The Circus (or hippodrome) is reached via a side passage on the western side of the amphitheatre. Dating from AD 162 during the reign of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, it was home to chariot races attended by up to 25,000 people. The long side of the track ran for 450m while the short sides were only 100m in length. As such, it was one of the largest known circuses outside Rome.
Acrobatic performances were sometimes used in the central area to keep the crowd entertained in between races. A normal race programme included numerous races of seven laps, each run in an anticlockwise direction. These days, it consists of not much more than low-lying foundations, but for a fine mosaic representation of a typical day at the circus, make sure you visit Villa Sileen, west of Al-Khoms.
