The Great Circus in Rome. Circus Maximus in Rome - the most extensive ancient hippodrome in Italy

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Ancient Rome

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When I was studying the history of Ancient Rome, one of the hardest things for me to understand was how all these ancient ruins fit together, but fortunately we now have Dr. Bernard Frischer, who has created an excellent video model that allows you to visualize space of the Eternal City. Creating such a model was very difficult for two reasons. Firstly, ancient cities now lie in ruins, and, accordingly, it is quite difficult for us to understand what these ruins actually looked like in ancient times. And secondly, only random fragments have reached our time, and we do not have the entire volume of material. Of course, the appearance of the Pantheon or the Colosseum is not the appearance of the entire city. What did everything else look like? Most of the buildings have not survived. In general, within the framework of our model we are trying to imagine what the entire city looked like. So let's take a look! Let's! It’s as if we are flying over the city, over the Tiber. This is a good place to start our excursion because, as you know, the Tiber divides Rome into two parts. And over there, in the distance, I see a very large temple. This is the Capitoline Temple, which was the main temple of Rome. It was located on the top of the Capitoline Hill, which for this reason was considered the center of state cult and state religion. So, what moment in Roman history did you choose for your model? Theoretically, this is 320 AD, when Roman town planning reached its peak. First of all, this, of course, concerns public buildings. The emperor at this time was Constantine the Great, who soon after moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople. So, we fly over the river and behind the Capitoline Hill we see the Palatine, another of the seven canonical hills of Rome. The Palatine is very visible to everyone who comes to Rome. This is the same large hill with palaces that is clearly visible from the Forum. By the way, the English word “palace [palace]”, meaning palace, comes precisely from the word “Palatine”. The Romans said: “Where the emperor is, there is a palace.” Thus, the term gradually became detached from a specific hill and began to mean simply the place where the ruler lived. And indeed, flying past the Circus Maximus, we see a huge imperial palace, occupying almost the entire slope of the hill. At the same time, we, of course, must remember that the palace was not only the home of the emperor and his family, but also the center of government. What is the connection between the palace and the huge circus? They are actually connected to each other. Luxurious circus games were often given by the emperor himself, who went down to his box directly from the palace or could even watch the races directly from the window of his chambers. Yes, of course, it was not a circus in our modern understanding. We are talking about various sports competitions, most often it was chariot racing. Just remember the famous scene from the movie “Ben Hur”. In addition, the circus hosted animal baiting, parades, religious and triumphal processions. Now let's take a look at the city itself. We know that in Rome the culture of trade was very developed and there were real markets. But what do we know about the daily life of the Romans? A lot of things. We know hundreds of Roman crafts and professions, many different social strata. We know what the Romans ate and how long they lived. Scientists have reconstructed their daily lives in great detail. But here we see an aqueduct, a huge water supply system, one of the most impressive structures in Rome. Yes, the Romans are famous for their aqueducts. Their city would never have become so huge with a million inhabitants or even two without aqueducts that brought water to houses from areas located 20-30 miles from Rome. The Romans made this system work using springs located high in the mountains, from where the water flowed down by gravity into the city and valley. At the same time, Roman craftsmen were somehow able to build such structures in such a way that their slope was only 1 foot in 2000, which, of course, is absolutely amazing. We don’t know how they could make such accurate calculations so that water would flow from top to bottom slowly, but with constant pressure. Here we are dealing with man's ambitious desire to control nature. Build a city where there is already water? No! You need to subordinate nature to your needs. The Romans were incredibly skilled engineers. Of course, they used the water for drinking, obviously for cooking, etc., but at the same time, many aqueducts ended in magnificent fountains or led to huge public baths - the so-called therms. And this area, apparently, was in some way separated from the more densely populated part of the city. Here we have the Baths of Trajan. Yes. These baths were not the first, but they became a model for many other public baths. The block of bathhouse buildings was located in the center of a kind of park area surrounded by walls. We have already said that emperors strived in every possible way to ensure the well-being of the citizens, and in this case we are dealing with an excellent example of such a desire. Next we approach perhaps the most famous buildings of Ancient Rome. The Colosseum... But we are now talking about a rather late stage of Roman history. Wasn't there some other palace on the site of the Colosseum before? Of course there was. The Colosseum was built by Emperor Vespasian, who ascended the throne in 69 BC, after the suicide of Nero, who was a very unpopular ruler. One of the reasons for his unpopularity was that after the great fire of 64 AD, in which a very large part of Rome was destroyed, he confiscated more than 100 acres of land in the city center and built his own palace there. Golden House of Nero. And in the palace gardens there was a large pond. And Vespasian, to show that he was a friend of the people, ordered the pond to be filled up and the Colosseum to be erected in this place, but it was not originally called the “Colosseum”. This name appeared only in the Early Middle Ages. The Romans called this structure the Flavian amphitheater because Vespasian came from the Flavian family. And this is really an amphitheater, that is, a “double” oval-shaped theater. The Romans, no doubt, did not call it the Colosseum, but they called this huge statue of the sun god Colossus. You mentioned that we are talking about the period when Rome was ruled by Constantine, who had not yet moved the capital to the east. It will be very interesting to look at this arch, the Arch of Constantine. It's still completely new. She's only a couple of years old. Constantine left Rome after defeating Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. As far as we know, he never returned to the Eternal City - and never saw the arch. Now let's take a look inside the Colosseum. Here, as in a mirror, the entire Roman society is reflected. The best seats are those that are located lower than others, closest to the arena. They were reserved for the emperor, high officials, priests and so on. Behind them sat senators, even further away were rich merchants, and behind them were ordinary freeborn