ROMAN CIRCUS

an entertainment given in an arena in ancient Rome, as a chariot race or a public game. The arena, called a circus, was a large, usually oblong or oval, roofless enclosure, surrounded by tiers o f seats rising one above another. Gladiatorial contests (in which men, singly or in troops, often fought to the death to provide spectacles for the populace) and beast hunts were also regularly given in circuses in Rome. —Science of Survival Glossary (app 11.7.90)

an amphitheater in ancient Rome in which horse and chariot races, brutal athletic contests, gladiator combat and similar entertainment took place. Such activities were extremely popular and drew huge crowds. Circus in Latin means "oval space in which games were held," coming from the Greek word for ring, circle.