One of our worlds most renowned marvels of the ancient era was the Circus Maximus. Constructed for the entertainment for the citizens of ancient Rome, this colossus of a structure was home to sporting events that wold house thousands. The Circus Maximus is one of the most well known, most visited areas of what is now modern Rome, even though it no longer stands in its former grander. This arena that was once a pinnacle of ancient entertainment, and a social hub for many, is now to be nothing more than a soccer pitch. Even though the Circus Maximus no longer stands, it is still a site of the former glory of ancient Rome, and is still renowned far and wide. The Circus Maximus was constructed in around the 6th century B.C.E. According to and
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According to legends that have been circulated, the Circus Maximus was originally laid out by Rome’s first emperors then later took its more distinguishable state during the time of Julius Caesar (Cartwright 1). In the beginning the circus was just a sandy flat track with temporary markers for the races and games. Spectators would sit on the hill sides of the Palatine and Aventine in order to watch the games. As time progressed the Circus Maximus took shape becoming what it is now remembered as (McManus 2). When the Circus was only a flat sandy area the dimensions were only 540 meters long and 80 meters wide with 12 starting gates for the chariots to beginning a race from (Cartwright 2). The Circus Maximus was able to hold a total of 200,000 spectators at the time of its pristine condition (Fiero 154). This is because, during the time of Augustus the structure was 620 meters long and 140-150 meters wide (McManus 2). The seats in the last several tiers of the Circus Maximus were made form stone and concrete with a wood as the back rest. Many areas with in the Circus Maximus suggest that there were many stores that would have been open during a race for spectators to be able to fulfill their needs for food and drink (Cartwright
According to legends that have been circulated, the Circus Maximus was originally laid out by Rome’s first emperors then later took its more distinguishable state during the time of Julius Caesar (Cartwright 1). In the beginning the circus was just a sandy flat track with temporary markers for the races and games. Spectators would sit on the hill sides of the Palatine and Aventine in order to watch the games. As time progressed the Circus Maximus took shape becoming what it is now remembered as (McManus 2). When the Circus was only a flat sandy area the dimensions were only 540 meters long and 80 meters wide with 12 starting gates for the chariots to beginning a race from (Cartwright 2). The Circus Maximus was able to hold a total of 200,000 spectators at the time of its pristine condition (Fiero 154). This is because, during the time of Augustus the structure was 620 meters long and 140-150 meters wide (McManus 2). The seats in the last several tiers of the Circus Maximus were made form stone and concrete with a wood as the back rest. Many areas with in the Circus Maximus suggest that there were many stores that would have been open during a race for spectators to be able to fulfill their needs for food and drink (Cartwright