DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0159
CIRCUS MAXIMUS
II7
vomunt; Cassiod. Var. iii. 51.8: euripus maris vitrei reddit imaginem
unde illuc delphini aequorei aquas influunt; cf. the mosaics of Barcelona
and Lyons, DS i. figs. 1520, 1523 ; for euripus used of the whole spina,
Tert. loc. cit. ea (i.e. Magna mater) praesidet euripo ; adv. Hermog. 31 :
statua super euripum ; Anth. Lat. 3. 5-6 ; Sid. Apoll. Carm. 23. 360 ;
RE vi. 1284 ; Lydus, de mens. i. 12).
In 64 a.d. the great fire of Nero broke out in the tabernae on the
Palatine side of the circus (Tac. Ann. xv. 38), and must have destroyed
a considerable part of this side at least. It is probable that in this, as
in other fires, it was only the upper structure of wood that was burned.
Nero evidently rebuilt the circus, for it was in use in 68 when he returned
from Greece and passed through it in triumphal procession (Suet. Nero 25 ;
Cass. Dio lxii. 20. 4, 21. 1). Of the circus during the reign of Vespasian
Pliny (NH xxxvi. 102) says that it was three stadia long, one wide, covered
four iugera of land, and seated 250,000 persons. He calls the circus, the
basilica Aemilia, and the temple of Peace the three most beautiful buildings
in the world. The text of this passage is, however, corrupt, and the
figures are open to question (see below). Again, in the reign of Domitian,
both the long sides were injured by fire (Suet. Dom. 5 : naumachia e
cuius postea lapide maximus circus deustis utrisque lateribus extructus
est), but to what extent is not known. The restoration was carried out
by Trajan with stone from Domitian’s naumachia ; he increased its
seating capacity sufficiently by adding two stadia to the length of the
cavea (Pausan. v. 12. 6 ; Cass. Dio lxviii. 7. 2). A passage in Pliny’s
Panegyric (51) seems to mean that Trajan removed a sort of private
box (cubiculiim), from which Domitian, while invisible to the people,
had viewed the games, and sat himself exposed to the gaze of the spec-
tators. His enlargement of the circus was probably on the Palatine
side, where an addition two stadia long could have been built on the
north side of the street that bounded the north side of the circus, and
could be connected by arches with the cavea. Whether Pliny’s further
statement—populo cui locorum quinque milia adiecisti—refers to the
seats in this addition, is very doubtful (cf. a similar statement in CIL
vi. 955 J Mommsen, Staatsrecht, iii. 446). It was under Trajan that
the circus seems to have reached its greatest size and magnificence.
During the reign of Antoninus Pius there was a ruina circi (Hist. Aug,
Pius 9), doubtless the same catastrophe which is mentioned in Chron. 146 :
circensibus Apollinaribus partectorum columna ruit et oppressit homines
mcxii. What the partecta were, is not known, but a similar accident is
recorded under Diocletian (ib. 148 : partectorum podius ruit et oppressit
homines xm). Caracalla is said to have enlarged the ianuae circi (ib. 147),
presumably some of the arches of the lower arcade. Constantine restored
the circus magnificently (Aur. Viet. Caes. 40. 27 : a quo etiam post circus
maximus excultus mirifice ; Nazar. Paneg. 35 : circo ipso maximo
sublimis porticus et rutilantes auro columnae tantum inusitati ornatus
II7
vomunt; Cassiod. Var. iii. 51.8: euripus maris vitrei reddit imaginem
unde illuc delphini aequorei aquas influunt; cf. the mosaics of Barcelona
and Lyons, DS i. figs. 1520, 1523 ; for euripus used of the whole spina,
Tert. loc. cit. ea (i.e. Magna mater) praesidet euripo ; adv. Hermog. 31 :
statua super euripum ; Anth. Lat. 3. 5-6 ; Sid. Apoll. Carm. 23. 360 ;
RE vi. 1284 ; Lydus, de mens. i. 12).
In 64 a.d. the great fire of Nero broke out in the tabernae on the
Palatine side of the circus (Tac. Ann. xv. 38), and must have destroyed
a considerable part of this side at least. It is probable that in this, as
in other fires, it was only the upper structure of wood that was burned.
Nero evidently rebuilt the circus, for it was in use in 68 when he returned
from Greece and passed through it in triumphal procession (Suet. Nero 25 ;
Cass. Dio lxii. 20. 4, 21. 1). Of the circus during the reign of Vespasian
Pliny (NH xxxvi. 102) says that it was three stadia long, one wide, covered
four iugera of land, and seated 250,000 persons. He calls the circus, the
basilica Aemilia, and the temple of Peace the three most beautiful buildings
in the world. The text of this passage is, however, corrupt, and the
figures are open to question (see below). Again, in the reign of Domitian,
both the long sides were injured by fire (Suet. Dom. 5 : naumachia e
cuius postea lapide maximus circus deustis utrisque lateribus extructus
est), but to what extent is not known. The restoration was carried out
by Trajan with stone from Domitian’s naumachia ; he increased its
seating capacity sufficiently by adding two stadia to the length of the
cavea (Pausan. v. 12. 6 ; Cass. Dio lxviii. 7. 2). A passage in Pliny’s
Panegyric (51) seems to mean that Trajan removed a sort of private
box (cubiculiim), from which Domitian, while invisible to the people,
had viewed the games, and sat himself exposed to the gaze of the spec-
tators. His enlargement of the circus was probably on the Palatine
side, where an addition two stadia long could have been built on the
north side of the street that bounded the north side of the circus, and
could be connected by arches with the cavea. Whether Pliny’s further
statement—populo cui locorum quinque milia adiecisti—refers to the
seats in this addition, is very doubtful (cf. a similar statement in CIL
vi. 955 J Mommsen, Staatsrecht, iii. 446). It was under Trajan that
the circus seems to have reached its greatest size and magnificence.
During the reign of Antoninus Pius there was a ruina circi (Hist. Aug,
Pius 9), doubtless the same catastrophe which is mentioned in Chron. 146 :
circensibus Apollinaribus partectorum columna ruit et oppressit homines
mcxii. What the partecta were, is not known, but a similar accident is
recorded under Diocletian (ib. 148 : partectorum podius ruit et oppressit
homines xm). Caracalla is said to have enlarged the ianuae circi (ib. 147),
presumably some of the arches of the lower arcade. Constantine restored
the circus magnificently (Aur. Viet. Caes. 40. 27 : a quo etiam post circus
maximus excultus mirifice ; Nazar. Paneg. 35 : circo ipso maximo
sublimis porticus et rutilantes auro columnae tantum inusitati ornatus