Why Is It Called the Colosseum? The Name's Surprising Origin
The most famous amphitheatre in the world wasn't actually called the Colosseum when it opened. Its real name was something else entirely, and the word we use today comes from a giant statue that no longer exists. Here is why it's called the Colosseum — and what its original name really was.
Heading to Rome? The square base of that famous statue is still marked beside the arena. A guided tour points out details like this that you'd walk straight past. See guided Colosseum tours →
Its original name: the Flavian Amphitheatre
When it opened around AD 80, the building was known as the Flavian Amphitheatre — in Latin, Amphitheatrum Flavium. The name credited the Flavian dynasty of emperors who built it: Vespasian, who began it around AD 72, his son Titus, who inaugurated it, and Domitian, who added the underground level. For its first few centuries, that — or simply "the amphitheatre" — is what Romans called it.
The Colossus of Nero gave it the nickname
So where does "Colosseum" come from? From a colossus — a colossal statue. Right next to the amphitheatre stood the Colossus of Nero, an enormous bronze statue around 30 metres tall, originally cast to glorify the emperor Nero. After Nero's disgrace and death, the Romans cleverly remodelled it into the sun god Sol, crowned with a radiate halo, and left it towering over the area.
The statue was such a landmark that people began referring to the whole neighbourhood by it. By the early medieval period, writers were calling the place after the giant figure — the colosseum — and the amphitheatre next door inherited the name. The statue itself eventually vanished, but its square pedestal was later excavated close to the arena, which is how we can trace the name to the statue rather than to the building's own size.
Stand where the Colossus once loomed and the name suddenly makes sense.
Check Colosseum tickets →Does "Colosseum" mean "colossal"?
Indirectly, yes. The Latin colosseus means "gigantic," and it was applied to the statue because of its size. The amphitheatre then borrowed the word second-hand. So while the Colosseum is colossal, it was named for a colossal statue, not directly for its own scale — a small but satisfying distinction.
Colosseum or Coliseum?
You'll see both. "Colosseum" is the standard spelling for the monument in Rome, closest to the Latin. "Coliseum" is a common variant that often shows up in the names of modern stadiums and theatres inspired by it — like the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Both point back to the same colossal origin. For the building it named, see our guide to Colosseum architecture, or the full history of the Colosseum.
FAQ
Why is it called the Colosseum?
It is called the Colosseum after the Colossus of Nero, a roughly 30-metre-tall bronze statue that stood right next to the arena. By the early Middle Ages people referred to the area by that giant statue (the "colosseum"), and the name gradually transferred to the amphitheatre beside it.
What was the original name of the Colosseum?
The original name of the Colosseum was the Flavian Amphitheatre (Amphitheatrum Flavium in Latin), named after the Flavian dynasty of emperors — Vespasian, Titus and Domitian — who built it between roughly AD 72 and AD 80.
What was the Colossus of Nero?
The Colossus of Nero was a colossal bronze statue about 30 metres tall, originally made to depict the emperor Nero. After Nero’s death it was remodelled into a statue of the sun god Sol. It stood near the amphitheatre and gave the Colosseum its lasting name.
When was it first called the Colosseum?
The name "Colosseum" came into common use during the early medieval period, roughly from the 8th century onwards. Medieval writers recorded forms like "Coliseo" centuries before the modern English spelling settled.
Is it spelled Colosseum or Coliseum?
Both spellings exist. "Colosseum" is the standard spelling for the monument in Rome and follows the Latin root. "Coliseum" is a common variant, often used for modern arenas and venues named after it, such as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.