Lego Fun, Vol. VII: THE COLOSSEUM

Here is my opus magnum so far, a scale model of the Flavian Amphitheater, made entirely of (probably close to 10.000, mostly tan colored) LEGO bricks.

I decided to show the northern view intact (including some statues and masts), as it might have looked like in 80 AD:



As a contrast, the model shows the southern side without it´s collapsed external facade, close to what it looks today (I might add a little decay if I find the time):



This way I could also include the support walls that were erected in the early 19th century to prevent further collapse:



The inside is shown more or less intact which adds stability to the model so one can carry it around in one or two pieces.

As long as I can´t afford an ancient coin with it´s picture on it (show yours if you have them ), this Colosseum will do it for me.

 

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That's Amazing !

Q

 

Nicely done, Julius.

Now you need miniature animals for the fights!

 

You did a great job. Amazing. This needs to go on Lego Ideas so the rest of us can buy it

 

That's AMAZING!!

 

Great building project! Most of my coins are before the Colosseum. I do have a few with arches.


Cr291/1, MN.AEMILIVS.LEPIDIVS, equestrian statue on triumphal arch

 

Unbelievable, I’m a bit of a lego nut myself.

 

You might want to contact whoever it is who makes Legos and show them this. They might be interested in featuring it in one of their promotional pamphlets or on their website. Aedificium magnum.

 

WOW. This is absolutely incredible!! I agree that Lego would be interested in an ancient architecture series. Considering how popular these are as tourist destinations, I'd have to assume people would want to take a piece home (I sure would!)

And, here is my Colosseum sestertius and medallion to tie in the numismatic depiction:

 

Very well done!

 

A colossal task, well accomplished !!! But why not add some statues of "gods", and/or crowds, plus Caesar, and animals, including gladiators etc. ? With chariots, weapons, nets etc. ? That would make the creation more "alive".

 

Sorry about my abysmal editing. One photo of me would have been more than enough !!!

 

What a fantastic build. I wish I had that talent to create something so nice. Here's a few of my personal photos of the Colosseum.



Here you can see just how crowded the whole place gets with tourists. The waiting line to get in can stretch up to an hour.



In this photo you can see the partially reconstructed arena and the underground passages of the building.



And in this last photo, I'm the one to the left in the blue shirt. The gentleman to the right was a fellow law student at the time who accompanied me on my trip to Italy.

 

Very nice. Maybe Lego could make a kit that
others could buy. Future kits could be the
Sphinx, The Great Pyramids and others.
Really neat to see such creativity come to
life.

 

Another great model, thanks for sharing! Well, for some young people 2002 may already be ancient. And this one is at least quite affordable - "costs" 5 cent in the euro area.

Christian

 

Yes, it can be crowded. I went there in the early 1980's by myself and no part of a tour. It was early July with a very early sunrise. I got to the place about 5:30 AM, sun peeking through arches. No guards, tourists, nobody but me and the entrance wide open. I went in, walked about and then did something I had always wanted to do, scream, in Latin, the imprecations and cheers of an Ancient Roman audience. MORITORI TE SALUTANT. OCCIDE, OCCIDE! HOC HABET, HOC HABET! I figure it had been a while since the stands had heard those cries. Perhaps I woke a few ghosts. I certainly startled a colony of feral cats and a few flocks of pigeons. Fortunately the local laws against making a spectacle of oneself or exhibiting delusional behavior do not apply until after 8:00 AM.

 

Just for fun, here is a link showing all of Julius Germanicus' Lego Creations ;-)

https://www.cointalk.com/search/380...te&c[title_only]=1&c[node]=9&c[user][0]=80783

 

Ok, how many here had to google: "MORITORI TE SALUTANT. OCCIDE, OCCIDE! HOC HABET, HOC HABET! " => "MORITORI salute. I killed! This has also possess!"

@kevin McGonigal please give us your translation.

I found a card game with part of this quote.


And this from the U of Chicago web site: Habet, Hoc Habet "He's got it!'" The exclamation was shouted when a particularly good blow was struck or the coup de grâce administered. This detail from the Borghese Gallery and Museum (Rome) shows the retiarius about to strike. Here the manica is not cloth but metal scales. The victor Astacius is shown twice, once in combat and again in victory.



Great post, I would like to see the Colosseum one day.

 

That's a beautiful and inspiring accomplishment and a tremendous effort, @Julius Germanicus ! I built a castle out of sugar cubes and glue for a social studies project on the Middle Ages in 6th grade. I drove my dad crazy asking him to go to the supermarket for more sugar cubes. I remember him saying to me, "Sugar's not free, you better be getting an A on this!"