DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13855#0095
CIRCEXSES LUDI.
87
CIRCUS
CIRCEN_SES LUDI. [Circus.]
CIRClTORES, or CIRCL'ITORES. [Cas-
tea.]
CIRCUS. "When Tarquinius Priseus had
taken the town of Apiolae from the Latins,
he commemorated his success by an exhibi-
tion of races and pugilistic contests in the
cause the procession and races went round in
a circuit. Previously, however, to the death
of Tarquin, a permanent building was con-
structed for the purpose, with regular tiers
of seats in the form of a theatre. To this the
name of Circus Maximus was subsequently
given, as a distinction from the Flaminian
Murcian valley, between the Palatine and , and other similar buildings, which it sur-
Aventine hills, around which a number of passed in extent and splendour ; and hence
temporary platforms were erected by the ! it is often spoken of as the Circus, without
patres and equites, called spectacula, fori, or
foruli, from their resemblance to the deck of
a ship ; each one raising a stage for himself,
upon which he stood to view the games.
This course, with its surrounding scaffoldings,
was termed circus; either because the spec-
tators stood round to see the shows, or be-
any distinguishing epithet. Of the Circus
Maximus scarcely a vestige now remains;
hut this loss is fortunately supplied by the
remains of a small circus on the Via Appia,
the ground-plan of which is in a state of con-
siderable preservation : it is represented in
the annexed cut, and may be taken as a mo-
Ground Plan of the Circus.
del of all others. Around the double lines
(A, A) were arranged the seats (gradus, se-
dilia, subscllia), as in a theatre, termed col-
lectively the cavea ; the lowest of which were
separated from the ground by a podium, and
the whole divided longitudinally by pvaecinc-
tiones, and diagonally into cunei, with their
vomitoria attached to each. [Amphithe-
atrum.] Towards the extremity of the upper i
branch of the cavea, the general outline is
broken by an outwork (B), which was pro-
bably the puhinar, or station for the empe- I
ror, as it is placed in the best situation for
seeing both the commencement and end of
the course, and in the most prominent part
of the circus. In the opposite branch is ob-
served another interruption to the uniform
line of seats (C), betokening also, from its
construction, a place of distinction; which
might have been assigned to the person at
whose expense the games were given (editor
tpectaculorum). In the centre of the area
was a low wall (D) running lengthways down |
the course, which, from its resemblance to |
the position of the dorsal bone in the human I
frame, was termed spina. At each extremity j
af the spina were placed, upon a base (E, E),
.hree wooden cylinders, of a conical shape,
like cypress trees, which were called metae—
the goals. Their situation is distinctly seen
in the cut on p. 89. The most remarkable
objects upon the spina were two columns (F)
supporting seven conical balls, which, from
their resemblance to eggs, were called ova.
Their use was to enable the spectators to
count the number of rounds which had been
run ; and they were seven in number, be-
cause seven was the number of the circuits
made in each race. As each round was run,
one of the ova was either put up or taken
down. An egg was adopted for this purpose,
in honour of Castor and Pollux. At the
other extremity of the spina were two similar
columns (G), sustaining dolphins, termed
delphinae, or delphinarum columnar, which
do not appear to have been intended to be
removed, but only placed there as correspond-
ing ornaments to the ova ; and the figure
of the dolphin was selected in honour of
Neptune. These figures are also seen in the
cut on p. 89. At the extremity of the circus
in which the two horns of the cavea termi-
nate, were placed the stalls for the horses and
chariots (II, II), commonly called carceres,
but more anciently the whole line of building
at this end of the circus was termed oppidum:
hence in the circus, of which the plan is
given above, we find two towers (I, I) at
87
CIRCUS
CIRCEN_SES LUDI. [Circus.]
CIRClTORES, or CIRCL'ITORES. [Cas-
tea.]
CIRCUS. "When Tarquinius Priseus had
taken the town of Apiolae from the Latins,
he commemorated his success by an exhibi-
tion of races and pugilistic contests in the
cause the procession and races went round in
a circuit. Previously, however, to the death
of Tarquin, a permanent building was con-
structed for the purpose, with regular tiers
of seats in the form of a theatre. To this the
name of Circus Maximus was subsequently
given, as a distinction from the Flaminian
Murcian valley, between the Palatine and , and other similar buildings, which it sur-
Aventine hills, around which a number of passed in extent and splendour ; and hence
temporary platforms were erected by the ! it is often spoken of as the Circus, without
patres and equites, called spectacula, fori, or
foruli, from their resemblance to the deck of
a ship ; each one raising a stage for himself,
upon which he stood to view the games.
This course, with its surrounding scaffoldings,
was termed circus; either because the spec-
tators stood round to see the shows, or be-
any distinguishing epithet. Of the Circus
Maximus scarcely a vestige now remains;
hut this loss is fortunately supplied by the
remains of a small circus on the Via Appia,
the ground-plan of which is in a state of con-
siderable preservation : it is represented in
the annexed cut, and may be taken as a mo-
Ground Plan of the Circus.
del of all others. Around the double lines
(A, A) were arranged the seats (gradus, se-
dilia, subscllia), as in a theatre, termed col-
lectively the cavea ; the lowest of which were
separated from the ground by a podium, and
the whole divided longitudinally by pvaecinc-
tiones, and diagonally into cunei, with their
vomitoria attached to each. [Amphithe-
atrum.] Towards the extremity of the upper i
branch of the cavea, the general outline is
broken by an outwork (B), which was pro-
bably the puhinar, or station for the empe- I
ror, as it is placed in the best situation for
seeing both the commencement and end of
the course, and in the most prominent part
of the circus. In the opposite branch is ob-
served another interruption to the uniform
line of seats (C), betokening also, from its
construction, a place of distinction; which
might have been assigned to the person at
whose expense the games were given (editor
tpectaculorum). In the centre of the area
was a low wall (D) running lengthways down |
the course, which, from its resemblance to |
the position of the dorsal bone in the human I
frame, was termed spina. At each extremity j
af the spina were placed, upon a base (E, E),
.hree wooden cylinders, of a conical shape,
like cypress trees, which were called metae—
the goals. Their situation is distinctly seen
in the cut on p. 89. The most remarkable
objects upon the spina were two columns (F)
supporting seven conical balls, which, from
their resemblance to eggs, were called ova.
Their use was to enable the spectators to
count the number of rounds which had been
run ; and they were seven in number, be-
cause seven was the number of the circuits
made in each race. As each round was run,
one of the ova was either put up or taken
down. An egg was adopted for this purpose,
in honour of Castor and Pollux. At the
other extremity of the spina were two similar
columns (G), sustaining dolphins, termed
delphinae, or delphinarum columnar, which
do not appear to have been intended to be
removed, but only placed there as correspond-
ing ornaments to the ova ; and the figure
of the dolphin was selected in honour of
Neptune. These figures are also seen in the
cut on p. 89. At the extremity of the circus
in which the two horns of the cavea termi-
nate, were placed the stalls for the horses and
chariots (II, II), commonly called carceres,
but more anciently the whole line of building
at this end of the circus was termed oppidum:
hence in the circus, of which the plan is
given above, we find two towers (I, I) at