What does Circus Maximus mean in ancient Rome?

Located between the Aventino and Palatine Hill, the Circus Maximus was the largest stadium in ancient Rome built for chariot races.

What does Circus Maximus translate to?

largest circus
The Circus Maximus (Latin for “largest circus”; Italian: Circo Massimo) is an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue in Rome, Italy.

What happened at the Circus Maximus in Rome?

The Circus Maximus was a chariot racetrack in Rome constructed in the 6th century BCE. Used for other events such as the Roman Games and gladiator fights, it last hosted chariot races in the 6th century.

Why did the Romans go to the Circus Maximus?

The Circus Maximus was used to stage chariot races, gladiatorial displays, animal hunts and fights, and the Ludi Romani – the Roman Games. The latter was sponsored by rich and powerful Romans to honour the gods or to celebrate a victory in battle.

Does the Circus Maximus still exist?

Nothing but the site, between the Palatine and Aventine hills, remains today. Site of the Circus Maximus, Rome, with the ruins of the imperial palace on Palatine Hill in the background.

Why was Circus Maximus built?

Use: The Circus was built mainly for entertainment purposes. The most popular event held at the site was the chariot race which was witnessed by a huge crowd. Apart from the chariot racing, the stadium was also used for the celebration of religious events and holding public games during festivals.

Is the Circus Maximus still standing?

Much of the ruins has crumbled away, but the impressive terrace still stands today, and is an important tourist attraction below Palatine Hill.

What does Circus Maximus look like today?

Today the Circus Maximus doesn’t look like much, it is a large grassy space between the Palatine Hill and the Aventine hill. It is difficult to imagine that this big field was once a huge stadium that held a quarter of Rome’s population for, one of the most popular games in Ancient Rome – chariot racing.

How was the Circus Maximus different from the Colosseum?

The Colosseum was well-designed; in the shape of an ellipse, it allowed for seating all around. It had significantly smaller capacity than the Circus Maximus, able to seat only around 55,000 viewers. The Colosseum replaced the Circus as the prime space for gladiatorial shows and staged animal hunts, called venatio.

What was the most popular event in the Circus Maximus?

What is the Circus Maximus used as today?

For a thousand years the Circus Maximus was at the heart of Roman life. Today it is still the largest space in the city, still used for mass gatherings, demonstrations, public displays concerts (in 2014 The Rolling Stones played to a crowd of 70,000).

Did slaves build the Circus Maximus?

Most Romans had a a lot of free time to go to the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum. This was because most of their work was done by slaves. Slaves were the labourers of the Roman world. They worked as farmhands, builders, craftspeople, house servants, and even teachers.