Level 2
Circus Maximus opens
The Colosseum is a large, ancient building in Rome, Italy’s capital
city.
It was a stadium that could hold about 40,000 people. Romans
went to the Colosseum’s games and shows. Famously, these
included gladiator fights.
There was another, even bigger, stadium in Rome. Called the
Circus Maximus, it was used for chariot racing.
Each chariot had two wheels and was pulled by four horses.
They raced around a 600-meter long track.
There were two sharp bends, or turns at each end. The races
were for seven laps, or circuits. There were stands made from
stone and brick on either side of the track. Over 250,000 people
watched the races.
Archaeologists have been
working at the Circus
Maximus. They uncovered
one section of the stands. It is
now open to the public.
The archaeologists say that
there were many shops and
restaurants underneath the
stands. They joke that the Circus Maximus was the world’s first
shopping mall.
Comprehension questions:
1. How many people could watch gladiator fights at the
Colosseum?
2. What did the chariots race around?
3. What do the archaeologists say were underneath the stands?
Discussion questions:
4. Why do you think chariot racing was so popular in Ancient
Rome?
5. How were the chariot races organized?
6. Why do you think the Roman Empire became so powerful
2,000 years ago?
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