Who Built the Colosseum? Paid Professionals, Not Slaves

Contrary to popular belief, the Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheatre, completed 80 CE) was constructed by paid laborers and skilled artisans—architects, engineers, stonecutters, carpenters, and unskilled workers drawn from across the Roman Empire. Historical records and archaeological evidence (inscriptions, pay records) support a wage‑based workforce, not slave labor.

While slavery was pervasive in Rome, monumental public works typically employed free citizens and freedmen under state contracts.