- The Circus of Maxentius, also known as the Circus of Caracalla, was constructed in 309 CE by Maxentius (306-312 CE) on the Via Appia in Rome.
- Like the Circus Maximus, the Site of the Monument can still be visited.
Getting There
- Location: Via Appia Antica, 153, Parc de la Caffarella, Rome.
- Nearest Metro Station: Colli Albani, Line A.
History
- The inaugural Games of 309 CE, were held as a Funeral for the young son of Maxentius, Valerius Romulus.
- The Circus could hold 10,000 spectators.
- In 312 CE, three years after the Inauguration, Maxentius was defeated by Constantine I, and it would appear that the Circus was never used again.
The Roman Site
- The Circus was never built over and remains in situ today.
- The Ruins of the two towers stand at one end of the grassed over track. The side walls are covered in undergrowth, but still exist.
- The Agonalis Obelisk or Obelisk of Domitian which he commissioned in 81 CE as a monument to himself, was moved in 309 CE to become the Spina of the Circus of Maxentius. It is now in the Piazza Navona, Rome.
Circus of Maxentius