Spectacle · Roman Empire Daily
The Circus Maximus, Rome's chariot-racing stadium, could seat well over 100,000 spectators.
Deep dive
Set in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, the Circus hosted chariot races that were wildly popular across all classes. Ancient sources and its sheer footprint point to a capacity in the hundreds of thousands at its largest.
Source: Pliny the Elder, 'Natural History,' 36.102; Dionysius of Halicarnassus, 'Roman Antiquities,' 3.68.
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