Roman circus
Large open-air venue used for public events in the ancient Roman Empire / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Roman circus (from the Latin word that means "circle") was a large open-air venue used mainly for chariot races, although sometimes serving other purposes. It was similar to the ancient Greek hippodrome. Along with theatres and amphitheatres, circuses were one of the main entertainment venues at the time.
'Circus (building)' redirects here. For the British English use of circus to describe circular housing projects, see crescent (architecture).
Similar buildings, called stadia were used for Greek-style athletics particularly in the eastern, Greek speaking, part of the empire, but these were typically smaller than circuses.
According to Edward Gibbon the Roman people, at the start of the 5th century AD:[1]
...still considered the Circus as their home, their temple, and the seat of the republic.