ld seats for the members of the general Equestrian order (the rich). The second and third levels were for the general citizens, and whichever seats the general public did not fill the poor used. The upper level, which usually was standing room only, was where women and the lowest class of citizens sat. Soldiers were separated from the civilians, married men were separated from bachelors, and boys were required to sit with their tutors. In the mind of a Roman the amphitheater in general was a place of great symbolic meaning. It was a place where the victory of human civilization prevailed over lawlessness, chaos, barbarism, and savagery. It was also a place of justice. Criminals, Christians and prisoners of war, were often forced to battle it out in front of the crowds with each other or other wild beasts. In the times of the Romans there were also professional gladiators who used the amphitheater as a way of proving their supremacy and gain money. The inauguration of the Flavian Amphitheater occurred in 81AD. Admission to the Flavian Amphitheater was free. The ruling classes felt that by giving free entertainment to the masses, the people would remain happy and have little reason for rebellion. The first games lasted over 100 consecutive days, and it is said that over that time it saw the deaths of 9,000 wild animals, and 2,000 gladiators. For the next 500 years the senate and other high public officials hosted games for the public which would endure the cruel torture of over a million prisoners. The Flavian Amphitheater hosted many kinds of events. In the beginning it was used for duels between animals vs. animals or men vs. men. As time went on and the public became more accustomed to the gruesome nature of these battles, they began to crave more violence. It has been said that the violent behavior became addicting. Eventually battles began to involve one on one combat between men and animals. These fights would often include caves...
