Horse racing has been taking place for centuries in the valley between the hills. The circus really was “massimo” – large, having a size of the entire valley, 600 meters long and 150 meters wide (2000 ft x 500 ft). This fascinating spectacle captured the crowd, which in turn encouraged their parties to fight. Your financial help is needed, in order to maintain and develop the website. If you have the opportunity to financially support the further translations – even with smaller amount – I will be very grateful. Not surprisingly, the one-day ludi (games) of the young Republic were followed by ludi weekly and biweekly under the Empire, and the daily number of races increased from 12 – during Republican times – to about 100 in the time of the Flavians. Descriptions of the circus vary depending on the period of its development. The Circus Maximus, located in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, is the oldest and largest public space in Rome and legend says that the Circus was originally laid out in the 6th century BCE by the first Roman kings, although, it first took on its distinctive shape under Julius Caesar. Various types of acrobatics were the “prelude” to the actual show, which was chariot racing: two-horse bigae, three-legged trigae or four-legged quadrigae. The circus was rectangular with one side rounded. Highly detailed model, for viewing are available to all internal passageways, staircases and galleries. Dimensions of Circus Maximus. The Circus Maximus (in Italian Circo Massimo) is the biggest racetrack of ancient Rome, situated on the left bank of the Tiber River, between the Palatine and Aventine hills, near the center of the modern city. Located between the Palatine and Aventine hills, its maximum structure, under Trajan, had a seating capacity of 250,000 … Carceres. In the 1st century BC, Gaius Julius Caesar rebuilt it, having expanded and extended the arena and having dug the channel around it. What did logistics look like in Roman times? The size of the track was 656 feet wide and 1,969 feet long (Lewis 1980, pg 48). The destruction caused by another fire during the reign of Domitian was rebuilt in 104 CE by Trajan. Physical Dimensions: sheet: 14 3/4 x 21 3/4 in. 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 rating. The best ones were so famous that we find their names written on the vessels on the outskirts of the Empire, or arranged in mosaics. The last of the major reconstructions of the circus was … In particular the ludi Romani were held here annually and the occasional triumphal processions, snaking their way around the Palatine hill. Stone, stage-shaped stands for privileged spectators – senators and horsemen – became the foundation. Winners were leaving the circus through the gate on the opposite side. More than one citizen has lost a fortune, and many a driver has lost his life. Decorating continued after Augustus: Emperor Claudius made standing cells marble and metae – gold, under the Emperor Nero’s order the channel was filled up to expand the arena. Wesley Morris, EXAMINER FILM CRITIC. During the reign of successive emperors, various amendments were made: for Caracalla the gate was widened, for Aurelian, a temple of the sun was erected on the spine, for Constantine the Great additional porticoes were added and the building was decorated with golden columns, and under Constantius II, an obelisk 32.5 meters high, brought from Thebes, was placed on the spin. In the year 590, while a great epidemic of plague devastated the city, the Pope Gregory I had a vision of Saint Michael the Archangelon top of the castle, announcing the end of the epidemic. The rules have been changed in the 2nd century BC due to the … Most likely, Claudius was the one who “funded” the first stone seats for the senators, also replaced the wooden finish with gilded bronze and added marble elements in place of the previous ones – tufa. In a letter to Walters, Gérôme identified the setting as ancient Rome's racecourse, the Circus Maximus. Circus Maximus. The Circus Maximus was a large chariot track located in the valley between two of Rome's seven hills. Circus Maximus Live From LoudPark 2012 Full concert and documentary. Many emperors who ruled in Rome, contributed to the decoration of the circus. During the reign of Augustus, a lodge for the emperor (pulvinar) was added and an obelisk 23.7 m high, brought from Heliopolis, was set up. Thereafter, Emperor Domitian in addition to enlarging the audience (which was further increased for Emperor Trajan ) in 81 CE he crowned the southern gable of the building with a triumphal arch in memory of victory over the Jews. It was 544 meters long and 129 meters wide. Recommended. Although now looking probably very different from how it appeared two thousand years ago, the sheer size of the Circus Maximus is staggering when one considers how and when it was built. IMPERIUM ROMANUM is in process of translation over 3300 Polish articles about history of ancient Rome. By entering the website you agree for their use. It is difficult to imagine that this big field was once a huge stadium that held a quarter of Rome’s population for, one of the most popular games in Ancient Rome – chariot racing. In the time of Nero a dolphin-shaped fountain was placed in the centre of the spina. (37.5 x 55.2 cm) mount: 20 x 26 in. Here, according to tradition, Romulus staged the first horse races. The Circus Maximus is quite impressive, largely because of it's size and extent. Ultimately, it was able to hold