a roman circus in corinth - The American School of Classical Studies ...

HESPERIA Pages

74

A

(2005)

ROMAN

IN

CIRCUS

585?611

CORINTH

ABSTRACT During the 1967-1968 and narrow structure here

the

that a circus,

of

planned structed

area inCorinth, a long excavations of the Gymnasium was discovered. It is argued (the "Apsidal Building")

structure

where

the

represents races

chariot

were

as an integral component the

during

period,

Augustan

eastern held.

meta

and circus

The

a

the

spina

to have

appears

been

con design of the city,

of the Caesarian

in the

renovated

of

portion

late

1st

a.D.,

century

as late as the 6th century. Furthermore, the circus was often the site of the equestrian contests of the Corinthian Caesarea festival and at

and refurbished

times of the Panhellenic

Isthmian Games.

was founded in 44 b.c. by Julius on the site of the former Greek was built Caesar, colony in 146 B.c.1 polis that had been destroyed by the consul Lucius Mummius the interim period of 102 years, the Greek city was deprived of During its civic and political identity and was largely deserted until the arrival of the earliest Roman colonists, a combination of freedmen and veterans.2 certain elements of the architectural Greek city were retained Although new in the the Roman architects and engineers brought with foundation, them a plan for the colonial city and proceeded over time to build new

When

Colonia Laus lulia Corinthiensis the new Roman

of Pennsylvania the University Muse of and Archaeology Anthropology. I thank all of the students who have

1.1

thank John H. Humphrey, R. Jordan, Guy D. R. Sanders, K. Kathleen Warner Slane, Charles

Williams

II, and James R. Wiseman and helpful discussions

assistance concerning

the I would

particular, for the pottery

for

subject of this article. In like to thank Slane

identification

and

and Williams for assistance description, I am with the stratigraphie analysis. toWiseman also grateful for supply for 1,2,4, ing the photographs Figs. were and 6. The drawings produced

by the Corinth Computer Project of ?

The

American

School

"Corinth

um

David

of Classical

helped me both inCorinth and in Philadelphia, and in particularTimothy Demorest,

David

las L.

and Nicho

Pacifico,

in Stapp the final drawings. preparing Finally, I thank the anonymous Hesperia reviewers and sug for their comments gestions article.

for their

on an earlier

Studies

version

of this

see Paus.

notebooks

to the Corinth are abbreviated

as

2.1.2;

of Corinth,

Strabo

see Romano

colony, Plut. recent

1993.

see Strabo

colonists, Caes.

study

during

(veterans). of the early

1994,

the

For

8.6.23

57

Corinth byWalbank Williams

exca

throughout. the destruction

8.6.23; Livy to the city, Per. 52. For the damage seeWiseman 491-496. 1979, pp. For discussion of the of the planning

tivity

References vation

assistance

NB"

2. For

the

(freedmen); See

also

colony

the

at

(1997). For ac

interim

period,

see

1978, pp. 21-22; Romano

pp. 62-64.

at Athens

American School of Classical Studies at Athens is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to Hesperia ® www.jstor.org

DAVID

586

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and structures of characteristic Roman type.3 For monuments, corner of the the example, amphitheater at Corinth, located in the northeast was planned colony of 44 b.c., probably constructed during the Augustan in the early 70s A.D., a second Roman under period.4 Later, Vespasian, was founded at Corinth, Colonia lulia Flavia colony Augusta Corinthiensis,

buildings,

with

subsequent planning and building activity.5 structure characteristic of a Roman Another

was

the circus, the watched the con spectators four-horse and two-horse chariots, chariots, quadrigae, typically, on a closed racecourse, although other equestrian bigae, would compete contests and sometimes athletic, and dramatic events could gladiatorial, city

chariot races were held and where

place where tests.6Most

be staged in a circus aswell.7 It is suggested here that Corinth had a circus and that itwas planned from the earliest days of the colony, constructed as an integral component of the Augustan phase of the city, and then used throughout much of antiquity.81 also propose that the equestrian contests of the pentaeteric Corinthian Caesarea festival were held in this circus, and sometimes the Panhellenic Isthmian Games as well.

