The Colosseum had a VIP entrance! Hidden tunnel allowed Roman emperors to sneak out of the arena unseen, archaeologists say
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Even 2,000 years ago, famous people knew how to make a quick exit.
Ancient Rome's mighty Colosseum had a secret tunnel that allowed Roman emperors to sneak out of the arena unseen, archaeologists reveal.
Measuring about 180 feet long, the VIP underground passage, dug through the foundations of the Colosseum, was concealed from the attending masses.
Experts say it was created between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD – decades after the amphitheatre was originally built in the AD 70s.
The famous Colosseum – which was famously depicted in the Ridley Scott's Gladiator films – hosted thousands of bloody battles as a form of public spectacle.
Now, partially lit and ventilated by air vents, the passage is open to the public, letting visitors trace the same steps as Roman emperors.
Experts at the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum say the opening of the passage is of 'extraordinary significance'.
'It makes accessible and accessible for the first time ever a place so fascinating for its history, its architecture, and, not least, its decorative apparatus, which was for exclusive use and hidden from the public during the time of the emperors,' they said.
The passageway is seen at the Colosseum Archaeological Park in Rome, Italy, October 7, 2025. It has been inaugurated at the Colosseum and is now open to the public
The Colosseum was constructed during the reign of emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and completed under the rule of his successor, Titus, in AD 80
Today, the tunnel is about 180 feet (55 metres) long, although 2,000 years ago it would have been longer, before part of it was destroyed by digging to lay sewage pipes a century ago.
According to the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum, the tunnel' ancient surfaces including marble-clad walls, where traces of the metal clamps that supported the slabs can still be seen, have been fully restored.
A building material favoured by the Romans called stucco has mythological scenes from the myth of the wine-god Dionysus and his immortal wife Ariadne.
At the entrance to the passage, scenes related to the arena shows still appear, such as boar hunts and bear fights accompanied by acrobatic performances.
The secret tunnel was unearthed in the 19th century, but only now after a full restoration can the public walk along it, tracing the same steps as Roman emperors.
The tunnel goes from the emperor's box, a prime spot on the south stalls of the Colosseum akin to the royal box we see at sporting events today.
It went beneath the stands and even underground before coming out on the Colosseum's south end, letting the emperor make a subtle exit.
It's also thought to have allowed him to visit gladiators in their gym just before a fight, likely at the nearby Ludus Magnus, the prestigious gladiator training school.
Passageway is seen at the Colosseum Archaeological Park in Rome, Italy, October 7, 2025. It has been inaugurated at the Colosseum and is now open to the public
Experts say opening of the passage is of 'extraordinary significance', because it makes accessible for the first time 'a place so fascinating for its history, its architecture, and, not least, its decorative apparatus'
Gladiators would train in the morning and afternoon at Ludus Magnus, using narrow wooden posts as practice targets to represent their upcoming opponent.
Archaeologists have named the tunnel after one of the Roman emperors who would have used it, Emperor Commodus, one of the Empire's less effective leaders who unusually fought in the arena himself.
Dr Andrew Sillett at the University of Oxford's department of classics, said Commodus once fought an ostrich inside the Colosseum.
'Commodus lacked the standing necessary to feel comfortable as emperor – too young, not enough military achievements, not a great public speaker – so he tried to compensate ostentatious displays of masculinity,' he told the Daily Mail.
'In order to do this for a big audience, he broke the major taboo of appearing in the arena, which aristocrats were usually forbidden from doing.
'Historian Cassius Dio, who was a Senator under Commodus, reports seeing the emperor fighting an ostrich, which he managed to behead.'
Whichever Roman emperor was in power had the overall command over fights and events taking place in the Colosseum – not just as the host but a referee of sorts.
Statue of the ancient Roman emperor Commodus as Hercules in the Capitoline Museum, Italy. The ruler of the empire was more interested in his blonde curls than doing a good job of ruling the empire
Depicted here, a gladiator stabs at another with his trident in this mosaic at Nennig, Germany (c. 2nd-3rd century AD)
When a gladiator was defeated, the emperor would have given a thumbs up or thumbs down – to signify whether the losing contender would be spared or killed by the opponent.
'The person putting on the games has the decision of whether to execute a gladiator when they submit,' said Dr Sillett.
'In Rome that would be the emperor, but in the Cirencester amphitheatre, for example, it would be a local bigwig.'
The Colosseum was constructed during the reign of emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and completed under the rule of his successor, Titus, in AD 80.
Famously the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, it was used for gladiator battles and other public spectacles including animal hunts and executions.
Today, about a third of the Colosseum remains as it was substantially ruined by earthquakes and stone robbers over the centuries.
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