A Roman circus (from the Latin word that means "circle") was a large open-air venue used mainly for chariot races, although sometimes serving other purposes. It was similar to the ancient Greek hippodrome . Along with theatres and amphitheatres , circuses were one of the main entertainment venues at the time.
31-521: The Ruoff Music Center (originally Deer Creek Music Center and formerly Verizon Wireless Music Center , Klipsch Music Center , and Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center ) is an outdoor amphitheatre located in Noblesville, Indiana . It is the largest outdoor music venue in the Indianapolis metropolitan area of central Indiana , with 6,147 seats under a pavilion and 18,000 general admission lawn seats. It
62-424: A central arena surrounded by perimeter seating tiers. The seating tiers were pierced by entrance-ways controlling access to the arena floor, and isolating it from the audience. Temporary wooden structures functioning as amphitheaters would have been erected for the funeral games held in honour of deceased Roman magnates by their heirs, featuring fights to the death by gladiators , usually armed prisoners of war, at
93-402: A distinct gap of some 50m between the carceres and the start of the ascending seating where there is apparently no structure. This appears to be an exception. The great majority of circuses fit the description above. Those that do not display two different variations: that at Emerita Augusta (Mérida, Spain), where the carceres end is substituted by a slightly curved 'straight' end joined to
124-492: A median strip running along the length of about two thirds the track, joined at one end with a semicircular section and at the other end with an undivided section of track closed (in most cases) by a distinctive starting gate known as the carceres , thereby creating a circuit for the races. The Circus Maximus epitomises the design. The median strip was called the spina and usually featured ornate columns, statues and commemorative obelisks . The turning points on either end of
155-719: A particular rock formation naturally amplifies or echoes sound, making it ideal for musical and theatrical performances. An amphitheatre can be naturally occurring formations which would be ideal for this purpose, even if no theatre has been constructed there. Notable natural amphitheatres include the Drakensberg Amphitheatre in South Africa , Slane Castle in Ireland , the Supernatural Amphitheatre in Australia , and
186-500: A simple track in a field, through generations of wooden seating structures (frequently destroyed by fire or rot), before they finally began to be converted to stone. Although circuses such as the Circus Maximus (Italy) may have existed in some form from as early as around 500 BC, circuses were mainly constructed during the 400 years between 200 BC and 200 AD. The comparative dimensions of a circus may be measured in two basic ways: by
217-547: Is used mainly for large concerts, but is also frequently a host for high school graduations and political rallies. The Ruoff Music Center is an open-air concert venue capable of hosting live, high-profile concerts and outdoor music festivals. It opened in 1989, at a site along Sand Creek, just north of exit 210 on Interstate 69 , near the junction of former State Road 238 (at the time also known as Greenfield Avenue; now rebuilt and renamed as Southeastern Parkway), 146th Street and Boden Road. In 1997, Sunshine Promotions, which built
248-688: The Red Rocks and the Gorge Amphitheatres in the western United States . There is evidence that the Anasazi people used natural amphitheatres for the public performance of music in Pre-Columbian times including a large constructed performance space in Chaco Canyon , New Mexico . Circus (building) Similar buildings, called stadia were used for Greek-style athletics particularly in
279-460: The spina were usually marked by conical poles, called the metae (singular: meta ). The track of the circus was normally surrounded by ascending seating along the length of both straight sides and around the curved end, though there were sometimes interruptions in the seating to provide access to the circus or the seating, or to provide for special viewing platforms for dignitaries and officials. One circus, that at Antinoöpolis (Egypt), displays
310-404: The (by now demolished) Gibson Amphitheatre and Chicago International Amphitheatre . In other languages (like German ) an amphitheatre can only be a circular performance space. A performance space where the audience is not all around the stage can not be called an amphitheatre—by definition of the word. A natural amphitheatre is a performance space located in a spot where a steep mountain or