AND EARLY IDENTIFICATION

DESCRIPTION

area in Corinth excavations of the Gymnasium the 1967-1968 by During a the University of Texas, under the direction of James R. Wiseman, long and narrow structure was discovered ca. 45 m to the south of a structure ten a as the tatively identified Gymnasium.9 The structure, aligned in roughly east-west direction and called at the time the "Apsidal Building," was excavated for a distance of about 19 m with an interior width of ca. 3.5 m; the west end of the structure was not found, presumably lying beyond the area excavated structure (Figs. 1-3). The maximum width of the excavated is 4.49 m and the east-west length of the curved eastern portion is 4.84 m. 5. The

3. From one must tial and

the archaeological record that there was a par selective destruction physical assume

and structures of the buildings the Greek city. See Wiseman

of

pp. 491-496.

suggests is based

that on

the date

of the structure

its construction

are most

which

similar

techniques, to those of other

amphitheaters built during the late 1st century Carmo points litical have

b.c.,

Sutrium

in Baetica. out

that,

reasons, been

in Etruria

Furthermore, for both

social

an

amphitheater a in a Roman necessity

and she

in the northeast

or outside

the city

limits.

charter

the forum. not

col

were

that

possible of the colonial foundation

the

remain

a

of the Roman

discovered.

It

that the site possibility circus could at an earlier

Genetivae,

the

us that "there is no p. 12) reminds of a Classical Roman Greek example converted been having hippodrome

have

been

the

site of the Greek

facility although Humphrey a foundation indicates

b.c., to

games organize contests in

to spend sesterces from his

same

charter

Cor

date

own money, to be by supplemented sesterces of See 1,000 public money. Crawford 1996, vol. 1, pp. 423-424. is

has not been

location must

gladiatorial aedile was Each

less than 2,000

that Greek

inth had a hippodrome although its

new

of Urso, in 44

1-44.

pp. likely

introduced

or

in the circus

would

at Corinth of the amphitheater corner of the colony of is similar to the locations amphi in other Roman theaters colonies, just

cation

colonial

of Julius Caesar that the aediles

1999,

8. It is very

2000; 82; Romano second Roman The

is likely to have colony into the city. colonists 6. The Lex Coloniae

and po

ony founded by Julius Caesar. The lo

inside

p. 42, no. pp. 291-299.

2003,

1999, pp. 133-140. Welch

4.Welch

Beacham

is known

colony

numismatic,

VIII.3,

1979,

Flavian

and epigraphical, evidence. (recently) archaeological See Corinth VI, p. 26, no. 93; Corinth from

law was

a

7. Humphrey 1986, pp. 71-72;

monumental?

circus."

9.Wiseman c. For

pi. 20:b,

1969, pp. 64-72, in the the excavations area,

Gymnasium

see also Wiseman

1967a, 1967b, 1972.1 thank Professor It

part of the Caesarian

at Corinth.

a canonical?i.e.

into

Roman

(1986,

for discussing structure

Wiseman ments sion from

of this to cite

with

me

ele

and for permis information

unpublished the excavation notebooks.

A

ROMAN

CIRCUS

IN

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587

A

Figure 1.View of the "Apsidal Building" from the east, 1968. Corinth

Excavations;

photo

courtesy

J. R. Wiseman

A hard-packed east,

north,

and

surface identified south

of

the

as that of a courtyard was

found

to the

structure.

curved eastern end is constructed

The

of eight well-finished, curved a series of reused blocks of poros by large a column on fragment. The curved marble slabs

slabs that are backed

marble various

shapes, including the exterior were clamped

half-round; the ground

a together. One surface of every marble block is all but one of these half-round surfaces have been embedded in

one case the half-round is the present top surface. although in m west east 2 of the end of the structure, the curved end Approximately of the wall is continued by rectangular blocks that run in a straight line approximately east-west. A cross-wall of additional reused blocks joins the ends of the curved eastern end of the structure.10 After an interval of 1-2 m, poros blocks, two courses high on the south, continue of the structure toward the west.

the east-west

walls

were associated excavator large pits cut into the bedrock by the the original use of the structure. The pits, which are aligned roughly east-west, are spaced equally (ca. 6.0 m center to center) and are of similar dimensions.11 Shallow channels lead toward the pits from different direc tions. To the south of the pits, a drain, approximately 0.50 m wide and 8 m long, covered with marble slabs, was excavated, beginning 11.5m west of the east end of the structure and extending west into the western scarp (Fig. 3). Three

of the blocks, "ag" in Fig. 3, to have had an earlier use as a

10. One appears

starting-line a gymnasium

block

from

the dromos

of

or stadium.

11.Wiseman

(1969, p. 69) gives the

dimensions: for pit 1, Diam. following 1.65 m, D. 0.88 m; pit 2: Diam. 1.65 m, D. 0.79 m; pit 3: Diam. 1.45 m, D.

