The Roman Colosseum

— -- The Roman Colosseum was the ultimate ancient venue for the display of bloodsport.

The Romans threw all their prowess in engineering to make the Colosseum an elaborate theatrical setting for gruesome entertainment. Completed in 80 A.D., the Colosseum was inaugurated with 100 days of games showcasing gladiatorial contests, wild beast hunts, public executions and variety shows.

UNSOLVED HISTORY will bring a day in the Colosseum to life — not the way Hollywood movies show it — but the way it really was. With a troupe of modern-day gladiators and a virtual reality simulation of the Colosseum created by a team of computer engineers and historians, we'll smash the myths of "Spartacus" and "Gladiator".

And Unsolved History will tackle the biggest mystery of the Colosseum: was this giant arena ever flooded for the sake of a mock naval battle? The "Naumachia" supposedly saw opposing sides fight to the death — with thousands of lives lost. Was the Naumachia just a tall story designed to flatter the Emperor? If a naval battle did take place there, how was it done? Was the Colosseum watertight? How was it possible to have gladiator battles one day and naval battles the next? Unsolved History's world renowned team of experts will find out.

Visit Discovery.com for more information.