Spectacle · Roman Empire Daily
Ancient writers say the Colosseum's opening games in 80 AD included staged naval battles.
Deep dive
Cassius Dio records that the inaugural games under Titus featured a flooded arena with ships and combatants. Exactly how the early Colosseum was flooded is debated by historians, but large-scale mock sea battles (naumachiae) are well attested in Roman spectacle.
Source: Cassius Dio, 'Roman History,' 66.25.
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