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Circus of Maxentius

April 17, 2023

The Circus of Maxentius (known until the 19th century as the Circus of Caracalla) is an ancient structure in Rome, Italy, part of a complex of buildings erected by emperor Maxentius on the Via Appia between AD 306 and 312. It is situated between the second and third miles of the Via Appia, between the basilica and catacombs of San Sebastiano and the imposing late republican tomb of Caecilia Metella, which dominates the hill that rises immediately to the east of the complex.[1] It is part of the Appian Way Regional Park.

Circus of Maxentius
Part of the ruins of the Circus of Maxentius
Click on the map for a fullscreen view
Coordinates41°51′16.99″N 12°31′20.82″E / 41.8547194°N 12.5224500°E / 41.8547194; 12.5224500Coordinates: 41°51′16.99″N 12°31′20.82″E / 41.8547194°N 12.5224500°E / 41.8547194; 12.5224500
TypeCircus

Overview

The Circus itself is the best preserved in the area of Rome, and is second only in size to the Circus Maximus in Rome.[2] The only games recorded at the circus were its inaugural ones and these are generally thought to have been funerary in character.[3] They would have been held in honour of Maxentius' son Valerius Romulus, who died in AD 309 at a very young age and who was probably interred in the adjacent cylindrical tomb (tomb of Romulus). The imperial box (pulvinar) of the circus is connected, via a covered portico, to the villa of Maxentius, whose scant remains are today obscured by dense foliage, except for the apse of the basilical audience hall, which pokes out from the tree tops. The complex was probably never used after the death of Maxentius in AD 312 (archaeological excavations indicate the tracks were covered in sand already in antiquity).

 
Circus of Maxentius in ancient times

The circus is constructed, after the fashion of many Roman buildings of this period, in concrete faced with opus vittatum.[4] The putlog holes which held the scaffolding are evident in many places in the walls, which stand several metres high in places. The modern-day visitor enters the circus from the west end, where the remains of the two still imposing towers are located. These would have contained the mechanism for raising the carceres (starting gates), which were positioned on an arcuated course between the towers. Once out of the gates, the chariots would race down the track, the full 503 metres (550 yd) length of which can still be seen. The track was excavated in the 19th century by Antonio Nibby, whose discovery of an inscription to the 'divine Romulus' led to the circus being positively identified with Maxentius.[5] The spina, the barrier running down the middle of the track, is exactly 1000 Roman feet (296 m) long, and would have been cased in marble. Its many ornaments, including cones, metae and obelisks, would have cast shadows across the track in the late afternoon sun. In the centre stood the Obelisk of Domitian which Maxentius presumably had moved from the Isaeum as part of the tribute to his son. Covered in hieroglyphs and lying broken in five pieces it was much discussed during the Renaissance and engraved by Etienne du Perac among others. The Collector Earl of Arundel paid a deposit for the pieces in the 1630s and attempted to have them removed to London but Urban VIII forbade its export and his successor Innocent X had it erected in the Piazza Navona by Bernini.[6] The track's outer walls were laid out to be wider at the start to allow the racers to spread out before reaching the spina, and were also made wider at the point of the turn, which accommodated the turning circle of the chariots. At the east end of the track is a small triumphal arch, in which exposed opus vittatum work can be seen. The judges' box was located about two-thirds of the way down on the southern side of the track, where it would have been in clear sight of the finishing line. The imperial box, the remains of which are identifiable, was situated in the usual fashion to give the most dramatic views of the race. Directly opposite the imperial box, in the south track wall, there is a small arch, through which can be seen the Tomb of Caecilia Metella. From the height of the box the tomb would have been entirely visible, and it has been argued that the circus, which is curiously positioned relative to contemporary and existing structures, was purposely skewed in order to integrate the tomb into the Maxentian architectural scheme.[7]

The circus-complex of Maxentius as originally conceived can be partly understood as an elaborate imperial version of the type of elite residences that appear in Rome and throughout the provinces in late antiquity, whose pretensions are evidenced in the regular presence of large audience halls, familial tombs and circus-shaped structures – the Villa Gordiani, also in Rome, and the complex at Piazza Armerina in Sicily, are two examples.[8][9] The progenitor of these residences was of course the Palatine complex in Rome, where Maxentius himself made some alterations to the palace in which he played out public life.[10] Imperial parallels for the Via Appia complex include that of Maxentius's contemporary Galerius at Thessaloniki and Diocletian's Palace at Split.[11]

The complex may well have changed in use and character following the death of Romulus; the mausoleum, surely intended for Maxentius himself, as were the mausolea built by Galerius and Diocletian intended for themselves whilst still alive, now received as its occupant Maxentius' only son.[11] The inaugural games became funeral games, and these, like the circus, were dedicated to the now deified Romulus. The pervasive emphasis of death and apotheosis has led to the argument that the whole complex became overwhelmingly funerary in character from this point, and that the memorial references generated by Romulus extend, spatially and ideologically, to the heart of Rome.[7] Maxentius died just three years after Romulus, at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, when he was defeated by Constantine the Great, who then expropriated the property.

The circus is under the care of the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma, and is open to the public.