about 250,000 viewers. From the 6th BCE to the 4th century CE the circus was rebuilt many times. Unfortunately, there were no women in the city, only soldiers, which couldn’t found families. It was 620 meters long and was built in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills. During this period, Circus Maximus has already reached great dimensions, easily seating around 150,000 spectators and becoming the central arena for racing (circus performances eventually moved completely to the amphitheatres) so fascinating for almost everyone the population of Rome. Because the arena was used not only for races but also for circus performances – during Pompey’s reign, the auditorium was fenced off with iron railings, which, however, did not fulfill their task, falling in 55 BCE under the charge of 20 rampant elephants and causing understandable panic among the trampled spectators. So a 1/1,000 scale would be a track that is 2 feet long by 8 inches wide. Their husbands and brothers could not stand the insult and soon laid siege to Rome, but the same women, who were the bone of contention, were able to reconcile the men. It was a long and low wall separating the tracks. During the reign of Romulus, the whole Rome was located on the Palatine and was so strong that could subjugate all around. Horse racing has been taking place for centuries in the valley between the hills. The Romans negotiated unsuccessfully with neighbors, so the cunning Romulus invited them to celebrate a festival of Neptune Equester in a large valley at the foot of the Palatine. The website uses cookies. The seats were made of concrete and wood. The name of Circo Massimo comes from the Latin Circus Maximus. In addition to the valued “weight in gold” – coachmen (aurigae), each of the stables employed a huge and diverse staff: fornali (doctores), coaches (magistri), vets (medici), janitors (conditores), grooms (succonditores), shouters that make horses run (iubilatores) and many others, so as not to fall into the manner of enumerating. First and foremost, chariot races were held in the Circus. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The Circus Maximus was the greatest circus, venue for chariot races and venationes (hunts), ever constructed by the Romans. It was finished in the year 139 and a short time later, it became a military building, which in the year 403 would be integrated to the Aurelian Walls. The size of remaining ruins – parts of the track, marble standing cells and stone stands – impresses our contemporaries. Romans took stones from ancient structures for the construction of new buildings; the remains were covered with soil. Along the arena, in the middle, there was a narrow platform, decorated with two ancient Egyptian obelisks. “Whites” and “Reds” were in opposition to the empire, “Greens” supported the emperor, “Heavenly” supported the Senate and the aristocracy. On its both sides, the platform was completed with conical stone pillars – metae. On both sides of the wall, three massive posts and 7 items were placed: on one side, 7 eggs (septem ova), and on the other, 7 dolphins. The rules have been changed in the 2nd century BC due to the construction of watercourse in Rome about 146 BC. If you want to be up to date with news and discoveries from the world of ancient Rome, subscribe to the newsletter. Along the whole hippodrome, one hill was left untouched, so that quadrigas could race in circles. Rome prided itself on its aurigami, who were called “millionaires” (miliarii) – not because their income was estimated at millions of sesterces (though that is also true), but because they have won races at least a thousand times: Pompeius Musclosus – 3,559 times, Pompeius Epaphroditus – 1,467 times, Scorpus – 1,043 times. With time, first buildings appeared: benches for the most respected and wealthy citizens, a wooden launch and stalls for horses. Material which lay on the track at the chariot races. Hippodrome, ancient Greek stadium designed for horse racing and especially chariot racing.Its Roman counterpart was called a circus and is best represented by the Circus Maximus (q.v. The Circus Maximus had the seating capacity of 150,000 to 350,000 (the size depends on the ancient source), plus spectators were able to watch from the hillsides. The Roman audience loved these shows where the almost heroic exploits of the competitors, the vicissitudes of races, danger and bravado – it all made the race enthusiastic and stimulating curiosity. William T. Walters commissioned this painting in 1863, but the artist did not deliver it until 20 years later. The end of its glory seemed to be far away. You can find more information here. Even the smallest amounts will allow me to pay for further corrections, improvements on the site and pay the server. Circus Maximus – At 621m (2,037) long and with a 250,000 capacity (according to Pliny), this great Roman circus was never surpassed. Quadrigas – chariots drawn by four horses abreast – competed in a straight-line race. It is often used for mass festivities, military hardware parades, concerts and Rome’s birthday celebrations. The courage, bravado, cleverness and skill of steering this four horses made the best of the coachmen – despite their often low origin – become idols of the crowds: slaves obtained liberation and wealth, liberators – fame and fortune. Often, after the closing of the actual performance, an additional – epulum – feast was organized, and during it a “rain” of sweets, coins, purses, lots for a house, farm, ship – which the cleverer losers could use for their benefit. After Caesar’s reign, the Circus Maximus attracted the inhabitants of ancient Rome about 500 years more. For the last 6 years I live in the Eternal City. To count the number of laps, there were two stands on the platform with seven wooden eggs placed on each. Circus Maximus was the oldest and largest Roman circus, situated between the Palatine and Aventine hills. Usually, after three years of training, there was a 5-year period of competitions in races, when they were dressed in the colors of the appropriate factiones, with twigs attached to their heads, in decorative harnesses, with tied manes and tails, and hung with amulets and ornaments – they brought wealth to some and even ruined the lives of others. © Copyright 2004-2020 by Jakub Jasiński. In its heyday, when first Roman emperors ruled, the Circus was one of the most impressive constructions in Rome. A recreation area, very important for the city, is situated here. Starting gates – Charioteers entered the circus from the starting gates located at the northern end of the arena. Comments. He noted such details as the goal posts and the chariot tracks in the dirt. The driver was a slave who had a knife stuck in his belt in case the reins became tangled. The circus was the site of the first organized, state-sponsored martyrdoms of Christians in 65. WordPress technical support: Grzegorz Konieczny. From the 6th BCE to the 4th century CE the circus was rebuilt many times. Circus Maximus was the oldest and largest Roman circus, situated between the Palatine and Aventine hills. Having reached the end of the valley, they turned around and were galloping at full speed back, trying to cross the finish line first. Circus Maximus was built to be a stadium for sports and public entertainment. The building on the opposite side of the Arc de Triomphe contained 12 start gates (carceres) – each decorated with two marble Hermes. 12. During the reign of Antoninus Pius, some buildings collapsed, but the damage was quickly rebuilt. In 64 CE, during a great fire, the circus was destroyed for the second time. The Circus could accommodate 150,000 spectators and during next centuries the number has been more than doubled. The chariot races took place around the spina. In the midst of the celebration, Romans grabbed the Sabine women. The Circus Maximus is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venue located in Rome, Italy.The stadium is located between the Aventine and Palatine hills and it was largest stadium in ancient Roman Empire. However, the initial function of the racetrack was to host the Roman Games (Ludi Romani) that were part of a bigger festival honoring Jupiter. The name of Circo Massimo comes from the Latin Circus Maximus. The animals taking part in the races were purchased in Italy, Africa, Greece, Armenia, but most of all in Spain. Explore Rome with Us :), Rome taxi service: all about fares, transfer, Uber and MyTaxi apps. The Circus Maximus can be considered as the largest building ever put up for entertainment purposes.. Under the influence of these events, in 46 BCE Julius Caesar enlarged the track, surrounding it with water canals (euripi), rebuilt the auditorium and remodelled the already existing brick carceres. Sand. These were the ol… It was developed in the sixth century A.D. with stands of wood, and it could hold about 100,000 people. The grandeur of the Circus Maximus At its peak, the Circus Maximus seated up to 300,000 spectators, making it six times larger than the Colosseum which only had capacity for 50,000 people. Circus Maximus: Game of Chariot Racing in Ancient Rome [BOX SET] Brand: Avalon Hill. May 5, 2000 Updated: Feb. 6, 2012 12:12 a.m. Facebook Twitter Email. Thus, on June 22nd, 2014 the only concert of the legendary music band Rolling Stones in Italy during the world tour, which brought together 65,000 rock fans, was held here. Today the Circus Maximus doesn’t look like much, it is a large grassy space between the Palatine hill and the Aventine hill. Thus, after a fire in Rome in 31 BC, Emperor Augustus restored the circus and gave it its final shape. This makes it the biggest building for public spectacles of all time. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. In memory of the … ” Life could also be lost in a less (or perhaps more) glorious way – falling victim to the passion of “Caesars – players” who were able to condemn their teammates to death (Vitellius) or to lose one of the “factio” coachmen (Caracalla). Sabines also came, with their wives and children. Circus Maximus, largest of the Roman hippodromes and one of the largest sports arenas ever built. In 194 BCE, seats were added to the audience for senators, and in 174 BCE the building was replaced by a brick structure. Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Circus Maximus By same artist. Tthe Circus Maximus, was around five football fields long. Construction of the building began in the year 135 under the direction of the Emperor Hadrian, who intended to use it as mausoleum for himself and his family. Choose your desired dimensions, keeping the ratio of the length to width the same as the original stadium. Interesting facts about Rome’s oldest stadium and the greatest and largest Stadium in mankind history – the “Circus Maximus”. The Circus Maximus was colossal in size, featuring stone walls that surrounded a racing track that was over 500metres long. Rome's first and largest circus (track for chariot races). fountains, obelisks). The circumstances were described in detail by Tacitus in a well-known passage of the Annals, (xv.44).. When considering its size, compare it to the size of a modern football field which is (300 ft. long by 160 ft. wide. All rights reserved. Since 2019, there is also active English version of the website, which is regularly enlarged with new articles and posts. At first it held about 150,000 spectators, but grew in time. What happened that day in ancient Rome? This post is also available in: Polish (polski). In the 19th century, archaeologists, before the construction of the gas plant here, found lower tiers of the circus at a depth of 6 meters (19 ft 8 in). Bottom of the description there is a link with screens of model. Number of Carceres (starting gates at the Circus Maximus) Magistrate. After this one, the era of destruction began. The Circus Maximus was considered the largest and most famous circus complex in the ancient world. Belonging to a particular faction was forced by the economy – the enormous costs that had to be incurred for the purchase, training, maintenance of horses and servicing. Circus Maximus. Ultimately, it was able to hold about 250,000 viewers. However, the initial function of the racetrack was to host the Roman Games (Ludi Romani) that were part of a bigger festival honoring Jupiter. Thus, the unification of disparate fortified settlements on the seven hills into an ancient and eternal city began. In 36 CE the circus burned down. Plus grand édifice public de la Rome antique, il est principalement dédié aux courses de charsmais il peut également être u… In Bulgaria, Polish archaeologists discovered…, Great things come crashing down upon themselves – such is the limit of growth ordained by heaven for success. The victory or defeat of the team on which the bets were placed – sponsio – made some rich, ruined others completely: the rich put their fortunes at stake, the poor – the last sesterces. The last race in the Circus Maximus was held in 549 AD, during the reign of Emperor Totila. Today, you can find in Rome a vast oval meadow in the Circus Maximus’ place. Product Dimensions 11.5 x 9 x 1.2 inches Item Weight 1.6 pounds ASIN B0035HJICG Manufacturer recommended age 12 years and up There were four parties. Each party had its own color – white, red, blue or green. During this time, the Circus Maximus reached its monumental size, reaching dimensions of about 600 by 200 meters and able to accommodate a total (according to various estimates) from 255,000 to 385,000 spectators. Both obelisks survived and can be found at Piazza del Popolo (a large urban square in Rome known as “People’s Square”) and at Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano in front of the Lateran Palace. This fact fully explains the second meaning of the Latin word “circus” – a circle, and then an Italian word “circo” – “circus” – appeared. Starting gates at the Circus Maximus. The oldest part of the circus is the remains of the foundations of a wooden stable building (carceres), dating from 329 BCE. Unfortunately, all fame has its “lights and shadows” – extensive accounts of these, after all, dangerous feats are full of the names of coachmen who lost their lives in their prime: “Aurelius Mollicius after 125 victories in 20 years of age, Tuscus – 56 victories in 24 years, or Crescens after earning 1,600,000 sesterces in 22 years of age. Considérant l'importance de ses dimensions et la richesse de son histoire par rapport à la douzaine de cirques de Rome, il est souvent appelé simplement « Circus » par les auteurs antiques. There were also sleds with more horses – including a 10 horse decemiuges – inclusive. Since then, the circus has undergone many modifications. Reconstruction of the Circus Maximus - Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venue located in Rome, it was the first and largest chariot racing stadium in ancient Rome. It was 544 meters long and 129 meters wide. I believe that I can count on a wide support that will allow me to devote myself more to my work and passion, to maximize the improvement of the website and to present history of ancient Romans in an interesting form. Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Marforius From same collection. They erected a fence around the stadium, built wooden stands for the patricians and seating tiers for plebeians. However, the glory and fame of the winners, coupled with the huge cash benefits, made the risk “worthwhile”. One of the meanings of the word “circus” is a hippodrome, a place for horse contests. Available from these sellers. It was rebuilt by Emperor Claudius. To build it, they dug a tunnel 4,5 meters high of 2,5 meters wide (14 ft 9 in x 8 ft 2 in ) on the  level ground of the valley. Le Circus Maximus de Rome (Circo Massimo), situé entre les monts Aventin et Palatin, était une immense enceinte qui pouvait accueillir jusqu’à 300 000 spectateurs. Now, due to the new dimensions (621 m (2,037 ft) length and 118 m (387 ft) width! In the center of the arena was the so-called spina. Erected in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, the Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo in Italian) was 600 metres long and up to 200 wide, with a spine that must have measured 340 metres. Traveling, exploring new things, writing blogs, shooting vlogs are my main hobbies, but the thing that I like even more is to share my experience and thoughts with you! Circus Maximus facts. At first, people who wanted to watch the horse