The reliefs from the tomb of the Haterii, dateable to the 1^st century AD and unearthed in 1848 on the ancient Via Labicana, together with a number of coins, give us the image of an amphitheater decorated with numerous statues of various types, now mostly lost.

A total of 156 statues of gods, heroes and demigods were originally located in the outer arcades of the 2^nd and 3^rd tiers. Certain prominent figures of Roman society enjoyed the privilege of having their portrait displayed on the Colosseum’s 1^st tier, while the portraits of the imperial family adorned the imperial box.

At least three statues were dedicated to the Roman prefect Decius Marius Venantius Basilius, who restored the amphitheater at his own expense in the 5^th century AD after a violent earthquake.

The 2008 excavations conducted in the amphitheater yielded a fragmentary horse statue which is now on display in front of the north entrance on the Colosseum’s 1^st tier. Although studies are still in progress, it seems probable that this too was created as part of the amphitheater’s original statuary decoration.