GLADIATORS

A title : GLADIATORS
The author : Minna Lacey & Susanna Davidson
Publisher : USBORNE
Year of the publication : 2006
YL : 1.9

The colosseum was able to accommodate 50,000 spectators.
While Rome fell 1,500 years ago, the Colosseum still stands, and remains one of the greatest masterpieces of world artchitecture.
In Colosseums, there was fights between animals too in addition to Gladiators battle.
Changing the subject, if an animal fights one on one, hippopotamus semms to be the strongest.

take place / 起こる
At first gladiator fights took place just about anywhere -

collapse / 崩壊する
Many caught fire, or collapsed during shows.

settlement / 解決、決着
Soon, they were popping up all over italy, and in every important Roman settlement abroad.

surpass / まさる、凌ぐ
magnificence / 壮大、豪華
enginering / 機関学、工学
But there was one that surpassed all others in size, engineering and magnificence: the Colossum in Rome.

craftsman / 職人
He hired the best architects and craftsmen to build the biggest stadium Rome had ever seen.

ingeniously / 巧妙に
Ingeniously constructed to seat 50,000 spectators, it was even larger than most football stadiums today.