citizens. At the very top there were places for women, slaves and foreigners. What did all these people come to see? Now we have here exactly what is most often associated with the Colosseum - gladiator fights. In addition, the Colosseum hosted the Romans’ favorite animal hunts, as well as executions of criminals - often very colorful and very cruel. Now let's turn left and move towards the forum. What is this huge temple? This is the largest religious building in Rome. Temple of Venus and Roma. It was built by Emperor Hadrian. This structure is very curious because it is actually two temples with a common inner wall. One of them was dedicated to the goddess Venus and overlooked the Colosseum, and the second was dedicated to the goddess Roma and overlooked the forum. Apparently, there were reasons for this. Venus looks at the Colosseum, which is associated with fun and games, i.e. leisure - which the Romans themselves called “ocium”. Whereas Roma is a more serious goddess. She looks at the forum, which is the territory of the "negocium", i.e. affairs and work. Next we move on to the forum itself. First, let's stop at the Basilica of Maxentius, the last of the large civil buildings erected in Rome before the transfer of the capital. This is truly a huge structure. The word “basilica” may well be familiar to you - this is what we often call churches. But for the Romans it was a civil building in which court hearings were mainly held. Christians simply adopted the form of this building, because they often prayed in basilicas, and filled this form with new content. So, we find ourselves in one of the most difficult parts of Rome. It is especially difficult, looking at modern ruins, to understand how all these buildings were connected to each other. I always compare the forum to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. This is a large open public area that is used for various public events such as parades and speeches. The buildings located around this open space are also public and represent courts and temples. In addition, at the forum - as well as on the territory of the Washington Memorial - there were monuments to great people and monuments in honor of the most important events. Private properties adjacent to the forum were gradually bought up, so that each emperor could build his own forum. These were the so-called “imperial forums”. So we've come full circle and are now looking back at the Capitol. We are flying over the Forum - and we will return to it later. We pass over Capitol Hill and see the Capitoline Temple, and then move back to the river where we find a large flat area called the Campus Martius. During the Republic, when the Roman army consisted of citizens, soldiers gathered and trained here. Next, we approach a beautiful square pond and look from the side at a very important building called the Pantheon. We would not have seen the rotunda, the round part, in ancient times. Instead, we would have seen a structure with eight columns in the front, which looked like a traditional Roman temple. I want to say that this building was built with a certain surprise inside. Because from the outside it really looks like an ordinary Greek or Roman temple, but when you go inside, you notice the presence of a rotunda. I just want to admire the scale of the structure for a moment longer. Look at these columns - they are simply colossal. The ability to stand such huge stones upright is phenomenal in itself. But that is not all. After all, this stone is granite brought from Egypt, which was very far away. This is a building that glorifies the Roman emperors. As we know, statues of Julius Caesar and Augustus stood here, and on this basis we believe that the Pantheon has always been associated with the imperial cult. So, the interior space of the Pantheon simply magically opens up before you. It's simply magical. I have led many tours here and asked visitors if they had the same experience as I did. If you stop right at the threshold and keep your head up, I always ask, “What do you see?” And everyone always agrees with me that here you can see the hole in the dome, the floor and you can look to the right and left. That is, a grandiose space opens up before you. But at the same time it is exactly at the very limit of human vision, and for me such things are an indicator of a truly classical style, which always relies on human forms, proportions and limitations. A building that clearly corresponds to the limits of our vision truly ennobles us. It makes us feel great. It doesn't put us down. But if this building were ten times larger, we would feel reduced to the size of an ant. The design of the building is closely related to round shapes, and at the same time there are a lot of squares in it. This play of squares and circles is easy to notice when looking at the floor. And, of course, we cannot fail to mention the ceiling coffers, which create a wonderful sense of rhythm. Absolutely right! And note that the play of squares and circles is also noticeable here, because the square caissons form a semicircular dome. But the most interesting thing for me is that this dome was painted, although now almost all the paint has disappeared. The dome is closely associated with celestial motifs, and accordingly its base was painted blue. The caissons were painted yellow - as if they were emitting sunlight, and in the middle of the caissons there were probably rosettes symbolizing luminaries or stars. As we know from one historical work, written just a hundred years after the construction of the Pantheon, even in ancient times people could not understand how the architects managed to build such a dome. Even in ancient times this was surprising. It's very interesting how the light falls. If you look at the dome, you will realize that the sun's rays must be directed at different caissons at different times of the day and on certain days of the year. Recent research suggests that it was not a sundial, but rather some kind of trick of light that was supposed to show the passage of time throughout the year. In particular, sunlight passed clearly through the opening in the dome at noon on April 21, illuminating the main door of the Pantheon. As we remember, the Pantheon in this form was built under Emperor Hadrian. But it was this emperor who was especially interested in the festival dedicated to the founding of Rome and celebrated on April 21st. Hadrian renamed this festival in honor of the goddess Roma. Apparently, it is his merit that lies in creating the dramatic effect in question, but at the same time we can only guess about what ceremonies took place in the Pantheon on April 21. Now let's go back to the forum. Many of the main roads passing through the city converged here, and many Roman citizens passed through here on their business. And then the camera pulls back. Now we can take a look at the entire city - and understand how complex, how advanced this ancient civilization was. How many buildings were there in this city - have you ever thought about it? According to two censuses conducted in the 4th century. AD, there were between eight and ten thousand buildings in Rome. The population of the city was probably 1-2 million, and the total area was approximately twenty-five square kilometers. Thus, it was the largest city in the Western world - until the 19th century, when London took its place.

