The Colosseum is impressive, but it is not unique. There are more than 200 ancient Roman arenas across three continents, many capable of holding over 50,000 spectators. In fact, the Romans even built a stadium with a capacity of 150,000.

An ancient Roman might find many aspects of the modern world strange, but our passion for sports would not be one of them. Crowds gathering in large stadiums for entertainment was a normal part of life in the Roman Empire.

Arles Arena in France:

Roman arena at Leptis Magna in Libya:

Arena in Martigny in Switzerland: