Part 2/8:
Upon arriving at the Colosseum, the first challenge would be acquiring a ticket. Interestingly, entry was free, but obtaining a ticket was akin to lottery odds, as the arena could hold between 50,000 to 70,000 spectators. With a population of nearly a million in the city, a ticket to the games often required being part of the elite guilds or knowing someone influential.
If luck was on your side, you would receive a tessera, made from lead tokens or shards of pottery, that indicated your entrance gate and seating section. However, if you were not a senator or part of the wealthy elite, it was advisable to bring a seat cushion—tomemtum—to make your experience more comfortable, as the benches were usually cold marble or wood.