Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum， its construction started in 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus，with further modifications being made during Domitian’s reign（81–96）. The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian’s and Titus’s family name.
Capable of seating 50，000 spectators， the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles， famous battles and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing， workshops， quarters for a religious order， a fortress， a quarry， and a Christian shrine.
Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers， the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church， as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.
罗马斗兽场：历史上最伟大的体育场馆
罗马科洛西姆斗兽场原名弗莱文圆形剧场，建于公元72～82年，它是古罗马文明的象征，也是历史上最伟大的体育场馆。
科洛西姆斗兽场坐落在意大利罗马市中心的一个椭圆形剧场上——这是罗马帝国建造的最大的剧场。它被认为是罗马建筑工程的最伟大的作品之一。
剧场于维斯帕先统治时期的公元72年开工，于提图斯统治时期的公元80年竣工，后来于图密善统治时期（公元81～96年）进行了进一步修建。如今占据了罗马广场的东部位置。“弗莱文圆形剧场”的名字来源于维斯帕先和提图斯的皇家姓氏。
剧场内的该斗兽场能够容纳50000名观众，被用来进行角斗和公共表演，这里演出过海战场面和著名战役，以及由古典神话改编的戏剧。这座建筑在中世纪早期即不再用于娱乐，后来人们曾将它当成过住房、厂房、宗教用地、堡垒、采石场以及基督教圣地。
尽管在21世纪，由于破坏性的地震和滚石灾难而让该斗兽场受到部分损伤，但它依然是罗马帝国的一个标志性符号。斗兽场是罗马最热门的旅游景点，如今仍与天主教会有着密切的联系。每年的耶稣受难日，教皇都会从斗兽场附近地区出发，领着耶稣赴难路的“十字架路”队伍游行。
Pantheon：A temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome
The Pantheon is a building in Rome， Italy， commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome， and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD.
The building is circular with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns under a pediment. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the rotunda， which is under a coffered， concrete dome， with a central opening （oculus） to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built， the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same， 43.3 metres.
It is one of the best-preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history， and since the 7th century， the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church which is a key reasm for it"s survival. The square in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotonda.
罗马万神殿：供奉古罗马众神的庙宇
万神殿是位于意大利罗马的一座建筑，它是由马库斯·阿格里帕命令建造的一座供奉古罗马众神的庙宇，大约公元126年，古罗马皇帝哈德良重建了此庙。
该建筑是一座圆形柱廊，三角墙下是大型花岗岩科林斯柱，一个长方形的前厅连接着走廊和大厅，位于花格镶板的混凝土圆顶之下，有一个可以望见天空的圆孔。万神殿建成近2000年后，其圆顶仍是世界上最大的钢筋混凝土穹顶，顶上圆孔的高度和内部圆环的直径相同，也即43.3米。
万神殿是保存最完好的古罗马建筑之一。它自落成开始就在不断地使用当中。自7世纪以来，万神殿一直被当做天主教教堂，这是它幸存下来的重要原因。万神殿前面的广场叫做罗通达广场。
Library of Celsus：A special honor for Celsus
The library of Celsus is an ancient Roman building in Ephesus， Anatolia， now part of Selcuk， Turkey. It was built in honor of the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus （completed in 135 AD） by Celsus’son， Gaius Julius Aquila. Celsus had been consul in 92 AD， and a wealthy and popular local citizen. He was a native of nearby Sardis and amongst the earliest men of purely Greek origin to become a consul in the Roman Empire and is honored both as a Greek and a Roman on the library itself. Celsus paid for the construction of the library with his own personal wealth.
The library was built to store 12，000 scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus. Celsus is buried in a sarcophagus beneath the library， in the main entrance which is both a crypt containing his sarcophagus and a sepulchral monument to him. It was unusual to be buried within a library， so this was a special honor for Celsus.
塞尔苏斯图书馆：献给塞尔苏斯的特殊荣誉
塞尔苏斯图书馆是位于安纳托利亚的以弗所的一座古罗马建筑，现在是土耳其塞尔丘克的一部分。它的建成是为了纪念罗马参议员提比略尤利乌斯·塞尔苏斯，由塞尔苏斯的儿子盖乌斯·尤利乌斯完工（完成于公元135年）。塞尔苏斯曾经在公元92年担任执政官，是一个富裕而讨喜的地方公民。他出生在萨第斯附近，是最早的纯希腊血统的人。所以该图书馆被誉为希腊兼罗马图书馆。塞尔苏斯是用自己的私人财产来支持图书馆建设的。
该图书馆可以存储12000个卷轴，还有一座巨大的塞尔苏斯纪念陵墓。塞尔苏斯被埋在图书馆下面的石棺中，建筑的主入口处既是一个石棺，又是一个阴森森的地下墓室。将尸体埋藏在图书馆里是一件不寻常的事，因此有人说这是一个献给塞尔苏斯的特殊荣誉。
Baths of Caracalla：Roman public baths
The Baths of Caracalla in Rome， Italy were Roman public baths， or thermae， built in Rome between AD 212 and 216， during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla. The baths are 375 in high and 363 in wide. In the front， there is a store where the library， gym， garden and meeting room are set inside. Records show that the idea for the baths were drawn up by Septimius Severus， and merely completed or opened in the lifetime of Caracalla.
The bath was free and open to the public. The building was heated by a hypocaust， a system of burning coal and wood underneath the ground to heat water provided by a dedicated aqueduct. It was in use up to the 19th century.
In the 19th and early 20th century， the design of the baths was used as the inspiration for several modern structures， including St George’s Hall， Liverpool and Pennsylvania Station in New York City.
卡拉卡拉浴场：古罗马公共浴场
卡拉卡拉浴场是古罗马的公共浴场，建于公元212年到216年卡拉卡拉统治罗马帝国期间。浴场长375米、宽363米，前面是店面，内有图书馆、健身房、花园和会议室。有记录显示，这个建造浴室的想法是塞普蒂米乌斯·塞维鲁提出来的，只是在卡拉卡拉有生之年竣工和对外开放。
浴场是免费的，并向公众开放。整座建筑采用热坑方式供暖，这是一种在地下烧煤或木头来加热水的系统，直到19世纪仍然使用。
19世纪和20世纪初期，浴场的设计给依然给一些现代建筑以灵感，包括圣乔治大厅，利物浦、美国纽约宾夕法尼亚车站。
