Statues in the Colosseum: What Once Decorated It
The bare grey arches you see today are not how the Colosseum originally looked. In its prime, the facade was a gallery of statues — rows of gleaming figures set into the arches, broadcasting the wealth and artistry of imperial Rome. Here's what decorated the Colosseum, how much of it there was, and where it all went.
Seeing it in person? A guide brings the lost decoration to life as you walk the tiers. Check guided Colosseum tours →
A facade lined with statues
The Colosseum's exterior rose through three arcaded storeys, each with 80 arches. On the second and third levels, those arches were not left empty — ancient sources and surviving evidence tell us each one held a statue. That works out to roughly 160 figures ringing the building: gods, emperors, heroes and mythological subjects, each framed by the arch around it. Combined with painted stucco and marble cladding, the effect would have been dazzling rather than the weathered stone we know now.
Why decorate it this way?
The statues were propaganda as much as art. A facade crowded with finely carved figures advertised the empire's wealth, skill and cultural reach to everyone who approached. It also tied the building to the gods and to imperial authority — a fitting frame for a monument the Flavian emperors built to win public favour.
Walk the tiers where the statues once stood and the original grandeur clicks into place.
See Colosseum tickets & tours →Where did the statues go?
They vanished the same way much of the building did. Earthquakes brought down sections of the upper storeys, and over the medieval centuries the marble and bronze were stripped and reused elsewhere in Rome — a practice called spoliation. Valuable, portable and no longer protected, the statues were among the first things to disappear. For the wider story of the ruin, see why the Colosseum is broken.
And "how many Colosseums are there"?
A common follow-up: there is only one Colosseum, in Rome. The Romans built many amphitheatres across their empire — Verona, Nîmes, El Djem and dozens more, some remarkably intact — but "the Colosseum" always means the Flavian Amphitheatre in Rome. Why that name stuck is its own story: see why it's called the Colosseum.
FAQ
Were there statues in the Colosseum?
Yes. In its original state, the arched openings on the Colosseum’s middle two storeys each held a statue, so the facade was lined with dozens of figures of gods, emperors and heroes. Almost none survive today; they were lost to earthquakes, looting and the reuse of the marble over the centuries.
How many statues did the Colosseum have?
The second and third exterior storeys each had 80 arches, and ancient accounts indicate these upper arches were filled with statues — meaning roughly 160 figures once decorated the outer facade, in addition to other sculptural and decorative elements.
What happened to the statues?
The statues disappeared over the medieval period. Earthquakes toppled sections of the building, and the bronze and marble were stripped for reuse in other Roman buildings — a practice called spoliation. The valuable materials were simply too useful to leave in a disused monument.
How many Colosseums are there?
There is only one Colosseum in Rome — the Flavian Amphitheatre. The Romans built many amphitheatres across their empire (such as those in Verona, Nîmes and El Djem), and some are very well preserved, but "the Colosseum" refers specifically to the one in Rome.