341-592: The 5th century and of staged animal hunts in the 6th, most amphitheatres fell into disrepair. Their materials were mined or recycled. Some were razed, and others were converted into fortifications. A few continued as convenient open meeting places; in some of these, churches were sited. In modern english usage of the word, an amphitheatre is not only a circular, but can also be a semicircular or curved performance space, particularly one located outdoors. Contemporary amphitheatres often include standing structures, called bandshells , sometimes curved or bowl-shaped, both behind
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#1732891485499372-564: The Circus Maximus (Italy). Circuses do not appear to have been constructed with any special compass orientation. Those that are well identified can be found with their round ends oriented around the compass. Examples include: N. Gerasa (Jordan); NE. Antinoöpolis (Egypt); E. Circus of Maxentius (Italy); E. Colchester (Britain); SE. Circus Maximus (Italy); S. Tyrus (Lebanon); SW. Gortyn (Greece); W. Circus of Nero (Italy). Circuses can be found at three distinct locations relative to
403-880: The Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center simultaneously with the announcement. On December 5, 2019, it was announced that the name of the music center would be shortened to Ruoff Music Center. Amphitheatre An amphitheatre ( U.S. English : amphitheater ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ἀμφιθέατρον ( amphitheatron ), from ἀμφί ( amphi ), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and θέατρον ( théātron ), meaning "place for viewing". Ancient Greek theatres were typically built on hillsides and semi-circular in design. The first amphitheatre may have been built at Pompeii around 70 BC. Ancient Roman amphitheatres were oval or circular in plan, with seating tiers that surrounded
434-404: The amphitheater, was acquired by SFX; corporate successor Live Nation Entertainment continues to own it. On December 19, 2018, Pollstar , a trade publication for the concert industry, ranked the center as the world's top concert amphitheater based on annual ticket sales in 2018. During the previous year, the venue ranked third among the list of the world's top concert amphitheaters. In 2021,
465-493: The area of the Roman Empire . Their typical shape, functions and name distinguish them from Roman theatres , which are more or less semicircular in shape; from the circuses (similar to hippodromes ) whose much longer circuits were designed mainly for horse or chariot racing events; and from the smaller stadia , which were primarily designed for athletics and footraces. Roman amphitheatres were circular or oval in plan, with
496-505: The central performance area, like a modern open-air stadium . In contrast, both ancient Greek and ancient Roman theatres were built in a semicircle , with tiered seating rising on one side of the performance area. Modern english parlance uses "amphitheatre" for any structure with sloping seating, including theatre-style stages with spectator seating on only one side, theatres in the round , and stadia . They can be indoor or outdoor. About 230 Roman amphitheatres have been found across
527-431: The centreline. It is very probable that this can be done even when the circus is buried under subsequent constructions. Track lengths may vary from the 245 m of the circus at Gerasa (Jordan), to the 621 m of the Circus Maximus (Italy). The alternative comparative dimension is that of seating capacity. This is much more complex to measure as it requires that the dimensions of the original vertical and horizontal extent of
558-405: The coordinates in the following list are of a point that lies within the space of a circus. For the remaining circuses (those whose detailed location is not known) the point is for a location within the space of the historic nucleus of the associated town, or for a location within the associated archaeological site. These points are probably within 1.5 kilometres of the site of the circus, as a circus
589-519: The eastern, Greek speaking, part of the empire, but these were typically smaller than circuses. According to Edward Gibbon the Roman people, at the start of the 5th century AD: ...still considered the Circus as their home, their temple, and the seat of the republic. The performance space of the Roman circus was normally, despite its name, an oblong rectangle of two linear sections of race track , separated by
620-592: The funeral pyre or tomb of the deceased. These games are described in Roman histories as munera , gifts, entertainments or duties to honour deceased individuals, Rome's gods and the Roman community. Some Roman writers interpret the earliest attempts to provide permanent amphitheaters and seating for the lower classes as populist political graft, rightly blocked by the Senate as morally objectionable; too-frequent, excessively "luxurious" munera would corrode traditional Roman morals. The provision of permanent seating
