Would Castors Have Helped The Romans To Preserve The Colosseum?

By Author: Mark Farrell
Total Articles: 56
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The Colosseum is one of the most famous buildings in the world today. Standing majestically against the Roman skyline, it has been in existence since 80AD. It was originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre and was one of Italy’s most beautiful and imposing structures, especially considering what went on there. It held 50,000 spectators at any given time and each and every one of them flocked in to see the gladiatorial contests that were regularly held in addition to various public events and spectacles, all of which were highly popular amongst the Romans at that point in time. The Colosseum is still one of the greatest feats of architecture and engineering in history but it is famous for its collapsed state today, with one side having succumbed to time and the elements, natural disasters and stone robbers. However, had the Romans has Castors then things may have been a little different.

Castors, the little wheels that are so often used in industry today, may well have helped engineers to preserve the Colosseum after many of the obstacles it has faced throughout history. One such obstacle to its architectural wholeness ...
... was the Great Fire of Rome in 64AD. Although the fire did not damage the Colosseum (it was not built then), it did encourage the building of an aqueduct that made the whole area a little less stable. However, a 217AD fire did damage the amphitheatre and repairs were ongoing throughout the following century. Had the engineers had castors to help transport materials then the likelihood is that they would have been done so much quicker.

Subsequent earthquakes and the growth of vegetation damaged it further over the years so restoration projects were common in the 18th and 19th Centuries but there may have been no need for them had the engineers and architects had Castors at their disposal to transport the equipment they needed to restore the structure at earlier points in time. However, there is another point to be made here. Just as the little wheels could have helped those restoring the Colosseum in Rome, it could have helped those looking to destroy it. The 2BZQX/XXH/SZ series can carry hundreds of kilograms worth of stone and may have helped those stealing it. Imagine if they had had access to a trolley or industrial cage that could carry incredible weights. They could have been able to steal so much more.

In answer to the question as to whether the castor would have helped the Romans to preserve the Colosseum, they probably would have made a difference. In enabling engineers and architects to get materials to where they needed to be quicker and easier than was actually possible back then. But then they may also have helped those looking to demolish it for their own personal gain. In truth, with the good comes the bad but nobody can argue that the little wheels are functional, convenient and would have changed the course of history one way or another.

The Romans has Castors then things may have been a little different. Had the engineers had Castors to help transport materials then the likelihood is that they would have been done so much quicker.