Circus Maximus

The Circus Maximus or Grand Circus (“Maxime Circus”, in Astérix, pleasantly) is an immense public edifice located in the Vallée of Murcia, between the Palatin and the Aventin, where were organized races of tanks.

Circus Maximus means in Latin: “the very large circus”. In its high limits of size, reached with the IIIe century, it could accommodate approximately 380.000 spectators, which makes of it by far the largest sporting building ever built.

History

With the Life front century J. - C., under the reign of Tarquin Old the, take place the first supposed installations of the Circus Maximus with the site where, since Romulus, would have been held the rites and the plays crowned in the honor of the god Consus and called Consualia. It is precisely during one of them that the abduction of Sabines would have occurred to which the Romans, according to the legend, would have delivered itself to undertake the increase in population in the city. The Étrusque S practiced there the harnessed races and rises, and the first Roman plays ( Ludi Romani ). The place was used for the public entertainments by the Etruscan kings of Rome. Rome did not count less than twelve circuses, whose Circus Maximus is oldest.

In -329, under the Republic, it is equipped with twelve Carceres (starting stalls), as well as platforms in wood.

With the IIe century before J. - C., the circus was the site of public plays and festivals influenced by the Greek .

In -174, the Critic S Aulus Postumius Albinus and Quintus Fulvius Flaccus reconstituted the starting stalls, reflect in place the seven omphales (eggs, rev counters, which became permanent), and refitted the site.

In -55, Pompée made fight 20 elephant S in the circus and set up an iron balustrade to protect the spectators.

In -46, Jules César, to satisfy the requests of the Roman population, ordered an important refitting of the circus: the steps ( Cavea ) from now on are equipped with armchairs for all the spectators, even if the last lines are still of wood, and the circus is increased: its “canonical” dimensions reached finally 600 meters length on 200 broad for 250.000 spectators. At the image of the installation of Pumped, Jules César set up a more effective protection of the spectators by digging a gap between the arena and the seats.

In -33, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa set up, on the Spina , seven dolphins (rev counter). Two years later, the circus was devastated by a fire.

Throughout the 1st century, the Circus Maximus is in work for modernization, but also to repair the damage caused by several fires.

Towards 10, the emperor Auguste makes set up the first Obélisque of the Hippodrome. This obelisk of Ramsès II of Héliopolis in Egypt is réérigé today on the piazza del Popolo. Circus Maximus contained towards Ier century a. JC to 150.000 spectators. A large gantry on 3 floors supported the steps where two special cabins were arranged: for the emperor and another reserved to the patron who financed the plays.

In the middle of the 1st century, the emperor Claude was the first to build partially the platforms in stone. Néron protected the spectators of the wild beasts by a continuous round bar from wood, ivory glaze, not leaving any catch to the animals.

In 64, the large fire of Rome starts in the shops of the Palatin contiguous to the circus. It entirely devastated the circus, and the steps and platforms were rebuilt entirely in stone and Marbre.

In 81, the Sénat made build a triple vault honouring the emperor Titus: Arc of Titus.

At the end of the 1st century, the emperor Domitien connected his new palate on the Palatine Hill to the circus so that the imperial family can look at the races since the palate.

With the IIe century, after a new fire, the emperor Trajan made rebuild the building, added 5.000 more seats, and increases the imperial cabin. Thus, it increased the number of spectators, thanks to work of enlarging, to 250.000. It is in this circus that were held the races of tanks which constituted one of the favorite spectacles of Roman crowd.

In 354, after the multiplication of the Plays, '' ludi '' (days reserved for the sporting events) with Rome, 109 days to them from now on are devoted each year, including 62 for the only races of tanks; 20 to 24 races took place each day.

In May 357, the emperor Constance II makes transport a second Obélisque monolith of 33 meters (largest of all, high like a building of ten floors): the obelisk, come from Karnak, cut in pink Granite of Syène (Aswan) under the reign of Thoutmôsis IV (-1401/-1390) was moved in Rome in 323: Obelisk of Lateran.

In 549 took place the last race, after which the Circus Maximus was given up and fell in ruin.

During the the Middle Ages, the stones and the Marble S of the steps and platforms were gradually employed again in the construction of various the churches and palates. After the Rebirth, there remained almost nothing any more the great construction.

