Circus (building)
List of Roman circuses
Unless otherwise indicated the coordinates in the following list are of a point that lies within the space of a circus.

Circus (building)

Section Title: List of Roman circuses
Table Section Text: Unless otherwise indicated the coordinates in the following list are of a point that lies within the space of a circus.

City (Roman name) Link to detailed circus article	City (modern name)	Country	Coordinates	Notes References (sorts on length and precision of location)	Images

Auzia	Sour El-Ghozlane (= pre-independence Aumale)	Algeria	36°08′53″N 3°41′27″E / 36.14799°N 3.690924°E (not the circus; historic nucleus of current town)	cited in Humphrey; no online circus-specific information found.

Colonia Claudia Caesarea	Cherchell	Algeria	36°36′05″N 2°11′05″E / 36.601412°N 2.184702°E	cited in Humphrey; approximate location; neither the form nor any original structure is visible.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Saldae	Béjaïa	Algeria	36°45′18″N 5°05′02″E / 36.755068°N 5.083765°E (not the circus; historic nucleus of current town)	cited in Humphrey; no online circus-specific information found.

Setifis	Sétif	Algeria	36°11′50″N 5°24′19″E / 36.197105°N 5.405214°E	cited in Humphrey; approximate location confirmed by old air photographs (90% of the circus has now been built over); only the southern, curved, end remains visible; U-shaped; approximate (formerly visible) track length: c450m; approximate (formerly visible) track width: c70m.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Trimontium Plovdiv Roman Stadium	Plovdiv	Bulgaria	42°08′51″N 24°44′53″E / 42.147477°N 24.748068°E	Only a small well preserved part of the northern end is currently visible; c95% of the structure is buried under the current main street; track length c250m; track width c32m; the small size of the structure suggests that it is, in fact, more correct to consider it a stadium; this is the view taken by the principal site on the structure	-

Alexandria	Alexandria	Egypt	31°10′57″N 29°53′47″E / 31.182489°N 29.896417°E (not the circus; approximate nucleus of Roman town; centred on Pompey's Pillar)	cited in Humphrey; no online circus-specific information found.

Antinopolis	Mallawi (c10km)	Egypt	27°48′36″N 30°53′08″E / 27.810092°N 30.885503°E	cited in Humphrey; visible track length: 300–350 m; visible track width: c45m; U-shaped; the carceres are c50m beyond the ends of the ascending seating at the open south-west end; clearly visible and unobstructed.

Oxyrhynchus	Beni Mazar (c15km)	Egypt	28°32′09″N 30°39′19″E / 28.535969°N 30.655336°E (not the circus; archaeological site of Roman town)	cited in Humphrey; no online circus-specific information found.

Camulodunum	Colchester	England	51°53′01″N 0°53′53″E / 51.883604°N 0.898175°E	location information; archaeological information; official archaeological information; length: c450m; width: c75m.

Arelate (Colonia Iulia Paterna Arelatensium Sextanorum)	Arles	France	43°40′24″N 4°37′07″E / 43.6734°N 4.61855°E	cited in Humphrey; official archaeological information; c40% of curved south-west end is minimally visible; the remaining structure lies to the north-east under a road junction and housing; length: c450m; width: c101m; visible track width: c80m.	Arles, cirque romain5.JPG further images (may not be oriented to north)

Lugdunum	Lyon	France	45°45′26″N 4°48′55″E / 45.757314°N 4.815188°E (approximate hypothesised location)	cited in Chase; hypothesised location.

Mediolanum Santonum	Saintes	France	45°44′47″N 0°38′00″W / 45.7464°N 0.6333°W (not the circus; historic nucleus of the town)	cited in Humphrey; no online circus-specific information found.

