 View of the Circus site from the south-east. The tower in the foreground is part of a medieval fortification.[1] | |
  Circus Maximus Shown within Augustan Rome | |
| Location | Regio XI Circus Maximus |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°53′9″N 12°29′9″E / 41.88583°N 12.48583°E |
| Type | Circus |
| History | |
| Founded | Old Kingdom era |
The Circus Maximus (Latin for "largest circus"; Italian: Circo Massimo) is an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue in Rome, Italy. In the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome and its later Empire. It measured 621 m (2,037 ft) in length and 118 m (387 ft) in width and could accommodate over 150,000 spectators.[2] In its fully developed form, it became the model for circuses throughout the Roman Empire. The site is now a public park.
- ^ Humphrey 1986, p. 57
- ^ This is a modern recalculation of the seat capacity at the Circus, a substantial downward revision of Pliny the Elder's estimate of 250,000. For discussion, see Humphrey 1986, p. 126