In this picture there is an artistic reconstruction of one of the most memorable spectacles of all time, something that made the Romans unique in this kind of things: the naumachia. It is a Greek term, later reused by the Romans, which indicates the type of show (naval battle) and the place used to host it. Let's discover more about a great even that astonish still today. 

Imagine to enter in a sort of stadium with, instead of the arena, there is a basin or a depression in the ground full of water. And then imagine to witness the scenic representation of a naval battle, a re-enactment of an ancient war on the sea or a reproduction of a battle in the water that saw Rome and some of its historical enemies face off against each other. All this was the naumachia, an event that attracted thousands of people and that must have been very expensive! The ships were real ships, which had to be steered and made sail around the basin, fully armed. Often inside the ships there were specially hired mercenaries, slaves or prisoners of war who were promised to save their lives if they had done their job as extras well. A sort of theatrical representation with a clear propaganda taste, which for the first time was offered to the Romans by Julius Caesar in 46 b.C., on the occasion of the celebrations for his triumphs. In the area of Campo Marzio, where there was already a natural depression in the ground, Cesare ordered to fill this basin up with water, with an ingenious irrigation system. Then it was the turn of the entry of the ships, which simulated a naval battle with all the trappings.

Try to imagine, just for a moment, the atmosphere that could be breathed on a special occasion like this: citizens who, for one reason or another, had not been able to enjoy the direct triumph of the legions, had not been able to participate in first person in military campaigns, they now had the opportunity to get in touch with the greatness of Rome. A naumachia served precisely to weld the community spirit of the Romans who, in this way, felt part of a perfect machine, capable of subjugating the whole world. So impressive were the crowd and the throng, the desire to witness something special and unique that, according to Suetonius, many were crushed by the weight of the people themselves, inevitably dying! Imagine the waste of energy and costs, so much so that the Romans saw only three naumachia in about 50 years! Only later, with the advent of the empire and the arrival of numerous riches from military conquests, did the naumachia increase in number. And what about the Colosseum? Did something similar really happen in the Flavian Amphitheater? It seems so, at least reading the words of Martial: "If you are a belated spectator from distant shores who today for the first time witnesses the sacred spectacle, do not be fooled by the naval battle with its boats and waves that equal those of the sea: here there was the land just now. Don't you believe it? ".

Probably a naumachia became the protagonist of the Colosseum only on the occasion of the inauguration, when the hypogeum was still wooden and in the absence, therefore, of the walls that we can still see today and which formed the basement. At least this is the most accredited theory, since there are those who simply affirm that the story of Martial, a poet close to the emperors of the Flavian dynasty who, consequently, was a pure invention. After all, we have no certain archaeological evidence that attests that the Colosseum was the scene of amazing and impressive events, no clear physical evidence that the almost imaginative show told, in a few lines, by Martial was really put into action. Surely the Colosseum was the scene of as many shows and events that the Romans openly appreciated, such as the famous venationes of which I discuss in this article. Once again, moreover, I invite you to think about how a naumachia could be expensive in economic, practical and organizational terms. And the incredible thing is that, basically, everything that is done with the sole purpose of entertaining the Romans, making them feel an integral part of that great civilization is able to defeat any adversity, whether it is an enemy. in battle or an event apparently impossible to organize. One thing is certain: it must have been a unique show!