Handbook of archaeology, Egyptian - Greek - Etruscan - Roman . eror would have the best view of the startand of the arrival at the goal. The Circus Maximus of Rome wasbuilt in the reign of Tarquinius Priscus. It was enlarged byCsesar, and embellished by Augustus and Tiberius. Csesar separatedthe area from the seats by a euripus, or ditch, in order that thespectators might not be exposed to the attacks of the animals,which sometimes broke clown the barriers. According to Dionysius,this circus was 3^ stadia long, and about 4 plethra (about400 feet) wide. It contained 150,000 people. Pliny makes
Handbook of archaeology, Egyptian - Greek - Etruscan - Roman . eror would have the best view of the startand of the arrival at the goal. The Circus Maximus of Rome wasbuilt in the reign of Tarquinius Priscus. It was enlarged byCsesar, and embellished by Augustus and Tiberius. Csesar separatedthe area from the seats by a euripus, or ditch, in order that thespectators might not be exposed to the attacks of the animals,which sometimes broke clown the barriers. According to Dionysius,this circus was 3^ stadia long, and about 4 plethra (about400 feet) wide. It contained 150,000 people. Pliny makes it only3 stadia long, and 1 wide, containing 260,000. Each computa-tion is, however, supposed to have reference to different periods,The remains of a circus outside the walls of Rome have affordedmeans of studying the general arrangements of this class of build-ing. It was formerly named the Circus of Caracal!a, but inscrip-tions have been discovered, recording that it was erected in honourof Romulus, the son of Maxentius, 311. Its length is 1,580 feet,. CIRCUS OF KOMTJLrS. and its breadth 260 feet. It is calculated that it could have con-tained 20,000 spectators. The next circus, in point of antiquity, tothe Circus Maximus was that of Flaminius, built by the consul ofthat name, 531, but this has entirely disappeared. The othercirci at Rome were the Circus Agonalis, or Alexandri, built by theEmperor Alexander Severus, the exact form of which may be tracedin the Piazza Navona. The length was about 750 feet. The circusof Flora was situated in the space between the Quirinal and Pincianhills, now partly occupied by the Piazza Barberini. The circus ofSallust, called Circus Apollinaris was situated in the depressionbetween the Quirinal and Pincian hills. Slight vestiges of it maystill be traced. The circus of Nero stood partly on the site of theBasilica of St. Peter. It was destroyed by Constantino when hebuilt the old church, 324. —Naumachias were mock na
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