Terminology

Circus facilities

At the beginning of Rome, under the first kings, the Campus Martius served as the site of the circus; then, as the legend says, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, using the spoils of the war with the Latins, built a special stadium in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, later known as the “Great Circus” (lat. Circus Maximus).

Its location was similar to the ancient Greek hippodromes. The circus arena after its reconstruction by Julius Caesar had a length of 640 m and a width of 130 m. On three sides, one short and semicircular and two side, long, it was surrounded by numerous tiers of seats resting on the vaults, arranged one above the other (lat. moeniana ), above which towered pavilions and galleries with columns. The lower tier, lying directly above the rather high base of the structure (Latin podium), was assigned for senators; During the time of the emperors, there was their tribune (lat. pulvinar). The next tier could only be occupied by horsemen, and the remaining tiers were provided for people of other classes. From the outside, this entire part of the structure consisted of arcades and colonnades, from under which one could make one’s way through many staircases to the seats for spectators. The huge structure had no roof, but the spectators could be protected from the sun by a canvas stretched over them.

Following the model of the oldest Roman “Circus Maximus,” others were built, both in Rome itself and in its provinces, in which, at the end of the empire’s existence, there was not a single more or less significant city that could do without such a building. In addition to the “Great Circus”, there were three more in Rome:

• built in 220 BC. e. to the west of the Capitol, the Circus of Flaminius, in which Augustus once gave the people a performance of a crocodile hunt in the middle of an arena filled with water;
• the Circus of Nero (also called the Circus of Caligula and the Vatican), began construction under Caligula, completed by Nero and known in history mainly as a place of cruel torture to which the second of the named emperors subjected Christians;
• Circus of Caracalla, built, however, not under him, but a century later under Romulus, son of Maxentius, and important for archaeologists in that its significant ruins, located behind the former Capena Gate (behind the current Porta San Sebastiano), make it possible to study the structure of Roman circuses .

But the remains of a circus discovered in 1823 in the area of ​​ancient Boville, a small town at the foot of the Alban Mountains, on the Appian Way, can serve this purpose even better. This circus is not large, but it is a typical example of Roman circuses and is relatively well preserved.

Games

The almost complete destruction of the circuses is explained both by the fact that the squares of seats were an excellent material for buildings, and by the fact that only a minority of the circuses were made of stone. Still, even in this state of destruction, one can get an idea of ​​both the plan of the circus and its interior decoration - about the first, both on the basis of excavations and, especially, on the basis of the famous Severovsky plan of Rome, from which a piece depicting the southern part of the circus has been preserved . Based on this fragment and the size of the valley, the approximate size of the circus can be calculated. The length of the building is 635 m, width. 150 m, arena length 590 m, width. 80 m. Based on these dimensions, we can check the authors’ indications of the capacity of the circus: it is quite possible that under Augustus the number of seats reached approximately 150,000, and by the time of Constantine it increased to almost 200,000.

The interior decoration of the circus can be judged on the basis of a number of Roman monuments (reliefs, coins, mosaics) and especially on the basis of a mosaic found in Barcelona depicting circus performances. The details of the image are almost similar to those on Roman monuments. On the spina are depicted here, in addition to counting devices and an obelisk, a number of sanctuaries, columns with statues of Victoria, a statue of the Great Mother of the Gods (riding a lion), military banners, in addition a number of athletes and animals - perhaps statues symbolizing those games that were given in the circus in addition to the performances. On other monuments we also see a sanctuary of the three gods, an altar, trophies with captives (cf. bound people on the Barcelona mosaic), etc.

The main spectacle that attracted people to the circus was chariot racing (besides them, races, athletic fights, animal fights, and exercises on horseback are also mentioned). Initially, these races were an integral part of the religious and political celebrations that accompanied the return of the army from the campaign, which affects, as a relic, the pump, which introduced chariot competitions. Pompa this one had the character of a triumph, with a religious lining. She solemnly walked from the Capitol through the forum and the cattle market and entered the southern gate of the circus. At the head walked or rode (if it was a praetor or consul) the magistrate, who gave the games, in triumphal clothes (a toga embroidered with gold and a tunic decorated with palm trees embroidered on it), holding in his hand a scepter decorated with an eagle; Behind him stood or walked a public servant who crowned him with a golden oak crown. Music was blaring ahead, and the magistrate was surrounded by his children, friends and clients. Behind him they carried and carried statues of gods, and subsequently of deified emperors, starting with Julius Caesar. After this introductory act, very long and very pedantic, the games began.

