The Colosseum is the enduring symbol of the Eternal City - a hollowed-out ghost of travertine marble that dwarfs every other antiquity in Rome by reputation, if not by sheer size alone. The term "Colosseum" is actually a nickname for the Amphitheatrum Flavium, which Vespatian began building in AD 72 to block out the private lake that Nero had installed for his own seedy purposes. The nickname derives from the colossal bronze statue of Nero as sun-god that used to grace the area next to the amphitheater. The Colosseum was completed in 80 by Titus, with spoils from the emperors' campaigns in Judaea. Titus allegedly threw a monster bash for its inauguration: a 100-day fête that saw 5000 wild beasts perish in the bloody arena (from the Latin for sand, harena, which was put on the floor to absorb blood). Though the maximum capacity is still debatable, feuding archaeologists have placed the number at least 50,000. Because the Colosseum events took place for the "public good," tickets to see the slaughter were always free.