This week, Dear Reader, I won’t be posting, as I’m doing research for my next book. I’m staying in the empty apartment of a New York City friend and will be spending all my time here, at the New York… Read More
The Roman emperor Vespasian began construction of the Colosseum in AD 72. It was finished in AD 80, the year after he died. The huge amphitheater included an elevator that could lift elephants to the floor of the arena.