In 1587, the obelisk of Constancy II is released. Broken in three pieces, it is transported and reassembled in 1588 on the Place of Saint-Jean-of-Lateran; the obelisk of Auguste is in his turn set up on the piazza del Popolo in 1589.

Today

There remains about it only one vague print, a few pieces of stone (a small portion of the platforms in the south-eastern corner of the circus), and the broad grassy extent which occupies from now on the place of it. Excavations are currently always in hand in the southern part of the building in order to release the remainders of the steps discovered recently. One thus in the long term hopes to discover the maximum of ruins of the building.

It is to date the vastest sporting enclosure that the world knew.

Both Obélisque S exist always today:

on the Piazza del Popolo (Obelisk of Auguste);
on the Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano (Obelisk of Constancy II).

The grassy valley which form today the Circus Maximus is used for the great events: concerts (to 200.000 spectators), gathering after the victory of the Italy to the Football world cup of 2006 (1 million people)…

Structure

Located at the foot of Palatine, the Large Circus extends according to an elliptic plan, which occupies practically all the valley located between the Palatine one and Aventin. The Circus Maximus follows an oblong plan of approximately 600 meters length and 80 to 200 meters broad, according to the place, and covers 120.000 m ² (either surface of 18 football fields). The arena was as for it 568 meters long, and its width varied according to the place: 75 meters with the Carceres , 84 meters at the beginning of the Spina , and 87 at its end is. The Spina 344 meters was long.

Inside the enclosure, a wall relatively low, the spina, decorated obelisks, statues and of a gantry, cut it into two in its length, thus determining a lengthened track where the tanks sprang. At its round end, the enclosure of the circus sheltered the stables and the handing-over, while the other side decorated triumphal door, reserved at the exit of the winners. It is presented in the form of an immense basin almost entirely buried. Its ground conceals authentic archaeological treasures.

The Cavea (steps) had a width of 27 meters, but it increased much by the constructions established above the streets southern parts and north. The steps of bottom are in Marbre, the others in wood.

Circus Maximus could accommodate (according to the times) from 140.000 to 385.000 people. Its maximum limits were reached with the IIIe century.

At the western end were the twelve Carceres (starting stalls). These installations were installation in order to prevent that the attachments do not steal the departure.

The outside of the building presented, like the Colisée, three stages, but entirely covered of Marbre. The Cavea was divided into three zones of seats, separated by corridors.

Obelisks

The obelisk of Auguste was set up about year -10 on the spina of Circus Maximus where another obelisk, that of Constancy II, will be established into 357 in its company. Then their trace is lost: it is noted that they fell or were reversed both on an unknown date.

Furnace bridge of Consus

Arc of Titus

Circus games

Symbols

Symbolic system of the 4 teams of 3 attachments:

blanc : people: air, the winter, Jupiter
vert: the emperor: ground, spring, Venus
rouge: opposition: fire, the summer, Mars
bleu: aristocracy: water, the autumn, Neptune

The race represents the race of the sun or the travel of the tank of Apollo, of is in west (to raise/lay down sun).

12 Carceres = 12 months of the year = 12 constellations.
7 turns = 7 days of the week = 7 planets of the system of Ptolémée.

The rev counter comprises seven dolphins (in remembering the dolphin which brought back Apollon of the island of Plépos to Delphes) or seven omphales (eggs, probably of bronze). The egg fallen from the sky with Delphes was indicated as the center of the universe.

Other “plays”

Before the construction of the Colisée, the spectacles, as huntings, took place with the Circus Maximus , except for the engagements of gladiators which were generally held on the forum. Also the Circus Maximus was it a long time only the circus of all the empire equipped with a gap between the track and the steps, in order to often protect the public from the wild beasts to the honor in the Roman spectacles.

See too

Internal bonds

generic Article on the Roman circuses
List of the Roman circuses
Plays in ancient Rome
Race of tanks

not to confuse it with the Circus of Caligula and Néron, often called Circus of the Vatican ( Circus Vaticanus ).

External bond

Circus Maximus 360° IPIX Plane PANORAMA
of Rome

Sources

Jean-Paul Thuillier, the Sport in Ancient Rome , Paris, Wandering, 1997
J.H. Humphrey, Romance circuses. Arenas for carriages-racing , Berkeley, 1986.

Simple: Circus Maximus

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