Circus Maximus, Rome

The Roman Circus, the theatre and the amphitheatre were the most important buildings in the cities for public entertainment in the Roman Empire. Chariot races, horse races, and performances that commemorated important events of the empire were performed there. For those events that involved re-enactments of naval battles, the circus was flooded with water.

The Roman Circus was a large rectangular site with rounded borders. The arena was divided lengthwise into two parts by the spina, around which the chariots ran. On the spina there usually were columns, statues and commemorative obelisks.

The Roman Circus was inspired by the Greek hippodromes and stadiums, but was actually much larger than they were. There are also similar buildings, called stadia, which were typically smaller than circuses and were used for Greek style athletics. These buildings were similar in shape but smaller than circuses. However, the distinction is not always so clear. An example of this type is the Stadium of Domitian.

List of Roman Circuses

Algeria

• Auzia ^[1]
• Béjaïa ^[1]
• Cherchell ^[1]
• Sétif ^[1]

England

• Colchester

Egypt

• Alexandria ^[1]
• Antinopolis - Location ^[1]
• Oxyrhynchus ^[1]

France

• Arles ^[1]
• Lugdunum ^[2]
• Saintes ^[1]
• Vienne ^[1]

Germany

• Trier ^[1]

Greece

• Corinth (disputed)
• Gortyn [1] ^[2]
• Nikopolis - Location, Referred to as a stadium.
• Thessaloniki ^[1]

Israel

• Caesarea Maritima ^[1] - status as a circus is disputed by many.

Italy

• Aquileia ^[1]
• Bovillae ^[1]
• Mediolanum ^[2]
• Rome - 5 in various states of preservation
  • Circus Maximus - Location
    

    

    Floorplan of Circus Maxiumus. This design is typical of all Roman circuses.
  • Circus of Maxentius - Location
  • Circus of Nero ^[1]
  • Circus Flaminius ^[1]
  • Circus Varianus ^[1]

Jordan

• Gadara ^[1]
• Gerasa - Location ^[1]

Lebanon

• Beirut ^[1]
• Tyre - Location ^[1]

Libya

• Cyrene - Location ^[1]
• Leptis Magna - Location ^[1]

Portugal

• Miróbriga, near Santiago do Cacém - Location ^[2]
• Tavira ^[1]

Serbia

• Sirmium ^[1]

Spain

• Calahorra ^[1]
• Capera ^[1]
• Italica ^[1]
• Mérida - Location ^[1]
• Sagunto ^[1]
• Tarragona ^[1]
• Toledo - Location ^[1]
• Zafra ^[1]

Syria

• Bostra [2] ^[1]
• Latakia ^[1]

Tunisia

• Carthage ^[1]
• Hadrumentum ^[1]
• Henchir Bou Cha ^[1]
• Henchir Esch Schorr ^[1]
• Thugga ^[2]
• Thysdrus ^[1]
• Utica ^[1]

Turkey

• Antioch ^[1]
• Byzantium - Built under Septimius Severus, a Roman. - Location
• Laodicea on the Lycus - Location, Referred to as a stadium.
• Nicomedia ^[1]

See also

• Hippodrome - a Greek arena also used for chariot racing
• List of Roman amphitheatres
• Amphitheater
• Roman theatre (structure)

References

• Cyrene
• List

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circus (building)

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