Vienna	Vienne	France	45°30′59″N 4°52′06″E / 45.516492°N 4.868196°E (possibly very approximate; the satellite image at this location is extremely distorted)	Cited in Humphrey; the only remaining feature is a monumental arched structure topped by a tall, narrow, pyramid; this structure was on the spina.	-

Augusta Treverorum	Trier	Germany	49°45′04″N 6°38′55″E / 49.751175°N 6.648531°E	Cited in Humphrey; location; plan of Roman town showing location of circus; length: c450m.	-

Corinth (Colonia Iulia Flavia Augusta Corinthiensis)	Corinth	Greece	37°54′35″N 22°52′33″E / 37.909792°N 22.875938°E (hypothesised and partially excavated location)	discussion about the evidence for a circus; plan showing the hypothesised location of the circus and; hypothesised and partially excavated location.

Gortyn, Gortys or Gortyna	Agioi Deka (c1.5 km)	Greece	35°03′07″N 24°57′04″E / 35.052057°N 24.951119°E	cited in Chase; archaeological city plan; visible track length: c375m; visible track width: c50m; U-shaped plan form clearly visible; space 30% open agricultural land, 70% covered by orchard trees.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Nicopolis	Preveza (c7km)	Greece	39°01′25″N 20°44′05″E / 39.023563°N 20.734805°E	referred to as a stadium; very small for a circus; visible track length: c215m; visible track width: c20m; double-U-shaped plan form with both rounded ends clearly visible; the space is unoccupied by any modern structures.

Thessalonica	Thessaloniki	Greece	40°37′47″N 22°57′03″E / 40.629669°N 22.950890°E

Rhodes	Rhodes	Greece	36°26′21″N 28°12′43″E / 36.43919°N 28.211909°E

Caesarea Maritima (coastal)	Caesarea	Israel	32°29′55″N 34°53′26″E / 32.4986°N 34.8906°E	cited in Humphrey; referred to as a hippodrome; on the coast; parallel to the coast; visible track length: c290m; visible track width: c45m; U-shaped plan form clearly visible; structure substantially complete; few modern structures constructed within the space.	-

Caesarea Maritima (inland)	Caesarea	Israel	32°29′55″N 34°53′55″E / 32.4986°N 34.8986°E	c1km inland from the coast; visible track length: c410m; visible track width: c80m; form substantially visible; apparently U-shaped; the space is unoccupied by any modern structures.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Aquileia	Aquileia	Italy	45°46′30″N 13°21′42″E / 45.775007°N 13.361778°E	cited in Humphrey; location; track length measured from location information: c460m; track width measured from location information: c80m.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Bovillae	Marino, Lazio	Italy	41°45′27″N 12°37′18″E / 41.757499°N 12.621679°E	cited in Humphrey; (in Italian); information and photos in English; (track?) length: 328.50m; (track?) width: 60m; location centred on the only visible remains – three stone arches (part of the carceres).

Mediolanum	Milan	Italy	45°27′48″N 9°10′48″E / 45.463276°N 9.179936°E	Cited in Chase; location; track length: 460m; track width: 67/68m; the principal visible remains are a tower at the north western corner of the circus; the main body of the circus lay SSE of this tower.	-

Roma Circus Flaminius	Rome	Italy	41°53′34″N 12°28′39″E / 41.892758°N 12.477422°E	Cited in Humphrey; it is not entirely clear whether this 'structure' was, in fact, a circus or stadium of the form of the others in this list; Wikimapia location; estimates of size are: length 260–500 m, width 100m.	-

Roma Circus of Maxentius, a.k.a. Circus of Caracalla	Rome	Italy	41°51′17″N 12°31′21″E / 41.854645°N 12.522411°E	Visible track length: c490m; visible track width: c80m; form clearly visible; U-shaped; the space is unoccupied by any modern structures; many parts of the structure are visible.	Roma Appia Antica - Circo di Massenzio Torri.JPG further images (may not be oriented to north)

Roma Circus Maximus	Rome	Italy	41°53′10″N 12°29′07″E / 41.886016°N 12.485404°E	Track length: c621m; track width: c150m; form substantially visible; U-shaped; the space is practically unoccupied by any modern structures; only a few parts of the structure are visible or remain.	RomaCircoMassimoDaNord1.JPG

