ROMAN CIRCUS: ORIGIN, PARTS, FUNCTIONS - HISTORY - 2025

The Roman circus was a place for the entertainment of the population, different from the circuses of today and similar to the Greek racetracks of ancient times. They were large structures exposed to the open air, used as the venue for various events for the general public.

Circuses were the main source of entertainment in the ancient Roman Empire, along with theaters and amphitheaters. Circuses were usually used for horse racing and chariot races. They were emblematic places and represented an important part of the culture of the ancient inhabitants of the Roman Empire.

Origin

The circus of the ancient Roman Empire evolved in shape and characteristics over time. It is believed that its origin is related to the existence of other similar buildings in Greece, and the first circuses in Rome may have been built around 500 BC. C.

However, the circuses that fulfilled properly public functions -which are adapted to the description of the concept- began to be built from the year 200 BC, and they became popular for 400 years until 200 years after the birth of Jesus.

Parts

In addition to the complex architectural ornaments that the ancient Roman circuses could have, there were two fundamental parts in the design of all these.

The first was the stands. These surrounded the structure (which was generally oval in shape) and were positioned similarly to the bleachers on a modern-day Olympic track.

The second fundamental part was the race track itself. The size of this track determined in turn the size of the stands and the design of the architecture that would surround the circus. In this area (and in the space in between) planned events in the Empire were taking place.

An additional part that was part of the design of these structures were the "prisons", which were the exit doors.

They were flat and with a fairly defined shape, which served to compensate for the starting distance between each race station. This part of the circus was key in horse and carriage racing.

Roles in Roman society

The Roman circus served entertainment functions, which made many inhabitants of the Empire consider circuses as a second home. Among the most prominent functions that these structures fulfilled are the following:

Roman Games

The Roman Games encompass all kinds of activities that were carried out in these circuses and coliseums. They were organized mainly by the emperor and their main objective was to distract the poorest citizens from the state of their economy, making them forget the lack of money with entertainment.

This kept people happy, avoiding revolts against the emperor. Games evolved throughout the history of Rome; the more popular they became, the more complex their level of organization and the number of people involved in the events.

Many of the games were held in the Colosseum, but the float races were very popular with the citizens of Rome and they occurred only in circuses. The most famous circus was the Circus Maximus, built in Rome in the 6th century.

Float racing

The chariot races were the most popular events in Roman circuses. Emperors, knights and members of the Roman Senate used to demonstrate their skills as conductors in circuses, or simply acted as fans of one of the four main factions that participated in the races.

Nobles and emperors spent large amounts of money organizing these races. Usually there were 24 races a day (one per hour) for 64 days a year; in addition, it was customary to bet money on a winner. These races used to mobilize large amounts of money between emperors and nobles.

In these circuses, a tradition in force today was also popularized: throwing gifts of all kinds towards the circus stands. The emperors and leaders of the Empire carried out these actions to encourage the public.

In Roman society, chariot racers were viewed as cult heroes. The most successful could reach unparalleled fortunes and become much wealthier than members of the Senate.

Many members of society also took advantage of these events to make their opinion known. The crowd in the stands could make judgments related to politics or the current state of the nation, which were heard by the leaders present.

Horse races

Regular horse races were also practiced in these circuses, although they did not reach the same level of popularity as chariot races.

However, the circuses were ideally shaped (very similar to today's racetracks); this form allowed events of this kind to take place.

Gladiator fights

Usually gladiator fights were held in arenas, but occasionally circuses were also used for these events.

It was customary for some warriors to wear highly protective armor, which was quite heavy and made their movements slow.

Other gladiators had light armor, which protected few parts of their bodies but gave them a high level of mobility in return.

This made the fights incredibly wild, and today they are regarded as barbaric events. It was one of the most popular events in Roman society; source of entertainment for thousands.

Main Roman circuses in the world

Today and thanks to archaeologists, it has been possible to find the location of several Roman circuses in the world. Many of these are still in good condition despite the passage of time.

Among the main circuses are the Alexandria Circus in Egypt, the Vienna Circus in France (along with 3 other important circuses also located in the Gallic country), the costal circus called Caesaera Maritima in Israel, the Circus Maximus in Rome and the Circus of Maxentius, also in Rome.

Many Roman emperors had their own circuses, and it is known that in what is now Rome there are at least five circuses attributed to various emperors of ancient times.

References

1. Brief history of chariot racing, Alex A., May 3, 2017. Taken from thevintagenews.com
2. The Roman Circus, Rome Across Europe, August 14, 2015. Taken from romeacrosseurope.com
3. Circus Maximus, Ancient History Encyclopedia, June 12, 2013. Taken from ancient.eu
4. Gladiators, Chariots, and the Roman Games, US History - Ancient Civilizations, (nd). Taken from ushistory.org
5. Roman Circuses, K. Hopkins for History Today, (nd). Taken from historytoday.com