Circus Maximus Essay

788 Words4 Pages
It is ultimately impossible to look at the open field that holds the remains of the Circus Maximus and comprehend what it once was. The remains of the famous Circus Maximus lie in the Valley between the Aventine and Palentine hill. Circus Maximus began by the idea of entertaining the crowd with chariot races. Chariot races were typically held in the honor of the Roman god, Consus in a separate structure near Consus’s altar. Several years later, the idea led to the makings of a circus. It was first constructed by Tarquinius Priscus. Tarquinius Priscus was the fifth ruler of Rome in 520BC. The design was simple, yet elegant. The shape itself was oblong with a long barrier that ran horizontally through the middle of the track. This was labeled the Spina. The building itself measured 2,037 feet long, around 387 feet wide and had a circumference of 1 mile. Seats escalated 3 stories above the actual arena. The seating sections were separated by the class of observers; the most important/rich sat on the bottom. Circus Maximus accommodated nearly 250,000 spectators. The idea of chariot races was to circle around the Spine of Circus Maximus seven times or about 3 miles. There were several entrances as well as exits for guests to enter or leave as they please without harming or disturbing other spectators. Ostia was a special opening for the horses and chariots to enter through and begin racing. The horses were kept in their stalls by 2 small statues of Mercury holding a chain rope. The horses stood in a straight line which was filled with lime and chalk. The Spina was located in the middle of the arena of Circus Maximus. It was made of a brick base and was 12 feet wide and 4 feet high. In the middle of the Spina was an obelisk dedicated to the Pharaoh Ramses the Great. The obelisk stood approximately 132 feet high. A similar, but smaller, obelisk stood
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