racing, set directly on the slopes of the hill. The content of the portal is additionally regularly published on social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Wykop, Reddit, Quora) to promote knowledge about ancient Rome. Dimensions of the Circus Maximus. The imposing structure of the Circus Maximus still characterizes the topography of Rome today.. First built in the times of Tarquinius Priscus, the structure underwent many changes.Our reconstruction dates to 64 AD when the circus was destroyed by fire in the reign of Nero.In this period the circus did not have the arch in the center of the curve that was built later, in the time of Titus. These items were removed on each subsequent lap to control the number of laps. Materials of which the Circus Maximus was made. Finally, Diodes, who is worth a separate line in that after winning 4,462 races by CE 150 – reasonably withdrew from further competition with about 35 million sesterces. It first took its distinctive shape under Julius Ceasar. Indeed, when the circus attained its greatest size, in the heyday of the imperial age, it measured no less than 600m in length and 200m in width, and could accommodate up to 300,000 spectators.. Photo credits by Google Maps. Just to give you an idea of the dimensions, Santiago Bernabeu football stadium in Madrid can seat just over 80,000. The first events were held in Rome in 500 BC, during the rule of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. The Circus Maximus is located in Rome between the hills Palatine and Aventine. An additional aspect that made the crowd feverish was money betting. We are Circus Maximus: a brand accelerator that strategically subverts the mold of the “agency” and bends the rules of marketing in the interest of helping businesses kick the optimized amount of butt ), it could hold 12 quadrigas at the same time. It measured 621m in length and 118 m. in width. This site has existed since 2004 and is the largest compendium of knowledge about the history of ancient Rome. 6 Facts about the Circus Maximus. The Circus Maximus. Concrete and Brick. Tradition holds that two years later, Saint Peter and many other Christians shared their fate. ).The typical hippodrome was dug into a hillside and the excavated material used to construct an embankment for supporting seats on the opposite side. The track itself would have been covered in sand with starting gates at one end ready to release their competitors into the stadium. The two middle horses were harnessed to the yoke of the cart, but the real value of the harness lay in strength and obedience, specially selected two outermost horses called funalis attached – each individually – with a special rope to the axis or wing of the quadriga. Ancient Roman believed that the events of the legend of the Sabine women, which has become one of the favorite subjects of the world culture, took place here, in the valley of the Circus Maximus. {"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"","openAnimation":"bounceInDown","exitAnimation":"fadeOutDown","timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"2","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}, Roman Empire at time of its greatest prosperity, Presence of Romans in China according to Chinese chronicles, Brilliant film showing structure of Roman army, 10 amazing Roman monuments that hardly anyone knows about. (more). Usually the race was 7 laps long. At least, as many fans were supporting their favourites standing upright. Chariot racing  started from one of metae and ended at the opposite end of the arena in seven laps. The possibility of gaining a fortune by gambling magically absorbed the entire Roman crowd, among other things, or precisely because it mostly consisted of unemployed people, and even the best emperors at games, competitions, fights, shows – skillfully used the mood of the people. Its principal function was as a chariot racetrack and host of the Roman Games (Ludi Romani) which honoured Jupiter. [email protected] | RSS | #imperiumromanum. In 33 BCE, at the command of Agrippa’s brand, 7 dolphins were placed on the spinning. The circus was rectangular with one side rounded. Le Cirque Maxime (littéralement « le plus grand cirque » ou « le très grand cirque »), en latin « Circus Maximus » (et en italien « Circo Massimo »), est le plus vaste et le plus ancien hippodrome de Rome. The dimensions of the Circus Maximus track was 2,000 by 660 feet. Deya Nedeva August 2, 2016 Ancient Rome, Monuments in Rome. If you have found a spelling error, please, notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter. Creative Commons Attribution license - On the same conditions 3.0. It was large enough to hold nearly 250,000 spectators. After some time, a number of small fountains in the form of bronze dolphins – sea horses of a patron of horse-racing Neptunus – were added. Above the gates, there was a stand from which the president of the Games, with a sound of fanfare, gave the signal to start the competition with a white scarf. At the one end of the arena, there were three towers: central one had the gateway for entry, the other two were completed with stalls for horses (standing cells) in a semicircle. Today only land elevations from Circus … The Circus Maximus was the greatest circus, venue for chariot races and venationes (hunts), ever constructed by the Romans. Pick a piece of wood that is of the desired size. On its foundation, there were altars of deities, statues, small cult or decorative buildings (e.g.