651-403: The inclined seating be re-established. In many cases the full structure of the inclined seating has been destroyed beyond the point where this can be measured, or at the least would require a great deal more excavation than that required for the measurement of the track length. Seating capacity may vary from around 15,000 people at Gerasa (Jordan), to 150,000 (some estimates put it up to 250,000) at
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#1732891485499682-399: The length of the track, and by the seating capacity . Other dimensions, such as the external dimensions of the structure may vary considerably depending on the location, the site, and on specific architectural characteristics. The simplest comparative measurement of a circus is its track length. This is the most easily measured dimension, as it only requires small excavations at either end of
713-407: The races to be run round the spina in an anticlockwise direction. The form of the carceres appears to have been standardised throughout the Roman world. The similarity in form among the carceres of circuses of many different sizes suggests that carceres were constructed according to a series of proportional mathematical relationships or formulas. It is not clear when the earliest carceres of
744-613: The stage and behind the audience, creating an area which echoes or amplifies sound, making the amphitheatre ideal for musical or theatrical performances. Small-scale amphitheatres can serve to host outdoor local community performances. Notable modern amphitheatres include the Shoreline Amphitheatre , the Hollywood Bowl and the Aula Magna at Stockholm University. The term "amphitheatre" is also used for some indoor venues, such as
775-541: The standardised form was constructed, nor whether there exists documentary evidence for the existence of such formulas. Some of the best examples of carceres can be found at: Gerasa (Jordan) and the Circus of Maxentius (Italy). The best preserved circuses include: Emerita Augusta (Spain), Caesarea Maritima (coastal) (Israel), Circus of Maxentius (Italy), Gerasa (Jordan), Tyrus (Lebanon), Leptis Magna (Libya). Download coordinates as: Unless otherwise indicated
806-441: The straight sides of ascending seating by rounded corners of ascending seating; and a few in which the carceres end is substituted by a second semi-circular end to produce an oval shaped arena. These latter circuses are normally small ( Nicopolis (Greece) and Aphrodisias (Turkey)), and should probably be considered stadia . Differently from other major Roman structures circuses frequently evolved over long periods of time from
837-405: The towns to which they belong: The carceres , or starting gates, had a distinctive, slanted, slightly curved, plan form, designed to compensate for what would otherwise be significant differences in the distances from the individual starting gates to the start of the first section of straight track on the right hand side of the spina (as seen from the carceres ). The carceres were designed for
868-594: The venue ranked second on the same list. In 2023, with the return of Farm Aid , Ruoff was ranked the top amphitheater worldwide for tickets sold and third for gross sales. On December 28, 2006, Live Nation, the owner of the music center, confirmed they were putting up for sale the 203 acres (0.82 km) of land that constitutes the amphitheater complex, then known as the Verizon Wireless Music Center. In 2011, Klipsch Group, Inc. , whose international headquarters are located nearby, acquired naming rights to
899-407: The venue. The venue remained under the ownership of Live Nation and continued to draw major acts during the summer months. On September 27, 2017, Live Nation announced that the music center had acquired a new naming rights sponsor from Ruoff Home Mortgage after the previous 5-year contract with Klipsch expired in 2016 and left the venue without a title sponsor for a year. The venue officially became
930-639: Was no standard size; the largest could accommodate 40,000–60,000 spectators. The most elaborate featured multi-storeyed, arcaded façades and were decorated with marble , stucco and statuary. The best-known and largest Roman amphitheatre is the Colosseum in Rome , also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre ( Amphitheatrum Flavium ), after the Flavian dynasty who had it built. After the ending of gladiatorial games in
961-594: Was thought a particularly objectionable luxury. The earliest permanent, stone and timber Roman amphitheatre with perimeter seating was built in the Campus Martius in 29 BCE. Most were built under Imperial rule, from the Augustan period (27 BCE–14 CE) onwards. Imperial amphitheatres were built throughout the Roman Empire, especial in provincial capitals and major colonies, as an essential aspect of Romanitas . There