[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.100,0:00:11.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The cry of the crowd. The roar of a lion. \NThe clash of metal.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.98,0:00:17.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Starting in 80 CE these sounds rang \Nthrough the stands of the Colosseum.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.01,0:00:18.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,On hundreds of days a year,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.41,0:00:23.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over 50,000 residents of Rome and \Nvisitors from across the Roman Empire
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.08,0:00:28.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would fill the stadiums’ four stories to \Nsee gladiators duel, animals fight,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.41,0:00:31.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and chariots race around the arena.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.20,0:00:35.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And for the grand finale, \Nwater poured into the arena basin,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.58,0:00:39.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,submerging the stage for the \Ngreatest spectacle of all:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.30,0:00:41.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,staged naval battles.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.94,0:00:46.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Romans’ epic, mock maritime \Nencounters, called naumachiae,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.20,0:00:50.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,started during Julius Caesar’s reign \Nin the first century BC,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.15,0:00:53.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over a hundred years before the \NColosseum was built.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.77,0:00:56.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They were held alongside other \Naquatic spectacles
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.78,0:01:00.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on natural and artificial bodies \Nof water around Rome
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.34,0:01:02.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,up through Emperor Flavius Vespasian,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.98,0:01:07.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who began building the Colosseum in \N70 CE on the site of a former lake.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.87,0:01:12.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Colosseum was intended to be a symbol \Nof Rome’s power in the ancient world,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.14,0:01:14.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what better way to display that power
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.85,0:01:20.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than a body of water that could drain \Nand refill at the Emperor’s command?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.10,0:01:25.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Vespasian’s son Flavius Titus fulfilled \Nhis father’s dream in 80 CE
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.73,0:01:29.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when he used war spoils to \Nfinish the Colosseum–
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.08,0:01:33.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or as it was known at the time, \Nthe Flavian Amphitheater.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.58,0:01:39.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The grand opening was celebrated with 100 \Ndays of pageantry and gladiatorial games,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.10,0:01:42.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,setting the precedent for programming \Nthat included parades,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.48,0:01:48.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,musical performances, public executions, \Nand of course, gladiatorial combat.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.92,0:01:52.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Unlike the games in smaller amphitheaters \Nfunded by wealthy Romans,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.69,0:01:57.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these lavish displays of Imperial power \Nwere financed by the Emperor.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.12,0:02:00.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Parades of exotic animals, theatrical \Nperformances,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.14,0:02:03.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the awe-inspiring naumachiae \Nwere all designed
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.27,0:02:06.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to bolster faith in the god-like Emperor,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.17,0:02:09.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who would be declared a god \Nafter his own death.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.54,0:02:14.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s still a mystery how engineers flooded\Nthe arena to create this aquatic effect.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.22,0:02:18.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some historians believe a giant \Naqueduct was diverted into the arena.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.83,0:02:23.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Others think the system of chambers \Nand sluice gates used to drain the arena,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.38,0:02:25.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,were also used to fill it.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.59,0:02:28.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These chambers could’ve been filled \Nwith water prior to the event
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.67,0:02:30.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then opened to submerge the stage
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.86,0:02:35.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,under more than a million gallons of \Nwater, to create a depth of five feet.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.79,0:02:37.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But even with all that water,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.86,0:02:41.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Romans had to construct miniature \Nboats with special flat bottoms
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.92,0:02:44.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that wouldn’t scrape the Colosseum floor.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.53,0:02:47.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These boats ranged from 7 to 15 \Nmeters long,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.64,0:02:51.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and were built to look like vessels \Nfrom famous encounters.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.34,0:02:55.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,During a battle, dozens of these ships \Nwould float around the arena,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.29,0:03:00.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,crewed by gladiators dressed as the \Nopposing sides of the recreated battle.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.26,0:03:02.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These warriors would duel across ships;
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.53,0:03:06.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,boarding them, fighting, drowning, \Nand incapacitating their foes
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.01,0:03:09.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,until only one faction was left standing.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.95,0:03:14.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Fortunately, not every watery display \Ntold such a gruesome story.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.40,0:03:15.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In some of these floodings,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.70,0:03:19.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a submerged stage allowed chariot \Ndrivers to glide across the water
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.69,0:03:24.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as though they were Triton, making waves \Nas he piloted his chariot on the sea.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.57,0:03:29.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Animals walked on water, myths were \Nre-enacted by condemned prisoners,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.20,0:03:34.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and at night, nude synchronized swimmers \Nwould perform by torchlight.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.17,0:03:38.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the Colosseum’s aquatic \Nage didn’t last forever.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.15,0:03:42.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The naval battles proved so popular they \Nwere given their own nearby lake
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.48,0:03:46.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by Emperor Domitian in the early 90s CE.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.09,0:03:48.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The larger lake proved even \Nbetter for naumachiae,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.84,0:03:52.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the Colosseum soon gained a series \Nof underground animal cages
Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.54,0:03:56.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and trap doors that didn’t allow for \Nfurther flooding.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.11,0:03:57.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But for a brief time,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:57.68,0:04:01.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Flavian Emperors controlled the \Ntides of war and water
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.07,0:04:03.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a spectacular show of power.