This arch is a memorial of the war waged by Titus against the Jews, in which he besieged and destroyed Jerusalem, their holy city. During the conflict the Jews resisted with superhuman energy; and when everything was lost they killed one another and their wives and children as the lot determined, in order not to be slaves. The fame of their heroism is as imperishable as the military renown of the conqueror. The triumphal arch, accordingly, represents the slaughter of innocent people, the crushing of national liberty, the brutal sacking of cities, the merciless sale of captives into slavery. While casting this gloomy shadow, it reflects on the sunlit side the glory of victory and the extension and solidification of Roman power. THE COLOSSEUM This immense amphitheater was built by Vespasian and dedicated by Titus. It is a gigantic oval four stories in height. From the north side, which is still nearly intact, the first three stories present simply a series of arcades; the fourth story is a closed wall. Four entrances lead into the arena; seventy-six others into vaulted corridors, whence the spectators passed up various stairways to their seats, which extended in tiers from near the floor to the top of the highest story. The seats have disappeared, but careful measurement places the capacity at 45,000, with standing room for perhaps 5,000 more. Hidden from view were the cages of wild beasts and the cells for gladiators, and beneath the arena were machines for elevating animals to the surface. [Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE COLOSSEUM ON A FÊTE DAY] The dedication in 80 A. D. was accompanied with games lasting through a hundred days. A Roman “game” involved a contest; and those offered by Titus at the dedication included the baiting and slaughter of savage beasts, fights of gladiators, and a sham naval battle, the arena being flooded for the purpose. It is difficult to understand how a ruler such as Titus, who abhorred bloodshed and would condemn no man to death during his administration, provided the city populace with this bloody, brutalizing sport. But love of popularity has always been a powerful motive among men; and some emperors and patriotic citizens tried to excuse the sport on the foolish supposition that it fostered the military spirit. As a matter of fact, the populace who attended these shows grew more and more unwilling and unfit to defend their country and homes against invading barbarians. [Illustration: THE BASILICA JULIA A drawing showing the reconstructed interior of this building, which formerly stood in the Forum.]