0.80 m. There

any hydraulic pits.

is no

cement

indication from within

of

with

The

drain is associated with

a later use of the structure.

A number of worked marble

the

were

found during

excavation

a cone pieces, including large (Figs. 4,5), of the structure. The marble cone, found

DAVID

588

GILMAN

ROMANO

j*,? *M^

Figure 2. View of the "Apsidal Building" from the north, 1968. Corinth

Excavations;

photo

courtesy

J. R. Wiseman

to the north of the walls, is characterized by having its apex immediately cut horizontally; surface has a central circular cutting the top horizontal similar to an empolion cutting, 0.09 m in diameter and 0.018 m deep. The bottom of the marble cone is broken off and thus the original size and are

form

not

known.12

were found in a 6th-century A.D. sculptural fragments a marble ob above the large egg-shaped Apsidal Building: dump deposit a a of the marble hand and third colossal (S-2877), ject (S-2879; Fig. 6), a arm as as most of his of well head (S-2876); a young boy (S-2873) right Several marble

(MF-12977) was also found.13 The left leg (S-2923), with an attached palm tree support, of the dump.14

terracotta comic mask

life-size

from a statue of an athlete was discovered

just outside lead tablets were

immediately outside of the Apsidal and MF-68-272 MF-68-271, (Fig. 3:A-C).15 A Building: MF-12994, was found approximately 18 m north of, foundation wall wall, 16, heavy This and roughly parallel to, the Apsidal Building wall, 1.2 m (Figs. 7-9). a was 16 At 6 and total of m.16 excavated for wide, length approximately Three

12. A-767: (top)

Williams shaft

"shallow

p.L.

1.38 m, Diam.

p.Circum.

1.42 m.

(1987, p. 386) describes the

of the marble

dressed"

visible

max.

0.28 m, max.

excavated

and notes boss-like on one

cone

as

"pick the presence of two that are protrusions"

side of the

shaft,

0.78 m

cone. top of the max. p.L. 0.384 m, of Diam. 0.19 m. For photographs seeWiseman these objects, 1969, excavator 24:c. The pis. 21:c, 22:a-c, found four additional of ter fragments below

the horizontal

13. S-2879:

racotta

masks

MF-12972, deposit 12967, from

nearby: MF-12949 from a 3rd-century

and a.d.

MF in a bronze-casting pit; a lst-2nd-century deposit test trench 8, west of a bronze from

and MF-12968, from a Late foundry; east end of the from the Roman deposit south stoa. See Wiseman Gymnasium 32:c. 1969, pp. 103-104, pis. 22:j-l, 14.Wiseman

1969,

p. 72, pi. 21:c.

15. MF-12994 (Fig. 3:A) andMF 68-271 (Fig. 3:B) were found in layers of hard-packed

road metal

to the east

of the eastern

and northeast the

structure

(Fig. 3:C) was found in

MF-68-272 the foundation

trench

slabs at the northeast east

end of

nn. 23, 44).

(see below,

end of the

for the marble side of the curved

structure

(Corinth

NB 379, pp. 144-149; NB 418, pp. 149-152,169-172). MF-12994 illustrated See

in pi. 21:a

also Jordan 16.Wiseman

although the entire

1985,

inWiseman pp.

is 1969.

166-167.

1969, p. 68, fig. 2, does not show drawing length of the excavated wall.

this

Section

(Figure 12)

Figure

3. Actual-state

plan

of the

"Apsidal

Building."

After

Corinth

NB

425, p. 115;Wiseman

1969, p. 68, fig. 2; Corinth

59o

DAVID

GILMAN

ROMANO

Figure 4 (above, left).Marble cone

cated

excavation, photo

as discovered

during

Corinth

1968.

Excavations;

courtesy J. R. Wiseman

Figure 5 (above, right).Marble cated

trun

cone.

Corinth

Figure 6 (left).Marble Excavations;

photo

trun

Excavations

egg. Corinth

courtesy J. R. Wiseman

10.5 m north of wall

structure begins, are 16, where theWest Waterworks as two pillaged trenches) for two walls that run robbing trenches (labeled was filled to 16 wall (Figs. 8, 9).17 The space between these walls parallel with dumped material. meters to the east of the eastern (excavated) end of wall Twenty-five found evidence for a similar wall, 16, and on the same axis,Wiseman 1.50-1.70 m wide; this stretch was excavated to a length of 8.15 m (Fig. 7). An additional lead tablet was found in this vicinity, approximately 23 m to the northeast of the east end of the Apsidal Building.18 The wall continued to a farm road to the west, and its robbing trench was discovered the east for another 7 m as cuttings in bedrock. A parallel wall was found 7 m north of this wall. The northern wall, about a meter approximately wide originally, is partially preserved and robbed. Wiseman suggested that these two parallel foundations may have been for a stoa, with a total width under

17. Corinth NB 453, p. 189. 18.This lead tablet (MF-68-273) largely

disintegrated

during

excavation.

