Circus Maximus
Site of the Circus Maximus, Rome, with the ruins of the imperial palace on Palatine Hill in the background.
Circus Maximus
arena, Rome, Italy
Circus Maximus, largest of the Roman hippodromes and one of the largest sports arenas ever built. A U-shaped structure with seats on three sides and a low wall running down the middle of the arena around which the chariots raced, it was rebuilt in the time of Julius Caesar (1st century bc) to seat an estimated 150,000 spectators. Enlarged by later emperors, it reached a maximum size under Constantine (4th century ad) of about 2,000...