly little evidence of Christian martyrdoms having taken place there. We know that Ignatius of Antioch was martyred in Rome, and though the Colosseum is the most likely venue, we have no account to support that theory. The Neronian persecutions (including the martyrdoms of Peter and Paul) antedate the Colosseum (in fact it was probably the colossal statue adjoining Nero's Domus Aurea, demolished when the Flavians restored political stability after the extinction of the Julio-Claudian line, that gave its name to Rome's first permanent stone amphitheatre, begun by Vespasian and completed by his son Titus, the despoiler of Jerusalem). The most ancient and complete accounts of Christian martyrdoms "ad bestias" are those of Perpetua (North Africa) and Polycarp (Smyrna).

[dighton]

At last, some interesting facts.

[wimpycat]

Oops, I didn't see this post when I posted my earlier post.