See Corinth NB 350, pp. 30-32; Wise man

1969,

p. 70, n. 10.

Late Roman

Wall Gymnasium

West

Waterworks

Stoas

Domed Building

Wall

spina

16

South

sv?Gymnasium

1 Trench

meta N

0 50 Figure

7. Geo-rectified

actual-state

drawing

of excavated

features

and

trenches.

Corinth

Computer

Pr

DAVID

592

GILMAN

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Pillaging Trench 2 ?..^> West Waterworks Floor

of 8.75 m, and that the building faced south onto an m to the south of was open hard-packed courtyard, which explored for 19 the foundations (Fig. 7).19 to the west of the long and narrow The only excavation undertaken structure (ca. 60 m to the west) was the early trench I, excavated by R. B. in 1896, inwhich a portion of a Late Roman wall made up of Richardson was discovered spolia (Fig. 7). In addition, to the south, Richardson dug a narrow north-south trench approximately 50 m long inwhich he found (including

and

of wall

16. After

Corinth

p. 189; Corinth

Computer

Project

NB

453,

the walls)

very little other than a series of blocks the north end.20

covering

an area ca. 5 m wide

at

identify

in the

subsequently made the sug a could be rural or outdoor shrine toDiana

gestion that the Apsidal Building Nemorensis, possibly set up by the Roman colony.21

Williams

envisioned

an

freedmen open-air

when t?menos

settling

the

surrounded

a by simple low wall and suggested that the original shrine to Diana, from near the early days of the Caesarian colony, had been located somewhere the Fountain of the Lamps (Fig. 16, below) and that itwas rebuilt with its

of test

tions; Wiseman

1967b,

elevation For

of these

comparison,

at the

found

1 of trench

trench

1," to the south

South

The

the structure

ruts were

19.Wheel bottom

m.

did not positively Although Wiseman excavation Charles K.Williams report, original

Caesarian

to the north

8. Area

Figure south

of these

"Gym founda

pp. 420-421. ruts is 54.150

in test

trench

9, at

the east end of theApsidal Building (Corinth NB 425, p. 71), the elevation of the hard 4th

floor

surface

is 54.363-54.358

century 20. Richardson

Wiseman

1897,

to the

dating m.

pp. 457-458.

(1967b, pi. 92) reproduces

the plan byW. 1896 trenches.

21.Williams

B. Dinsmoor

1987.

of the

A

55.000

ROMAN

IN

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593

-

m?\

55.000 54.880

m m

(level of top of meta

wall

block)

54.000

m

L_ 54.000

Figure 9. Section drawing showing the stratigraphy to the north and south of wall 16. Section line indi cated NB

on 8. After Corinth Figure 425, p. 193; Corinth Computer Project

m

original component parts in the present location. He identified the trun cated marble cone as a sacred log, or lignum, dedicated to Diana, of a type known from frescoes from Herculaneum and the House of Livia on the Roman

Palatine.

Fresh considerations

of the excavated

evidence, however, the newly understood principles and manifestations of the incorporating at and of the Caesarian indicate instead Corinth, planning design colony that the architectural features of the so-called Apsidal represent Building part of a circus facility.

IDENTIFICATION AS A CIRCUS

OF THE APSIDAL BUILDING

I owe the original idea of the identification as a of the Apsidal Building circus meta and spina toWilliams.22 The eastern end of the excavated struc ture is of an appropriate general size and shape for the low wall of a meta, or a is surrounded turning post, of Roman circus. This feature at Corinth on three sides?north, a series of of east, and south?by layers hard-packed road metal.23 The two lines of parallel blocks extending to the west (Fig. 3: 1,2) could reasonably define the spina of a circus. Furthermore, many of the finds associated with the so-called Apsidal Building can be related to the functions of a meta or or to the use of the overall as a spina facility circus. For comparisons of design, the western turning post (meta secunda)

walls

of a circus at Lepcis Magna has been excavated and published and serves as a close parallel (Fig. 10).24 The large truncated marble cone described earlier, found above the foundations and near the north wall of the structure, should be interpreted as a part of the turning post itself; the empolion cutting at the top of the cone would have received a finishing element.25 At least one additional 22. Charles K.Williams comm.).

