The Colosseum was a massive theatre located in Rome, originally built by the Roman Empire. Its construction began in 70. (PROSE: State of Change)
History[]
In the year 64, Ian Chesterton and Delos were made into gladiators and forced to fight for Caesar Nero (TV: The Romans) at the Colosseum. (PROSE: The Eleventh Tiger)
A World War I soldier from 1916 was sent back in time by a Weeping Angel and appeared in the Colosseum in 97. He found himself in the middle of a battle between two gladiators. (COMIC: The Weeping Angels of Mons)
In 120, the Colosseum was known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. That year, the Tenth Doctor faced a lion, a tiger and a bear in the amphitheatre. (PROSE: The Stone Rose)
The time traveller John Bentley once ended up in a late era of the Roman Empire, with his time machine unluckily materialising in the middle of the Colosseum area during a fight with gladiators and lions. As soon as he realised where he was, he got back into his time machine and took off before the eyes of the astounded gladiators, although the audience of patricians seemed to think it was all part of the show. (COMIC: Dr. Who's Time Tales)
It remained long after the fall of the Empire, though by the 21st century it was partially ruined. On 25 December 2006, when the Sycorax used their blood control technique on Earth, people with A-positive blood stood on top of the Colosseum, ready to jump to their deaths. This plot was stopped by the newly-regenerated Tenth Doctor. (TV: The Christmas Invasion)
Monty Punnions stole the Colosseum and made a replica of it on Phwillite, where Professor Rulas used the landmark as a giant arena where his super computer the Colossus selected players in an effort to find the strongest and bravest fighters in existence. Those selected were placed in the arena, the last man down being named champion of the universe. The Colosseum was abandoned when Rulas was tricked into becoming a competitor and shut down the Colossus in order to survive. (COMIC: Colossus of the Colosseum)
References[]
On Rhoos, Fo sometimes made his Kaark prisoners fight animals for his entertainment, which, as Hill noted, was "just like the martyrs in the Colosseum". (PROSE: The Playthings of Fo)
The Sixth Doctor compared the Celestial Toymaker's games to the games played in the Colosseum, stating that he didn't like either version. (PROSE: The Nightmare Fair; AUDIO: The Nightmare Fair)
On the Tenth Doctor's first trip through time with Donna Noble, he believed he had landed in Rome, but the absence the Colosseum, along with other famous landmarks from Rome, suggested to him that he had not. In fact, he had arrived in Pompeii on 23 August 79. (TV: The Fires of Pompeii)
Behind the scenes[]
The location of the fight between Ian and Delos as shown in The Romans is not identified in the story itself, however, in the novel The Eleventh Tiger (novel), Barbara Wright recalls having watched the fight occur in the Colosseum.