The gates opened simultaneously and usually 4, sometimes more (6, 8, 12, depending on the number of parties and chariots of each party) chariots, in pairs or more often in fours, flew into the arena. The run began to the right of the mark and ended at a place on the opposite side, marked with a white line, after running around seven times spina. The number of races was not always the same: it started with 10 or 12, but the further, the more their number increased, and in imperial times it reached 24 or even 36, which filled the entire day from morning to evening. Each race lasted no more than a quarter of an hour. During the race, the drivers used all sorts of means to get the first prize - means that led to the development of a special technical racing jargon, in which inscriptions were written in honor or memory of the drivers.

Particularly dangerous was going around the marks, to which everyone tried to stay close; everything depended on the endurance and agility of the leftmost horse. Accidents were quite common; a light two-wheeler, open at the back, was easy to break with the strength and speed of four horses; Almost all images of horse races show, in a certain pattern, out of four competing chariots, one is broken. The prize consisted of a wreath and a certain sum of money; Both second and third prizes were given.

Circus parties

The supply of horses and drivers initially came from the state and was farmed out by the magistrates. The further, the larger the magistrates' surcharges became, and the supply business was organized into two large enterprises, possibly subsidized by the government. The enterprises maintained stables, horses, driver personnel, schools for drivers, horses were ridden, etc. The technical name of the enterprises was factio; the chief manager was named dommus factionis.

Differed factions each other by color. Two companies of Republican times dressed their riders, one in white, the other in red, and were therefore called russata And albata. In probably imperial times, these two were joined by blue and green (lat. factiones veneta and prasina); temporarily under Domitian there were also gold and purple ones (lat. purpureus pannus and auratus pannus). Of these parties, only the Blues and Greens played a prominent role in imperial times; All the interest of the circus visitors concentrated around them.

Interest in horses, in drivers, the excitement of betting - all this, inflated by the participation of the upper strata of society right up to the emperor, led to the fact that the interests of the circus were the most vital and lively interests of Rome. Interest was concentrated on the permanent carriers of certain advantages - companies, suppliers of horses and drivers - and was inflated by the companies themselves; the viewer became accustomed to assimilating the interests of the company, and thus the result was a passionate participation in the fate not of the horse or driver, but of the party. The passion reached the point of fights and battles; influential people of one party tried to harm the other; The emperors themselves spent a lot of time in the stables of their favorite party and supported it with the power of their power to the detriment of the other. With the decline of culture, passion reaches its apogee at the Hippodrome of Constantinople. Partisanship supported interest in the bearers of the party's glory - the drivers and horses, especially drivers, since victory most of all depended on their dexterity.

Roman circus professionals

Specialization has driven amateurs out of circuses; hand in hand with it came the development of the concept of its inappropriateness as a craft for the Roman aristocracy. At first, chariots in the circus were driven by young men of noble families; they were still there pueri, there they also demonstrated high school driving in a number of complex military evolutions, taking part in the so-called Trojan games ( lusus Troiae).

In the last centuries of the Republic, all this went out of fashion; Caesar and Augustus, in their desire to fight the effeminacy of society and caste prejudices, had to forcibly reintroduce the old customs. They forced noble youth to race chariots and perform both as children and as teenagers in a number of military exercises in front of the public ( ludi sevirales: participants are riders who have just donned toga virilis; lusus Traiae: participants are children of the best senatorial families).

The educational goals of Caesar and Augustus were replaced by a passion for the circus of Caligula and Nero: it was not the exercise of physical strength and the fight against prejudice, but sport itself, the love of successes, prominent and noisy in this area, that especially guided Nero and his later imitators. The glory of the charioteers and their popularity kept emperors like Nero awake.

But no matter how the passion for horse racing grew in society, circus drivers from society were still an exception: professionals set the tone in the circus. The development of technology and skillful training, in connection with special abilities, produced artists who won several thousand times and made colossal fortunes for themselves from prizes and special payments from the party and employers. Their names thundered everywhere; everyone knew Scorpus (Flavius Scorpus) or Diocles, and a number of inscriptions tell us in detail their circus careers.

The drivers began their careers very young, which was largely due to the requirement from them to be as light as possible. The majority ended their lives violently early; only a few, having made a fortune for themselves, retired. The very costume of the drivers indicated the danger of their profession: they were wrapped with belts over the tunic, they wore a smooth leather cap on their heads, their legs, right down to their sandals, were also wrapped with belts, all this in order to protect their body as much as possible from blows and so that the entire body did not have clothing that would could have caught on to something and hung on it. The reins were tied to the driver's waist so that he could drive with one hand and hold a whip in the other; A curved knife hung from the belt for cutting the reins in case of a fall. The drivers were very superstitious.

is the largest hippodrome in the ancient city. You can find it between the Aventine and Palatine hills in Rome, which, in turn, are located on the left bank. In other words, the Circus Maximus in Rome is located almost in the center of the modern city.

