or Coliseum, in the ancient architecture, an oval amphitheatre, built at Rome by Vespasian, in the place where stood the basin of Nero's gilded house. The word is formed from colosseum, on account of the colossus of Nero that stood near it, or, according to Nardini, from the Italian coliseo. In this amphitheatre were placed sta- tues representing all the provinces of the empire; and in the middle stood that of Rome, holding a golden apple in her hand. The term coliseum is also applied to another amphitheatre of the Emperor Severus. In these colisea were represented games, and combats of men and wild beasts; but there is now little remaining of either of them, time and war having reduced them to ruins.