wo levels. The top level, which was added after the initial construction, was originally made of wood. After a few years, the wood was taken out and replaced with brick faced concrete. This was also used for other parts of the lower levels, and the vaults. Combined these building materials created an amphitheater that covered six acres. The dimensions have changed slightly over the years, as wars and disasters have taken their tolls, but the basic foundation remains intact in all places. The elliptically shaped walls were 620 feet by 507 feet on their long and short axes. Each level of the Flavian Amphitheater was designed differently with varied architectural styles. To maintain a standard of consistency each level had 80 arches that circled the exterior of the building, but opened into the interior seating levels. The first level was 345 high and 14 wide. Doric arches circled the outside. They were used on level one because they were the heaviest. The next level was 388 high, and had ionic arches that were 214 high and 14wide. The third level is 3710 high and has Corinthian arches 21 high and 14 wide. The Ionic and Corinthian levels, were used in upper levels, because they were much less heavy than their Doric counterpart. The fourth level, which was added at a later time, had a much more basic construction. It is decorated with Corinthian pilasters, which rose 456, and small rectangular windows. This top level also had brackets that anchored over 240 timber poles that were used to support a removable awning to protect spectators from the sun. When these three tiers were combined they rose over 150 feet into the air. The floor of this amphitheater started out as a simple oval, but as the years progressed so did the complication of the battle ground. The floor of the arena had a base made of wooden planks. These planks were usually then covered in sand. Sand was used because it was the best material for absorption of the blood that w...