Name

The Great Circus of Rome, or Circo Massimo, took its name from the Latin name, which sounds like Circus Maximus. The word Circus in one of its meanings is translated as a lists, that is, a place for holding equestrian competitions. Previously, horse racing was held in the valley located between the hills. According to historians, this event could represent a seasonal celebration organized in honor of Neptune the Horse.

The holding of the first such competitions dates back to 500 AD. e., during the reign of King Tarquinius Priscus in Rome. In this action, the chariots were harnessed by quadrigas, that is, by four horses, and they raced in a straight line from the start. Then, having reached the edge of the valley, they made a U-turn, after which they raced at full speed in the opposite direction, trying to be the first to reach the finish line.

Gradually, in the 2nd century. BC, the rules were subject to change, which was due to the construction of a water pipeline in Rome, which began approximately in 146 BC. It was laid along the bottom of the valley with the preliminary excavation of a tunnel that reached a height of 4.5 meters and a width of 2.5 meters. A hill stretched across the entire lists. They didn’t level it, so the horses were run in a circle in the competition. Because of this, the second meaning of the Latin word Circus was fully justified - it is a circle. Later the word circus became a derivative from it. And indeed, the circus turned out to be “massimo”, because it was large, stretching across the entire valley. If we talk about numbers, its width was 150 m, while its length was over 600.

If we consider the historical descriptions of the Circus Maximus in Rome for different periods of time, we will notice that they differ. At first, spectators who wanted to watch the equestrian competitions found a place directly on the hill. Later, the first buildings were organized on it. These were benches installed for the rich and respected citizens of Rome. A wooden starting point and stalls for horses were also installed.

The heyday of the Circus Maximus occurred during the reign of the first emperors of Rome. At that time, the Circus Maximus in Rome was one of the most impressive buildings in the city. In the 1st century BC. Caesar made certain changes to its features. So, under his decree, perestroika was carried out. Under her, the arena located at the Circus Maximus in Rome was expanded and lengthened. A canal was dug around it. From that time on, the new dimensions of the Circus Maximus made it possible to accommodate 12 quadrigas at once. The arena was 118 m wide, while its length was 621 m.

A fence was erected around the stadium, and wooden stands intended for patricians were erected, as well as tiers aimed at the “simpler” public. In total, there were 150,000 seats in the Circus Maximus, and over the next few centuries their number was doubled. In addition, almost the same number of spectators watched the outcome of the competition in the arena of the Great Circus while standing.

Three towers were built at one end of the Circus Maximus arena. Of these, the central one was equipped with a gate allowing entry inside. The remaining two towers were equipped with punishment cells for horses, that is, special stalls. Passing through the gate erected on the opposite side, the Circus Maximus in Rome left the winners of the competition.

Remaining echoes of the past

A narrow platform ran along the center of the Circus Maximus arena; it was decorated with ancient Egyptian obelisks. Both obelisks with such decoration have survived to this day. You can see them today on Narodnaya, or on Piazza del Popolo, as well as on the square of Rome, located opposite the Lateran Palace, this is Palazzo del Laterano.

The platform on both sides ended with metas, which were curves equipped with pillars and arranged in the shape of cones. One of the metas served as a place for the chariot race to begin; the race ended at the opposite end of the Circus Maximus arena, after completing seven laps. The circles had to be counted, for which a pair of special stands installed on the platform were used, each of them was designed for 7 balls. After some time, compact fountains shaped like dolphins were installed near them. They had their own meaning, because dolphins served as sea horses for Neptune, the patron saint of the lists.

The Circus Maximus attracted the people of Rome for the next 500 years after Caesar's reign. It seemed that the decline of his fame would not touch him for a long time. Hopes for the best were reinforced by the fact that the ruling emperors often made certain changes, thereby decorating the Circus Maximus in Rome.

In 31 BC. there was a fire, after which the ruling emperor of Rome, Augustus, contributed to the restoration of the Circus Maximus, giving it the form in which it is known now. Stone stands served as the basis for it; these are steps designed for privileged spectators. They were, for example, horsemen and senators. The upper tiers remained wooden; on the outside there were arcades in which taverns and shops were located. After Augustus, the Circus Maximus in Rome continued to be decorated. Thus, during the reign of Claudius, the punishment cells became marble, and the cells became completely gold. Nero's reign in Rome was marked by the expansion of the arena, in which the canal was buried.

Horse racing was held for the last time in Rome in 549. Then the reigning emperor was Totil. The same time became the starting point, which for the Circus Maximus in Rome can be designated as the era of destruction.

The inhabitants of Rome dismantled the stone used in ancient buildings, using it for the further construction of new buildings. The remains of the Circus Maximus gradually began to be covered with soil. During excavations carried out by archaeologists in the 19th century. Before the construction of the gas plant on the site of the Great Circus, the lower rows were found. Their depth “went down” by 6 meters.

As for the current situation in which the Circus Maximus finds itself in Rome, now where it was previously located there is a large oval clearing. The ruins remaining from the former Circus Maximus in the form of stone stands, marble punishment cells and parts of the tracks do not leave anyone indifferent, shocking with their size.

Nowadays it is also home to a very important recreation area in Rome. It is often used for parades of military equipment and for concerts and other special events. The Birthday of Rome, by the way, is also traditionally celebrated on the territory of the Circus Maximus. In 2014, by the way, the Rolling Stones concert took place here. The legendary group performed in Rome as the only place in Italy. Needless to say, over 65 thousand fans of the group gathered here for this event.

