The Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo)
The Circus Maximus, Circo Massimo in Italian, lies in a hollow, the Murcia valley, between the Palatine and Aventine hills. Of the largest and most famous hippodrome, all that remains is a vast grassy space that has kept its characteristic shape.
Getting there : From the east by metro at Circo Massimo station or by many bus lines.
From the west at the Piazza Bocca della Verità bus stop. We recommend this option, as it also lets you visit the Forum Boarium and the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin before reaching the Circus Maximus.
Opening hours : free entry day and night.
Ticket prices: free
Today little or almost nothing survives of its former splendour. The vast grassy space, more than 600 m long, keeps the shape of the ancient hippodrome. It is bordered by embankments that once supported the seating and by two busy roads, the via dei Cerchi and the via del Circo Massimo, from which stairways allow you to go down and thus ease the movement of crowds attending the shows and events still held here.
On the Porta Capena side (east), a few remains date from the time of Trajan, but the tower is all that is left of the fortress of the noble Frangipane family. To the west, excavations have brought to light the remains of shops and the substructures that gave access to the seating. Access to these two minor sites is possible only on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 16:00.
The building, then the remodellings and embellishments of the Circus Maximus — that is, The Greatest — stretch throughout Roman antiquity.
It was built by Tarquinius Priscus (656–578 BC) — the 5th legendary king of Rome — to allow the celebration of the Roman games, of which horse and chariot races formed part.
Under the Roman Republic (510–27 BC) the first wooden seating and stalls were built. Only the Spina, the central spine dividing the hippodrome into two equal parts with the metae (turning posts) at each end, was built in permanent materials and adorned with statues dedicated to the deities of Rome.
Julius Caesar (100–44 BC) had the Circus enlarged to 600 m long by 200 m wide, with seating and a protective palisade, still of wood, allowing 100,000 spectators to watch these extremely dangerous chariot races in safety, as well as other shows such as wild animal hunts (the venationes).
The emperor Augustus (63 BC–AD 14) had boxes erected for the imperial family, and on the Spina a first obelisk brought from Egypt was set up (now standing in Piazza del Popolo)
The emperors Claudius (10 BC–AD 50) and Nero (37–68) rebuilt it in stone and marble, and the emperor Trajan (53–117) enlarged it with 5,000 extra seats, allowing, according to the Ancients, 300,000 spectators to take their places.
Constantine I (272–337) restored the Circus again, where 109 days of games were held each year, and Constantius II (317–361) placed on the spina a second obelisk, a pink granite monolith 33 m high, which now stands in St John Lateran square.
The last races took place in 549 under the Ostrogothic king Totila, before the site served as a quarry for building during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
More about chariot races
Although various shows were given in the Circus Maximus, its shape and dimensions destined it from the outset to chariot races, of which Romans of every class were especially fond — above all those with four horses, the quadrigae.
The factions : The stable teams wore the colour of their faction — white, green, red and blue. Quickly the greens, the people's faction, and the blues, that of the aristocracy, became predominant. The victory or defeat of one of these parties sometimes led to serious unrest and even riots.
The stables : they employed a large staff, both administrative and technical, including accountants, doctors, grooms, harness-makers, tailors and of course the aurigae and the agitatores. The aediles and magistrates, required to give games, had to hire and spend very large sums to secure the best stables.
The chariots : The chariot was extremely fragile, consisting of a simple wooden body open at the rear and resting directly on the axle of the wheels. Although these chariots could be drawn by 2 horses — the bigae — or 3 horses — the trigae — Romans preferred to watch races with 4 horses, the quadrigae. Although the number of horses could be multiplied, going up to 10 to increase speed, they were in practice little used, as were races with mounted riders.
The charioteer : Although one commonly speaks of an auriga for the driver of a quadriga, his real name was the agitator. The charioteers were slaves who could become adored stars, especially those who had won 1,000 victories, the milliarii. They could be freed and become extremely rich. The charioteer wore a tunic in the colour of his faction and was protected only by a helmet and a leather corselet. He wound the horses' reins around his waist and, in the event of a wreck (accident), had only a knife to cut them quickly and thus avoid being dragged along the track and trampled.
How a race unfolded : The games began with a solemn procession, the pompa. When the magistrate who had funded the games dropped a white cloth, the mappa, from the tribune, the chariots — 3 per faction, so 12 — left the carceres (stalls) and completed 7 laps around the spina. At each lap, one of the marble eggs or one of the gilded bronze dolphins was removed from the spina to count the remaining laps. The chariots, wanting to turn as close as possible to the spina or the columns marking the bend, risked crashing into them; and since every blow was allowed, accidents were frequent and very often fatal. The winner received a laurel wreath and a sum of money of greater or lesser amount according to his fame, but a large part of it went to the owner of the stable. As Romans never tired of this spectacle, several races could be held on the same day.