Roma Circus of Nero, a.k.a. Circus of Caligula, or Vatican Circus	Rome	Italy	41°54′06″N 12°27′19″E / 41.901638°N 12.455256°E	Cited in Humphrey; location just to the south of St. Peter's Basilica well established, though exact position and orientation unknown; the only surviving remains are the obelisk which was brought from Egypt to adorn the spina in 37 AD; the obelisk was moved to its current location in Saint Peter's Square in 1586.	-

Roma Circus Varianus; it:Circo Variano (in Italian)	Rome	Italy	41°53′14″N 12°31′14″E / 41.887353°N 12.520474°E	Cited in Humphrey; Wikimapia location; length: 565m; width: 125m.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Gadara	Umm Qais	Jordan	32°39′25″N 35°40′01″E / 32.656914°N 35.666857°E	Cited in Humphrey; a German language archaeological site map of Gadara indicates a location for what is described as a hippodrome.

Gerasa	Jerash	Jordan	32°16′25″N 35°53′27″E / 32.273655°N 35.890730°E	cited in Humphrey; visible track length: c245m; visible track width: c50m; form clearly visible; U-shaped; the space is unoccupied by any modern structures; a great deal of the structure still stands.	Hippodrome-Jerash.JPG further images (may not be oriented to north)

Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Berytus Beirut Hippodrome	Beirut	Lebanon	33°53′52″N 35°29′59″E / 33.897911°N 35.499584°E	cited in Humphrey; the location is of the archaeological site of the Beirut Hippodrome as given on Wikimapia; this may, or may not, be the same structure as the circus.

Tyre Hippodrome	Tyre	Lebanon	33°16′06″N 35°12′35″E / 33.268313°N 35.209776°E	cited in Humphrey; visible track length: c435m; visible track width: c80m; form clearly visible; U-shaped; the space is unoccupied by any modern structures; a great deal of the structure is still visible.	Al-Bass Arch Site Hippodrome.JPG further images (may not be oriented to north)

Cyrene	Shahhat	Libya	32°49′20″N 21°51′51″E / 32.822221°N 21.864104°E	cited in Humphrey; visible track length: c300m?; visible track width: c45m; form reasonably visible; U-shaped; the space is unoccupied by any modern structures; little of the structure is still visible; sometimes referred to as a hippodrome.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Leptis Magna	Khoms OR Al Khums (c3km)	Libya	32°37′59″N 14°18′38″E / 32.633056°N 14.310547°E	cited in Humphrey; located both on and parallel to the sea shore; visible track length: c445m; visible track width: c75m; form clearly visible; U-shaped; the space is unoccupied by any modern structures; some of the structure is still visible.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Aeminium	Coimbra	Portugal	40°12′32″N 8°25′31″W / 40.209016°N 8.425387°W (not the circus; nucleus of the Roman town)	believed to have existed, but unconfirmed; archaeological information about the Roman town; reference to a suggested location for the circus (Praça do Comércio); suggested location.

Balsa	Tavira	Portugal	37°05′26″N 7°41′07″W / 37.090488°N 7.685301°W	cited in Humphrey; the location is approximately that indicated conjecturally, though with considerable certainty, at; that site states "the topographic marks of [the circus] permit a reasonably rigorous survey"; length: c375m; width: c80m.

Miróbriga	Santiago do Cacém (c2km)	Portugal	38°00′08″N 8°41′02″W / 38.002318°N 8.683770°W	cited in Chase; visible track length: c330m; visible track width: c70m; form clearly visible; U-shaped; the space is unoccupied by any modern structures; little of the structure is still visible.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Olissipona	Lisbon	Portugal	38°42′50″N 9°08′21″W / 38.713788°N 9.139192°W	in what is today the 'Rossio'; an account (in Portuguese) of excavations which uncovered a section of the spina of the circus can be found at.

Sirmium	Sremska Mitrovica	Serbia	44°58′03″N 19°36′44″E / 44.967364°N 19.612151°E	cited in Humphrey; the location is a close approximation based on information at; length: c450m; width: c150m; the structure lies buried some 2–4 m under the current town centre, just to the north of the partially excavated palace; only very small sections have been excavated.