Williams

possibility

to me

II (pers.

suggested in 1978 although,

as

noted above, he later (1987) published the

structure

as the

shrine

to Diana

excavation

record

0.50 m

daily

of hard-packed floors, deep, several of which

up date

to

the 4th

century. 24. The example

measures

Nemorensis. 23. The

(Corinth NB 425, pp. 71-87) describes a series

this

ca. 6.9 m

to

the meta as appears Corinth. 25. The

at

Lepcis Magna and (N-S)

5.8 m (E-W). At Lepcis Magna

is detached

from

to also be

marble

ably be associated latest use.

cone with

the

the case

spina in

should the meta

prob in its

DAVID

594

GILMAN

ROMANO

Kerb

5m of the cone should be restored below

the preserved piece, and the stone egg may have rested on top (see below).26 The three lead tablets can also be related to the functioning of the circus; a number of lead tablets

member

have

been

contexts

in circus

excavated

and

to be

proven

curse

west meta. 10. Figure Lepcis Magna, After Humphrey 1986, p. 43, fig. 23; Corinth Computer Project

tablets.27

at the starting gates and turning posts of circuses tablets positioned means of to initiate some form by "aggressive magic," have served

Curse

would, of misfortune

on the charioteer

and chariot team.28 within the meta and spina, one of which (pit 2) equally spaced pits was excavated with a an portion of amphora still in situ, and the associ ated channels could be interpreted as a series of connected water basins, the spina of circuses.29 An found within hydraulic facilities sometimes The

attractive

alternative

26. Humphrey restores

fig. 27)

ing the crowning 27. See Heintz

(1986, pp. 46-47,

the cones

as 4.06 m

Magna

interpretation

at

Lepcis tall (4.75 m, includ

egg). 1998. Wiseman

(1969, p. 70, pi. 21 :a, b) describes one of the lead tablets, illustrates MF-12994, David

currently Jordan. Wiseman

and

under

study by writes that

with pottery lot 4881, dating to the an elevation

century. of 54.521

(elev. 54.554

m)

It was

found

at

m. MF-68-271

is associated

with

andMF-68-272 (elev. 54.518 m) with lot 5568, dating generally to the pottery

a source of horses. good Although does not necessarily this coincidence the existence of a circus or presuppose

Roman

chariot

tery

lot 5555,

pot

dating

to the 6th

century,

period. 28. At Antioch, the 13 curse tablets

were

a few of the letters "the script is Greek; are most of the writing is but printed' curse tablet is associated cursive." This

late 4th-5th

is that the pits and inlaid amphoras

barrier Heintz

located

five of for example, in the city found in drains along the central

and

turning am 2000.1

posts

grateful Jordan for the information curse tablets from Carthage rumentum

curse

of the circus; to David that

several

and Had

race horses

named

Korinthos (which is spelled Corentus in the Hadrumentine that gesting from Corinth,

sug example), the horses may have come or at least

that Corinth

was

at Corinth, it is sugges of horses named examples see Audollent 1904,

racing

tive. For Korinthos,

no. 235,

pp. 311-312, p. 386. 29. Cf.,

e.g.,

Lepcis Magna to the barrier

Humphrey

the western

built,

1906,

meta

at

In reference (Fig. 10). of the Circus Maximus,

(1986, p. 294) observes:

at and possibly Empire, when the euripus was first were con certain monuments

"in the High the moment

verted

line 27;

into fountains."

A

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or bushes.30 Such features, receptacles for trees including amphoras used as planting pots, are known from Greek and Roman gardens.31 The end of the meta was built, during north-south cross-wall at the western a use series of reused blocks, including a of the structure, with the later column fragment, partially covering and filling pit 1.

were

to the west of the meta are two other series of blocks, Immediately east-west of foundations (walls 1 and 2), that continue for a maximum 12 m (Fig. 3). These blocks have presumably been reset into the original foundation trenches of the walls from the spina. Originally the blocks are two to courses to been have stacked three likely high (see below, Fig. 14), similar to the situation at Lepcis Magna.32 The parallel foundation walls excavated to the north and northeast of the spina and meta may well be the foundations for a spectator gallery. It is was the foundation for a likely that wall 16 podium wall. It is customary that circuses have spectator facilities built along the sides of the racecourse and, although the evidence currently indicates their presence only to the north of itwould be expected that the gallery also continued the circus at Corinth, west around the south and sides. The 5 m wide series of blocks found at the northern end of the southern portion of trench I (Fig. 7) may have been part of the northern spectator facilities of the circus. Several objects discovered in the 6th-century dump fill above the east west foundations of the spina could have had a connection with the circus.33 as one of the ova commonly used large stone egg could be interpreted as counters for the of the chariot races; eggs were also used to decorate laps the top surface of the metae?A It is curious that a terracotta comic mask (MF