See also

References

  1. ^ Quilici, L.; S. Quilici Gigli; R. Talbert; S. Gillies; J. Åhlfeldt; T. Elliott; J. Becker. "Places: 423129 (Villa Maxentii)". Pleiades. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  2. ^ For general size comparisons, see Humphrey, J H (1986) Roman Circuses: Arenas for Chariot Racing London: Batsford, pp. 56-131.
  3. ^ For example, see Bertolotti, R. De Angelis (2001), "I Giochi Circensi", in R. De Angelis Bertolotti et al. (eds), La Residenza Imperiale di Massenzio. Rome: Fratelli Palombi, 60-64.
  4. ^ See Adam, J.-P. and M. Fulford (1994). Roman Building Materials and Techniques. London: Batsford.
  5. ^ CIL VI.1138; Nibby, A. (1825). Del Circo volgarmente detto di Caracalla. Rome: Tipografia delle Belle Arte.
  6. ^ Edward Chaney, "Roma Britannica and the Cultural Memory of Egypt: Lord Arundel and the Obelisk of Domitian", in Roma Britannica: Art Patronage and Cultural Exchange in Eighteenth-Century Rome, eds. D. Marshall, K. Wolfe and S. Russell, British School at Rome, 2011, pp. 147–70.
  7. ^ a b Kerr, Loraine (2001). "A topography of death: the buildings of the emperor Maxentius on the Via Appia, Rome". Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference, pp. 24-33. Oxford: Oxbow. doi:10.16995/TRAC2001_24_33  
  8. ^ Steinby, M. (ed.) (1995). Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae, vol II, pp.34-25.
  9. ^ Wilson, R. (1983). Piazza Armerina London: Granada.
  10. ^ Carettoni, G. (1972). "Terme di Settimio Severo e terme di Massenzio in Palatio". Archeologia Classica 24: 96ff.
  11. ^ a b For references to Galerius' palace, which is scantily written about, see Vickers, M. (1973) Observations on the octagon at Thessaloniki Journal of Roman Studies 63, pp.111-20. The best shorter account of the history of Diocletian's Palace is: Wilkes, J J (1993) Diocletian's Palace, Split: Residence of a Retired Roman Emperor Sheffield: University Press.

Sources

External links

  • Lucentini, M. (31 December 2012). The Rome Guide: Step by Step through History's Greatest City. ISBN 9781623710088.

  Media related to Circus of Maxentius (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
Circus Maximus 		Landmarks of Rome
Circus of Maxentius 		Succeeded by
Circus of Nero