Circus Maximus in Rome: how to get there

The Circus Maximus can be reached in five minutes on foot from the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The Caca staircase, which runs from the Palatine Hill in Rome, also leads directly to the Circus Maximus. It is believed that it was here at one time that Kak, the three-headed shepherd, the son of Medusa and Hephaestus, also known for spitting fire, hid the best of Geryon’s cows stolen from Hercules. At the time of the theft, Hercules himself was sleeping peacefully on the banks of the Tiber. Here he entered into battle with Kak, subsequently returning what was stolen from him.

So, returning to modern conditions in deciding how to see the Circus Maximus in Rome, we note that you can use the metro for this. Here you need line B, which will take you to the Circo Massimo station of the same name.

If you want to use other types of public transport in Rome from a certain starting point, then buses 75, 60 81, 175 and 160, as well as tram number 3, will take you to the Circus Maximus without any particular difficulties for you.

To move freely around Rome using any type of public transport, do not forget to purchase the Roma Pass discount card in advance. You can do this online link .

According to historians, the events relevant to the famous legend of the Sabine Women, which have taken root as a favorite plot in world culture, took place in Rome, in the valley of the Circus Maximus.

The times of Romulus are characterized by the fact that Rome, in all its then size, was located on the Palatine Hill, but he was so strong that he was able to subjugate everyone around him. Meanwhile, there were no women in the city, and therefore even such a place risked falling into oblivion due to the inability to procreate. The warriors turned to their neighbors for help in this matter, but they were refused. Romulus did not give up, but acted more cunningly. He organized a festival, inviting his neighbors to celebrate at the very foot of the Palatine, in a large valley.

The celebration was the day of Neptune, as we know, in this case we are talking about the god of horses. Among the other guests who arrived, the Sabines came to see him, not alone, but with their wives and children. In the midst of the celebration, Roman youths began to kidnap the Sabine women.

The Great Circus (Circo Massimo, Circo Massimo) is the largest hippodrome in ancient Rome, located on the left bank of the Tiber River, between the Palatine and Aventine hills, almost in the center of the modern city.

The name Circo Massimo - Great Circus - comes from the Latin Circus Maximus. One of the meanings of the word Circus is lists, place for equestrian competitions. Horse racing has taken place in the valley between the hills for centuries - historians speculate that it may have been a seasonal celebration in honor of Neptune the Mounted.

The first competitions were held in Rome in 500 BC, under King Tarquinius Priscus (lat. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus). Chariots drawn by four horses - quadrigas - raced from the start in a straight line. Having reached the end of the valley, they turned around and galloped back at full speed, trying to reach the finish line first.

In the 2nd century BC. the rules changed due to construction in Rome around 146 BC. water supply It was laid along the bottom of the valley, digging a tunnel 4.5 meters high and 2.5 meters wide. A hill stretched along the entire lists, which they did not level, but let the quadrigas go in a circle. This is how the second meaning of the Latin Circus - circle was fully justified, and then the Italian word Circo (circo) - circus - appeared. The circus was indeed “massimo” - large, the size of an entire valley, 150 meters wide and more than six hundred meters long.

Description

Descriptions of the circus in different periods of development differ. At first, spectators who wanted to watch equestrian competitions were located right on the slopes of the hill. Gradually, the first buildings appeared: benches for the most respected and wealthy townspeople, a wooden starting point and stalls for horses.

Now, thanks to the new dimensions (118 m wide and 621 m long!) it could simultaneously accommodate 12 quadrigas.

A fence was erected around the stadium, wooden stands were built for the patricians and tiers for the public were simpler. There were 150 thousand seats, in subsequent centuries their number more than doubled. At least the same number of fans were worried about the outcome of the competition while standing.

At one end of the arena there were three towers, the central one with a gate for entry inside; stalls for horses - punishment cells - were attached to the other two in a semicircle. The winners left the circus through the gate on the opposite side.

Along the arena, in the center, there was a narrow platform decorated with two ancient Egyptian obelisks. Both obelisks survived and decorate in Rome (Piazza del Popolo) and the square in front of the Lateran Palace (Palazzo del Laterano).

On both sides the platform was completed with curves with pillars in the form of cones - metami. The chariot race began from one of the places and ended at the opposite end of the arena after seven laps. The circles had to be counted; for this, two stands were installed on the platform, each with seven balls. Over time, small fountains appeared nearby in the form of dolphins - sea horses of the patron saint of the lists of Neptune.

Sunset

After Caesar, Circo Massimo attracted the inhabitants of Ancient Rome for another half a millennium. It seemed that the end of his fame was not yet coming. Many emperors who ruled in Rome contributed to the decoration of the circus.

So, after the fire that happened in Rome in 31 BC, restored the circus and gave it its final form. Its basis was stone stands in the form of steps for privileged spectators - senators and horsemen. The two upper tiers remained wooden, and arcades with shops and taverns appeared outside. Decoration continued after Augustus: under Claudius, the punishment cells became marble and the cages became gold; under Nero, in the name of expanding the arena, a canal was dug in.

