<P> The Colosseum's huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled or evacuated quickly . Its architects adopted solutions very similar to those used in modern stadiums to deal with the same problem . The amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators . Each entrance and exit was numbered, as was each staircase . The northern main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and his aides, whilst the other three axial entrances were most likely used by the elite . All four axial entrances were richly decorated with painted stucco reliefs, of which fragments survive . Many of the original outer entrances have disappeared with the collapse of the perimeter wall, but entrances XXIII (23) to LIV (54) survive . </P> <P> Spectators were given tickets in the form of numbered pottery shards, which directed them to the appropriate section and row . They accessed their seats via vomitoria (singular vomitorium), passageways that opened into a tier of seats from below or behind . These quickly dispersed people into their seats and, upon conclusion of the event or in an emergency evacuation, could permit their exit within only a few minutes . The name vomitoria derived from the Latin word for a rapid discharge, from which English derives the word vomit . </P> <P> According to the Codex - Calendar of 354, the Colosseum could accommodate 87,000 people, although modern estimates put the figure at around 50,000 . They were seated in a tiered arrangement that reflected the rigidly stratified nature of Roman society . Special boxes were provided at the north and south ends respectively for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins, providing the best views of the arena . Flanking them at the same level was a broad platform or podium for the senatorial class, who were allowed to bring their own chairs . The names of some 5th century senators can still be seen carved into the stonework, presumably reserving areas for their use . </P> <P> The tier above the senators, known as the maenianum primum, was occupied by the non-senatorial noble class or knights (equites). The next level up, the maenianum secundum, was originally reserved for ordinary Roman citizens (plebeians) and was divided into two sections . The lower part (the immum) was for wealthy citizens, while the upper part (the summum) was for poor citizens . Specific sectors were provided for other social groups: for instance, boys with their tutors, soldiers on leave, foreign dignitaries, scribes, heralds, priests and so on . Stone (and later marble) seating was provided for the citizens and nobles, who presumably would have brought their own cushions with them . Inscriptions identified the areas reserved for specific groups . </P>

Where does the emperor sit in the colosseum