Calagurris	Calahorra	Spain	42°18′17″N 1°57′47″W / 42.304811°N 1.963025°W	cited in Humphrey; the circus lies under the pedestrian thoroughfare 'Paseo Del Mercadal'; length c300-350m.

Cáparra	Capera	Spain	40°10′01″N 6°06′04″W / 40.166847°N 6.101135°W (not the circus; nucleus of the Roman town)	cited in Humphrey; the location, from Wikimapia and Spanish Wikipedia is of the ruins of the Roman city only; there is no indication of the location of the circus.

Corduba	Córdoba	Spain	37°53′06″N 4°46′22″W / 37.885079°N 4.772803°W	location from Wikimapia and others; length: c370m; entirely buried under the existing city centre; virtually no remains visible.

Emerita Augusta Circus Maximus (Mérida)	Mérida	Spain	38°55′12″N 6°19′56″W / 38.920037°N 6.332116°W	Cited in Humphrey; visible track length: c400m; visible track width: c85m; form clearly visible; U-shaped but without the distinctive slanted 'flat' carceres end seen in many other circuses; instead the 'flat' end is slightly rounded; the space is unoccupied by any modern structures; much of the structure is still visible.	VR Merida 03.JPG further images (may not be oriented to north)

Italica	Santiponce	Spain	37°26′19″N 6°02′22″W / 37.43856°N 6.039444°W (not the circus; nucleus of the Roman town)	cited in Humphrey; very approximate location; the circus lies under the centre of the existing old town of Santiponce; nothing is visible; note that the very large amphitheatre at Italica is sometimes referred to as a circus.

Saguntum	Sagunto	Spain	39°40′54″N 0°16′36″W / 39.681644°N 0.276675°W	cited in Humphrey; the location of the circus has been confirmed by the excavation, and preservation, of a gate to the circus; the circus lies buried under the existing town; only the gate is visible; length: c350m; width: c73m.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Tarraco	Tarragona	Spain	41°07′01″N 1°15′21″E / 41.116963°N 1.255832°E	cited in Humphrey; most of the circus lies buried under the existing town; a substantial part of the curved eastern end, and part of the south-western side, are visible; track length: c290m; track width: c75m.	-

Toletum	Toledo	Spain	39°51′49″N 4°01′48″W / 39.863689°N 4.029978°W	Cited in Humphrey; between a third and a half of the circus, including the round end, is partially visible; the remainder of the circus, has either been obliterated, or lies under modern constructions; suggested length: c430m; visible width: c75m.	Circo Romano Toledo 2.JPGimages (may not be oriented to north)

Zafra	Spain	38°25′25″N 6°24′58″W / 38.423701°N 6.416107°W (not the circus; historic nucleus of town)	cited in Humphrey; there appears to be significant uncertainty about the status, and even name, of Zafra in the Roman era; the town appears to have no significant Roman remains other than those of some 20 Roman villas in the surrounding area; no online circus-specific information found.

Nova Trajana Bostra	Bosra Eski Sham OR Busra Eski Şam OR Busra ash-Sham	Syria	32°30′54″N 36°28′48″E / 32.5149°N 36.4799°E	cited in Humphrey; French maps of Roman Bosra showing the location of the circus (or hippodrome); visible track length: c430m; visible track width: c110m; form clearly visible; U-shaped; the space is virtually unoccupied by any modern structures; much of the structure still stands.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Laodicea ad Mare	Latakia	Syria	35°31′11″N 35°46′30″E / 35.519688°N 35.775046°E (not the circus; historic nucleus of the town)	cited in Humphrey; no online circus-specific information found.

Abthugni	Henchir Souar OR Henchir Esch Schorr OR Henchir es Souar	Tunisia	36°11′52″N 10°00′32″E / 36.197695°N 10.008889°E (not the circus; nucleus of the Roman town).	cited in Humphrey; coordinates of place; location of place on topographic map (ref: NJ 32-15/510322); references to Henchir Souar; aerial photograph of place confirms coordinates reference; topographic features on aerial photograph match with; no online circus-specific information found.