The last time horse racing took place in the Circus Maximus was in 549, during the reign of Emperor Totila. After this, the era of destruction began.

The Romans dismantled stone from ancient buildings to build new buildings, and the remains were covered with soil. Archaeologists who carried out excavations in the 19th century before the construction of a gas plant on this site discovered the lower rows of the circus at a depth of 6 meters.

Today in Rome, on the site of the Circus Maximus, there is a vast oval-shaped clearing. The remaining ruins - parts of the path, marble punishment cells and stone stands - amaze our contemporaries with their size.

A very important recreation area for the city is located here. It is often used for mass celebrations, parades of military equipment, concerts and celebrations.

How to get there

You can get to Massimo on foot in 5 minutes from (Foro Romano) and (Colosseo), and from the Palatine Hill the Caca stairs (Scalae Caci) lead directly to the circus. She keeps the memory of the tenth labor of Hercules. They say that it was here that the three-headed shepherd Kak, the son of Hephaestus and Medusa, spitting fire, hid the two best cows of Geryon, which he stole from Hercules, sleeping on. Here Hercules entered into single combat with Cacus and returned the stolen goods.

If fatigue takes its toll, the most convenient thing is to take the metro and get to Circo Massimo station (line B). They will also deliver here:

• buses No. 60, 81, 75, 160 and 175;
• tram number 3.

Legend of the Sabine Women

Historians suggest that the events of the legend of the Sabine Women, which has become a favorite story of world culture, unfolded right here, in the valley of the Circus Maximus.

At the time of Romulus, all of Rome fit on the Palatine and was so strong that it could subjugate everyone around it. But there were no women in the city of warriors; there was no one to continue the family line. They turned to their neighbors for help, but were refused, and then the cunning Romulus invited them to celebrate the festival of Neptune, the god of horses, in a large valley at the foot of the Palatine. Among others, the Sabines also came, taking with them their wives and children. At the height of the holiday, Roman youths rushed to kidnap Sabine women - the Sabines.

Their husbands and brothers could not stand the insult and soon besieged Rome, but the same the women who started it all were able to reconcile the men. This was the beginning of the unification of scattered fortified settlements on seven hills into an ancient and eternal city.

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The most extensive hippodrome. Located in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills. 12 chariots could simultaneously take part in competitions at the hippodrome.

According to legend, it was at this place that the abduction of the Sabine women took place. (The Rape of the Sabine Women or the Sabine War is an episode dating back to the legendary period of Roman history), as well as the theft of Hercules' cattle.

Creation

It is believed that chariot competitions were first held here by King Tarquinius Priscus (c. 500 BC). The valley between the Palatine and the Aventine, 600 m long and about 150 m wide, has since ancient times, due to its position near the most ancient part of the city and the extremely convenient configuration of the terrain, served as a place for equestrian events associated with the ancient games of Rome (the so-called lat. ludi Romani ). Until 329 BC e. horse racing facilities were not mentioned in this place; Obviously, apart from the arena and temporary seats for honorary spectators, there were no buildings on the site of the circus. It is very possible that the valley was cultivated and produced crops, as shown by the most ancient sanctuaries of rural gods - (the altar of Konsa, the sanctuary of the triad Seia, Segetia, Tutilina), which survived even after the formation of the circus.

It is very likely that the games were given only after the end of the harvest (in 366 BC the ludi Romani were fixed for September). Only in 329 was the start built - lat. carceres - made of wood with variegated colors. There was no permanent spina; the sides were wooden. Mentions of the erection of statues, the construction of gates, the renewal of carceres and metas, the installation of an apparatus with eggs for counting tours (Latin missus), the acquisition of cages for animals, etc. appear after the Punic Wars. Under Caesar, the area of ​​the circus was expanded and a canal (Latin euripus) was dug around the arena.

In those days, chariot competitions took place in a straight line - having reached the end of the arena, the chariots turned around and raced in the opposite direction. Later, with the development of Rome's sewer system, a large tunnel (approximately 4.5 meters high and 2.5 meters wide) was built under the arena, resulting in the formation of a "ridge" in the arena over time. Leveling the ground in the arena before each competition cost significant labor, and therefore competitions could no longer be held according to the old scheme. The rules of the competition were changed, and the chariots began to travel not in a straight line, but in a ring, going around the “ridge” of the arena. The new way of holding equestrian competitions quickly took root, and since then horse racing began to be held on circuit hippodromes.

Description of the great Roman circus

Julius Caesar expanded the Circus Maximus to 600 meters in length, so that it could accommodate 250 thousand viewers(an equal number of people could watch the competition standing). In the middle of the short and semicircular side of the described arena fence there was a gate through which the winners of the races left the Circus (lat. porta triumphalis). At the opposite end of the arena there were three towers (lat. oppida); in the middle there was also a gate that served for the entry of chariots into the Circus (lat. porta pompae); Between it and the side towers there was built, on the right and left, a row of stalls (lat. carceres) for chariots and horses, located in an arc of a circle. In the middle of the arena stretched a long and narrow platform (lat. spina) with semicircles at both ends and cone-shaped pillars (lat. metae) standing on them. This platform was decorated first with one and then with two obelisks; both of them survived and are preserved to this day; the first, taken from Egypt and erected by Augustus, now stands on Piazza del Popolo; the second, even larger one, erected by Constantine the Great, was moved in 1588 to the square in front of the Lateran Palace. In addition to the obelisks, on the platform in two places there were placed on small pedestals (no doubt in honor of the patron of the lists of Neptune Eqnestris) seven sculptures of dolphins spewing water into small pools, and separately from these figures, on special stands, seven balls (lat. . ova).