April 17, 2023
circus, maxentius, known, until, 19th, century, circus, caracalla, ancient, structure, rome, italy, part, complex, buildings, erected, emperor, maxentius, appia, between, situated, between, second, third, miles, appia, between, basilica, catacombs, sebastiano,. The Circus of Maxentius known until the 19th century as the Circus of Caracalla is an ancient structure in Rome Italy part of a complex of buildings erected by emperor Maxentius on the Via Appia between AD 306 and 312 It is situated between the second and third miles of the Via Appia between the basilica and catacombs of San Sebastiano and the imposing late republican tomb of Caecilia Metella which dominates the hill that rises immediately to the east of the complex 1 It is part of the Appian Way Regional Park Circus of MaxentiusPart of the ruins of the Circus of MaxentiusClick on the map for a fullscreen viewCoordinates41 51 16 99 N 12 31 20 82 E 41 8547194 N 12 5224500 E 41 8547194 12 5224500 Coordinates 41 51 16 99 N 12 31 20 82 E 41 8547194 N 12 5224500 E 41 8547194 12 5224500TypeCircus Contents 1 Overview 2 See also 3 References 4 Sources 5 External linksOverview EditThe Circus itself is the best preserved in the area of Rome and is second only in size to the Circus Maximus in Rome 2 The only games recorded at the circus were its inaugural ones and these are generally thought to have been funerary in character 3 They would have been held in honour of Maxentius son Valerius Romulus who died in AD 309 at a very young age and who was probably interred in the adjacent cylindrical tomb tomb of Romulus The imperial box pulvinar of the circus is connected via a covered portico to the villa of Maxentius whose scant remains are today obscured by dense foliage except for the apse of the basilical audience hall which pokes out from the tree tops The complex was probably never used after the death of Maxentius in AD 312 archaeological excavations indicate the tracks were covered in sand already in antiquity Circus of Maxentius in ancient times The circus is constructed after the fashion of many Roman buildings of this period in concrete faced with opus vittatum 4 The putlog holes which held the scaffolding are evident in many places in the walls which stand several metres high in places The modern day visitor enters the circus from the west end where the remains of the two still imposing towers are located These would have contained the mechanism for raising the carceres starting gates which were positioned on an arcuated course between the towers Once out of the gates the chariots would race down the track the full 503 metres 550 yd length of which can still be seen The track was excavated in the 19th century by Antonio Nibby whose discovery of an inscription to the divine Romulus led to the circus being positively identified with Maxentius 5 The spina the barrier running down the middle of the track is exactly 1000 Roman feet 296 m long and would have been cased in marble Its many ornaments including cones metae and obelisks would have cast shadows across the track in the late afternoon sun In the centre stood the Obelisk of Domitian which Maxentius presumably had moved from the Isaeum as part of the tribute to his son Covered in hieroglyphs and lying broken in five pieces it was much discussed during the Renaissance and engraved by Etienne du Perac among others The Collector Earl of Arundel paid a deposit for the pieces in the 1630s and attempted to have them removed to London but Urban VIII forbade its export and his successor Innocent X had it erected in the Piazza Navona by Bernini 6 The track s outer walls were laid out to be wider at the start to allow the racers to spread out before reaching the spina and were also made wider at the point of the turn which accommodated the turning circle of the chariots At the east end of the track is a small triumphal arch in which exposed opus vittatum work can be seen The judges box was located about two thirds of the way down on the southern side of the track where it would have been in clear sight of the finishing line The imperial box the remains of which are identifiable was situated in the usual fashion to give the most dramatic views of the race Directly opposite the imperial box in the south track wall there is a small arch through which can be seen the Tomb of Caecilia Metella From the height of the box the tomb would have been entirely visible and it has been argued that the circus which is curiously positioned relative to contemporary and existing structures was purposely skewed in order to integrate the tomb into the Maxentian architectural scheme 7 The circus complex of Maxentius as originally conceived can be partly understood as an elaborate imperial version of the type of elite residences that appear in Rome and throughout the provinces in late antiquity whose pretensions are evidenced in the regular presence of large audience halls familial tombs and circus shaped structures the Villa Gordiani also in Rome and the complex at Piazza Armerina in Sicily are two examples 8 9 The progenitor of these residences was of course the Palatine complex in Rome where Maxentius himself made some alterations to the palace in which he played out public life 10 Imperial parallels for the Via Appia complex include that of Maxentius s contemporary Galerius at Thessaloniki and Diocletian s Palace at Split 11 The complex may well have changed in use and character following the death of Romulus the mausoleum surely intended for Maxentius himself as were the mausolea built by Galerius and Diocletian intended for themselves whilst still alive now received as its occupant Maxentius only son 11 The inaugural games became funeral games and these like the circus were dedicated to the now deified Romulus The pervasive emphasis of death and apotheosis has led to the argument that the whole complex became overwhelmingly funerary in character from this point and that the memorial references generated by Romulus extend spatially and ideologically to the heart of Rome 7 Maxentius died just three years after Romulus at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge when he was defeated by Constantine the Great who then expropriated the property The circus is under the care of the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma and is open to the public See also EditColosseum Ancient Roman amphitheatre a landmark of Rome Italy List of ancient monuments in RomeReferences Edit Quilici L S Quilici Gigli R Talbert S Gillies J Ahlfeldt T Elliott J Becker Places 423129 Villa Maxentii Pleiades Retrieved March 13 2013 For general size comparisons see Humphrey J H 1986 Roman Circuses Arenas for Chariot Racing London Batsford pp 56 131 For example see Bertolotti R De Angelis 2001 I Giochi Circensi in R De Angelis Bertolotti et al eds La Residenza Imperiale di Massenzio Rome Fratelli Palombi 60 64 See Adam J P and M Fulford 1994 Roman Building Materials and Techniques London Batsford CIL VI 1138 Nibby A 1825 Del Circo volgarmente detto di Caracalla Rome Tipografia delle Belle Arte Edward Chaney Roma Britannica and the Cultural Memory of Egypt Lord Arundel and the Obelisk of Domitian in Roma Britannica Art Patronage and Cultural Exchange in Eighteenth Century Rome eds D Marshall K Wolfe and S Russell British School at Rome 2011 pp 147 70 a b Kerr Loraine 2001 A topography of death the buildings of the emperor Maxentius on the Via Appia Rome Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference pp 24 33 Oxford Oxbow doi 10 16995 TRAC2001 24 33 Steinby M ed 1995 Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae vol II pp 34 25 Wilson R 1983 Piazza Armerina London Granada Carettoni G 1972 Terme di Settimio Severo e terme di Massenzio in Palatio Archeologia Classica 24 96ff a b For references to Galerius palace which is scantily written about see Vickers M 1973 Observations on the octagon at Thessaloniki Journal of Roman Studies 63 pp 111 20 The best shorter account of the history of Diocletian s Palace is Wilkes J J 1993 Diocletian s Palace Split Residence of a Retired Roman Emperor Sheffield University Press Sources EditCoarelli F 2008 Roma Rome Laterza Claridge A 1998 Rome Oxford University Press Steinby E M 1993 2000 Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae 5 vols Weitzmann Kurt ed Age of spirituality late antique and early Christian art third to seventh century no 100 1979 Metropolitan Museum of Art New York ISBN 9780870991790 full text available online from The Metropolitan Museum of Art LibrariesExternal links EditLucentini M 31 December 2012 The Rome Guide Step by Step through History s Greatest City ISBN 9781623710088 Media related to Circus of Maxentius Rome at Wikimedia Commons Preceded byCircus Maximus Landmarks of RomeCircus of Maxentius Succeeded byCircus of Nero Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Circus of Maxentius amp oldid 1126423854, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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