The

12977) was found

were often an in the dump fill. Theatrical performances were to have circus of and known activities, important aspect pantomimes been included in circus programs from the 2nd century until the 6th cen therefore, that this mask was used tury. It is conceivable, mances in the circus in Corinth.35

in such perfor

CHRONOLOGY OF THE CIRCUS structure identified here as a circus had a long and complicated history was in its after and, addition, largely pillaged period of use. At least four can be in the mid- to lateAugustan period; phases recognized: construction

The

renovation abandonment The of walls am

to one of the anon grateful for suggest reviewers ymous Hesperia to me. this idea ing 31. See Gleason 1994, p. 16. Such pots, planting to the Romans,

known have

as

ollaeperforatae been discovered

see Messineo and Jericho; Pompeii 1984 for circus of At the examples.

at

Lepcis Magna, Humphrey

(1986, p. 38)

date of the original construction of the circus would appear to be based on several pieces of evidence from the area 1 and 2 and from the pits found within the spina and meta.

mentions been

in the 6th century; and

to late Augustan

mid-

30.1

in the late 1st century A.D.; reworking later in the 6th century.

that plants or trees on the barrier.

could

have

eggs

32. Humphrey 33. It is not

1986, p. 39, fig. 18.

of course

the objects associated with fill come from the circus. 34. See,

from

the Circus

Maximus.

35.MF-12977: Wiseman

included

certain the

that dump

1986,

e.g., Humphrey for discussion of the liter pp. 260-262, for the evidence ary and archaeological

1969,

For com fig. 3, pi. 22:a. see for the mask, paranda Agora VI, For the 59-62, pp. 20-23, pis. 11-15.

pp. 71,104,

role of theater

in the circus,

eron

193-229.

1976,

pantomime Beacham

pp. in the Roman 1991,

pp.

see Cam

For mime

117-153.

theater,

and see

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Wall

GILMAN

ROMANO

2

No Pottery

Late Roman 4e

5m

Mid-

to Late Augustan

Wall

2

Early Roman

Wall

2 (spina) Figure

The

foundation

east-west

trench of the southern

wall of the spina in the 6th century. The blocks

original located beneath wall 2, which was built of wall 2 sit on top of earlier layers of sediments

was

that are Late Roman, Early are to in and midlate date Roman, Augustan (Fig. 11). Both east-west walls associated with the stone drain covered with marble slabs, which was prob ably built during the 6th-century refurbishing of the structure (Figs. 3,12). When the blocks of wall 2 were installed, the earlier foundation trench was

11. Section

north

drawing

of wall 2; section line indicated on Figure Corinth

3. After Computer

Corinth

NB

425, p. 78;

Project

not dug to its original depth so that the original stratigraphy remains. The earliest level excavated at the bottom of the trench of this wall is described as hard red earth dating

to the early 1st century A.D.36

1 (spina)

Wall

to the north of wall 1, which was trench dug immediately the 6th century, revealed material from the early foundation m wide, to the Early Roman dating period.37

A

Pits

trench, 1.15

(spina, meta) at the bottom

The

lowest

mid-

to late Augustan period (Figs. 3,12).38 A of pit 2, although not precisely datable,

bottom

stratigraphie

level found

36. Pottery lot 5530. Corinth NB 418, p. 95; NB 433 (elev. 53.908 53.558

m). The

soil

is described

as red

dish brown. Approximately half of the pottery tic. The includes

is pre-Roman, Hellenis mostly other half is Early Roman, and two unidentified red-slipped

of the late 1st century fragments b.c., two casserole (one floor fragments and one rim), one cooking-ware frag

plate

in

also built

ment,

of pit 3 dates to the stratigraphie level from the

and

can be dated generally

two

to

bases.

plain-ware

37. Pottery lot 5575. Corinth NB 425, p. 80;NB 433 (elev. 54.644 53.636 m). The soil is described as light brown

and hard. The

Greek

black

Corinthian,

pottery coarse wares,

glaze, a micaceous

unfired

jug frag lekane rim

excavated

is described includes

includes

water

and an Early Roman trench was This fragment. test trench 13.

ment,

38. Pottery lot 5561. Corinth NB 418, pp. 131,136,189; NB 425, p. 43; NB 433 (elev. 54.634-53.373). The soil

as

ing-pot

as sandy red. The a handful of Hellenistic

sherds,

an unidentified a Roman

pottery cook Roman

amphora fragment, cooking of thin-walled pot rim, two fragments mid-late cups, and a Roman Augustan casserole handle.