Decline and destruction

As early as the 6th century, Theodoric supported the circus; the last games were given by Totila in 549. The most massive circus structure - the Arch of Titus - stood until the 12th century, but already in the 16th century. nothing more was left of the circus than was left to the 19th century, when the circus valley was built up with gas factory buildings. In the Middle Ages, stone structures of the circus were dismantled for construction new buildings. However, the circus area was never fully developed and public events (eg rock concerts) are still held here.

rome theater circus gladiator

In Rome, the largest city of antiquity, there were seven circuses. They were all structured almost identically, but the largest and most ancient of them was the Circus Maximus. This circus was located in a valley formed by two hills - the Palatine and the Aventine.

From ancient times until the fall of the empire, most of the games were held annually here in the valley, which consisted of horse-drawn chariot races. According to legend, such races were established by one of the founders of Rome, Romulus, and they were first held once a year - after the grain harvest and fruit gathering. In those days, spectators sat right on the grass that covered the hillsides.

Later, about 600 BC, the first wooden circus was built in this valley. Over the centuries, it expanded more and more and was decorated with marble and bronze.

Among the ancient Romans, the circus was a place for horse racing and chariot racing, and later for some other spectacles (gladiator combat (including venators - trainers, who were also formally considered gladiators, despite the fact that they did not fight).

The main spectacle that attracted people to the circus was chariot racing (besides them, races, athletic fights, animal fights, and exercises on horseback are also mentioned). Initially, these races were an integral part of the religious and political celebrations that accompanied the return of the army from the campaign, which is reflected, as a relic, in the pomp that introduced chariot competitions. This pompa had the character of a triumph, with a religious lining. She solemnly walked from the Capitol through the forum and the cattle market and entered the southern gate of the circus. At the head walked or rode the magistrate, who gave games, in triumphal clothes, holding a scepter in his hand; Behind him stood or walked a public servant who crowned him with a golden oak crown. Music was blaring ahead, and the magistrate was surrounded by his children, friends and clients. Behind him they carried and carried statues of gods, and later of deified emperors, starting with Julius Caesar. After this introductory act, very long and very pedantic, the games began.

The gladiators' armor, beautiful in appearance, left large areas of the body unprotected: the fighters were obliged to entertain the audience with their wounds, blood, and finally death, which increased the public's interest in the fight. The fight itself had to be carried out competently, boldly and excitingly: this gave the fighters some opportunity to save their lives even in case of defeat. When a wounded gladiator raised his hand with his index finger extended, it meant that he was asking the public for mercy. In response, the spectators waved their handkerchiefs or also raised their fingers, thereby “releasing” the brave fighter who had lost the ability to fight; if the spectators put their fingers down, this meant that the loser during the “game” showed excessive love for life and that the winner was ordered to deliver the final, fatal blow. Of course, gladiators were well trained in the art of fencing and hand-to-hand combat.

One of the favorite gladiatorial fights among spectators was the so-called fish-catching - a fight between a myrmillon and a retiarius. The first of them, armed with a sword and a shield, wore an image of a fish on his helmet; the second used a sharpened trident as a weapon and was equipped with a metal net. The goal of the “game” was that the retiarius had to entangle the enemy with a net, knock him to the ground and, if the spectators wished, finish off the “fish” with a trident; Myrmillon’s task was to escape unharmed from the “fisherman” and at the first convenient moment to hit him with a sword.

In addition to such “spectacles,” animal persecution took place in the Colosseum. With the help of special mechanisms, decorative mountains and forests, along with all sorts of animals, were lifted into the arena from the basements of the amphitheater. By slapping whips and shooting flaming arrows into their faces, the servants infuriated the animals. A rhinoceros was forced to fight with an elephant, a panther with a bull, and a bear with a wild boar. During the games alone at the opening of the Colosseum, about 5 thousand animals were hunted in this way.

While there was general admiration for the bloody spectacles, only two public figures in Rome expressed their indignation. One of them, the famous orator Cicero, said that there can be no pleasure “when a weak person is torn to pieces by a huge strong beast or when a beautiful animal is pierced by a hunting spear.” Cicero was echoed by the philosopher Seneca, who angrily pointed out that “man is sacred to man, and he is killed for fun and amusement.” But with all this, both of them - Cicero and Seneca - believed that the warlike spirit should be an integral part of the Roman people.

So, in the same Colosseum, trained animals were shown: lions caught hares and released them unharmed, elephants danced and, according to Roman custom, reclined at tables with food; In the Great Circus, gymnast competitions, running runs, fist fights, and discus throwing were held. These spectacles did not cause delight among the expansive Roman public and gradually faded away completely, as they did not satisfy the principles of the same notorious policy.