Carthago Circus of Carthage	Carthage	Tunisia	36°51′01″N 10°18′55″E / 36.850222°N 10.315239°E	Cited in Humphrey; location; length: c500m; width: c90m; U-shaped; very little remains visible; partly occupied by modern constructions.	-

Commodum OR Municipium Aurelium Commodum	Henchir Bou Cha or Henchir Fraxine	Tunisia	36°31′56″N 9°53′04″E / 36.532221°N 9.884513°E (not the circus; nucleus of the Roman town)	cited in Humphrey; archaeological document of Tunisian government (in French); location of place on topographic map (ref: NJ 32-15/498358); no online circus-specific information found.

Hadrumetum OR Colonia Concordia Ulpia Trajana Augusta Frugifera Hadrumetina	Sousse	Tunisia	35°49′47″N 10°37′28″E / 35.829783°N 10.624434°E (probable location)	cited in Humphrey; probable location based on information in 1903 documents (in French), reinforced by an undated aerial photograph; visible length (as measured on Wikimapia based on cross-reference with aerial photograph): c350m or greater.

Thugga OR Municipium Septimium Aurelium Liberum Thugga	Dougga	Tunisia	36°25′35″N 9°12′58″E / 36.4265°N 9.2161°E (approximate location)	cited in Chase; approximate location, on the north western edge of town, suggested (though not explicitly identified) on plan, and plan; various lengths are referenced: c175m, 393m; the site is open agricultural land with no subsequent occupation.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Thysdrus	El Djem	Tunisia	35°18′07″N 10°41′37″E / 35.301944°N 10.693480°E	cited in Humphrey; visible track length: c500m; visible track width: c70m; form lightly visible; U-shaped; the space is unoccupied by any modern structures; little of the structure is still visible.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Utica	near Zana	Tunisia	37°03′04″N 10°03′47″E / 37.051230°N 10.063141°E (probable location)	cited in Humphrey; Tunisian archaeological site number: 007.157 (Utique ; Henchir Bechateur ; UTIKA); reference to circus; uncorroborated location; more probable location as indicated by the maps in confirms the given location; approximate length measured from the maps in: 280-300m.

Antioch Circus of Antioch	Antakya	Turkey	36°13′33″N 36°10′19″E / 36.225754°N 36.171885°E	cited in Humphrey; location (from 1930s aerial photograph); map of ancient Antioch showing the circus as a hippodrome; length: c490m; width: c90m; very little visible today; is more visible in a 1930s aerial photograph; lightly over-built by modern structures and occupations.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Aphrodisias	Aphrodisias	Turkey	37°42′45″N 28°43′19″E / 37.712543°N 28.721985°E	Double-U-shaped; very substantially preserved; significantly smaller than other circuses; may be considered a stadium or hippodrome rather than a circus; visible track length: c220m; visible track width: 35m.	images (may not be oriented to north)

Byzantium Hippodrome of Constantinople	Istanbul	Turkey	41°00′24″N 28°58′33″E / 41.006548°N 28.975961°E	Built under Septimius Severus; estimated length: c450m; estimated width: c130m; other than some monuments from the spina, virtually none of the structure is visible today; it is believed much of the structure may lie buried some 2m below the current surface.	-

Laodicea on the Lycus	Denizli (c6km)	Turkey	37°49′52″N 29°06′16″E / 37.831074°N 29.104478°E	referred to as a stadium; double U-shaped and small; visible track length: c250m; visible track width: c40m; form clearly visible; no visible spina; unoccupied by any subsequent construction.

Nicomedia	İzmit	Turkey	40°46′00″N 29°55′15″E / 40.766754°N 29.920744°E (not the circus; historic nucleus of İzmit)	cited in Humphrey; general information on the archaeological remains of Nicomedia; Kocaeli municipal history, including a 19th-century map showing the location of the historic nucleus of the city (through history Kocaeli has been named successively: Olbia, Astakos, Nicomedia, Iznikmid, and Izmid or Izmit); no online circus-specific information found.

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