A

ROMAN

IN

CIRCUS

CORINTH

55.274 m 55.244 n/\

597

6th A.D.

Test Trench 2 5th-6thA.D.

55.000 m

54.000 m J

5m

Figure 12. Section drawing of pit 3 and

areas;

neighboring on indicated

NB

Figure 418, p. 189; Corinth

line

section

3. After

Corinth

Computer

the Roman period.39 Pit 1was partially filled with but did not have datable levels.

a

large column fragment

Project

Wall

16

The heavy foundation wall 16, ca. 18 m north of the spina (Fig. 7), must, on the basis of pottery found to the south of the wall, have been in place by the 2nd century A.D.40To the north of wall 16 and extending for a distance of half ameter are several stratigraphie levels that together suggest a dumped fill, probably Roman, but not precisely datable (Figs. 8, 9).41 The strati level that covers wall

graphic 39. Pottery lot 5533. Corinth NB 418, pp. 104,107, 111;NB 433 (elev. 54.168-53.810 m). The soil is described as hard pottery

to red-brown. The gray-brown a includes red-slipped plate

like that found in pottery lot 5530 (see n. 36, above), one micaceous sherd that is not from a water and three jar, frag ments of an amphora. The amphora as either has been tentatively identified a North Dressel been

6 or

Italian Dressel 7-11

Spanish It had probably water within

amphora.

used

for collecting for a tree or bush, as its pit 2, possibly neck and foot had been cut off. North

6 amphoras date to the 1st century a.d. and the Spanish to 7-11 Dressel type from the Flavian Italian Dressel

the early Antonine a.d. 150. It would

period, therefore

until

about

be

safe to

set in say that this amphora was place or 2nd in 2 in 1st the Since century. pit when the the pits were probably dug structure was first constructed, the was amphora presumably ment for an earlier one.

a

40. Pottery lot 5902. Corinth NB 425, pp. 130,140,165-166; NB 433 (elev. 54.921-54.781 as dark

described

m).The reddish

soil

brown.

two Italian Sigillata of which is a foot of a (one fragments a battered 8 vessel), Haltern fragment of Eastern B, a possible gray Sigillata ware a local fragment, red-slipped frag a from a lst-century ment, fragment a.D. two Italian white-slipped pitcher, includes

pottery

a thin-walled thin-walled wares, (prob a local small ably) local cup fragment, and a lekane round-mouthed pitcher, water black micaceous Two fragment. can be dated to the late 1st century, jars and a gritty brown wheel-ridged sherd, dates to the from an amphora, possibly late 1st or beginning of the 2nd cen tury. Two slip derive possibly

with joining fragments from the late 1st, 2nd, even 3rd century.

is

The

red or

41. Pottery lot 5899. Corinth NB 425,

148,178-179; NB 433 (elev. 54.914 54.596 dish

as red soil is described m). The stones. with and without

brown,

Almost

a

all of the pottery

fragment

amphora cooking-pot man are a

is Classical

including B transport

of a Corinthian toe, and

several

a

fragment amphora,

A

transport

pre-Roman Ro Possibly

fragments. bulbous

probable

dates to the early 6th century.42

an Eastern A fragment, Sigillata and a possible burned Sigil fragment, A piece of poros lata fragment. stucco, tarium

some waterproof of bronze were

unguen

cement, also

and a piece

found.

42. Pottery lot 5898. Corinth NB 425, pp. 125,128,132,137,158,160, 163,176; NB 453, pp. 22-23; NB 433 soil is (elev. 55.166-54.850 m).The as to red-brown. light brown some Classical level includes This pot described

a of an Early Roman tery, fragment an red-ware plate, Early Roman pitcher an foot handle, Early Roman pitcher a a of fabric), fragment (cooking basin rim, and two fragments grooved water of an Early Roman pipe. The Late

Roman

Roman

C

of the 5th

135-136,139-140,142,

pp.

and Hellenistic, of a Corinthian

replace

16 probably

material form

3B

century),

includes

a Late

(mid-

or second

half

three

fragments

of

African Red Slip (3rd or 4th century), aHayes 104C rim (525-600; seeHayes 1972, handle,

pp. 160-166), a folded-rim

a

cooking-pot bowl fragment, Roman mica Aegean

an

Late imported ceous cooking-pot fragment (5th-early 6th century), and possibly Palestinian sherds. Distinctive 6th-century amphora sherds are missing. amphora

DAVID

598 Curved

the

of

Slabs

GILMAN

ROMANO

meta

trench cut into the hard-packed floors to east, and south of the curved marble slabs of the meta that the laid on bedrock, had been resituated late in antiquity. The slabs, mostly foundation trench continues to the outside of some of the poros blocks north and south of the curved end, indicating that the marble slabs and It is clear from the foundation the north,

the poros blocks at the eastern end had been replaced The resetting of the curved marble slabs at the east be dated to the 6th century A.D., allowing us to date entire structure to this time.43 From another part of

or reset at one time. end of the meta can the latest use of the the same reutilized

trench, at the east end of the meta, comes additional dating evi to coin found dence corroborate the 6th-century date.44 A late-4th-century ameter of the east on the racecourse floor, in hard-packed road metal within foundation

end of the meta, indicates a use at that time, or following in the early 5th cen coin was found on the road metal ca. 20 m 4th-century tury.45Another to

the

east.46

Important for this discussion is the fact that the curved exterior marble blocks of the meta were reset late in the history of the structure. The earlier meta had undergone renovation and repair, including refurbishing of the eastern exterior of the curved east end, probably as a result of wear and the rising elevation of the road levels. Based on the evidence for dating the road surfaces near the meta, the facility seems to have remained in use into the 6th century, although continuous use cannot be proven. The excavator has suggested that the structure went out of use during the 6th century, after which time a deep garbage dump covered much of the structure. This later in the 6th century, after the dumped fill would have been deposited resetting of the exterior marble slabs of the meta.47

OF THE CIRCUS

RECONSTRUCTION

thus far docu It may be useful to summarize the phases of development took mented for the circus in Roman Corinth. The original construction to late Augustan

place during the mid-

43. Pottery lot 5557. Corinth NB 418, pp. 166-167; NB 433 (elev. 54.577-54.513 m).The soil is described as light brown and rocky.The finds include

a

fragment water

micaceous double-rolled of a Late

of a Late jar,

handle,

Roman

an

Early several

Roman

Roman fragments (probably of a Late

amphora and a Palestinian), fragment water Roman pipe.

44. Pottery lot 5555. Corinth NB 418, pp. 149,152,166; NB 433 (elev. 54.687-54.566 as

light

soil

m).The to hard red-brown

is described

brown

with

form of the circus would

period. The

two includes pottery from Late Roman micaceous

The

pebbles. handles water

two

of Late fragments Roman of type 2, two frag amphoras a toe ments of a Palestinian amphora, a cook from a Gaza-type amphora, a 6th rim ing-pot century), (probably Red of African 3rd-century fragment and a probable 6th-century Slip ware, African Red Slip ware Also fragment. jars,

in this pottery tablet, MF-68-271.

contained curse

45. Corinth trench

through

NB

418,

the hard

elev. 54.566-54.484

II, or Arcadius,

Valentinian

coin

a.d.

I,

383

388; I thank Orestes Zervos for this information. NB 46. Corinth 350, p. 87: a hard 66 area, elev. 54.889 m. Coin packed II or Constans, 563, of Constantius was found a.d. 341-346, in this area. I thank Zervos

lot is a lead

47. Wiseman above

p. 174: a test road metal,

m. The

(68-1428) is datable toTheodosius

12977 were

(n. 13), and

for this

several marble

discovered

identification.

1969, p. 71. As noted the terracotta mask MF fragments in this dump.

A ROMAN

CIRCUS

IN CORINTH

599

secunda

meta spma meta

prima

Augustan Period podium meta spma meta

secunda

^3

prima jzzzzzr

ca. A.D.

100 N 200 m

Figure

13. Restoration

and

period puter Project

of

drawings

circus in theAugustan

the Corinth

ca. A.D.

100.

Corinth

Com

certain that 48. It is by no means the spina of the circus was continuous end. from the east end to the west 49. The

of the spectator width gal on the dimensions of the is based lery on the north side foundations excavated of the circus. 50.

In

8, the

Fig.

to the

sarcophagus

south of wall 16 isGreek (pottery lot 5923).

Covering

pottery deposit, 1st century a.d. pp. 45-50. 51. This formula

the sarcophagus lot 5909, dating NB See Corinth

is based

estimate

of 0.5 m2 per

on

discusses

requirements and sitting suggests

for

the

minimum

(1996, space

individuals

in areas

a smaller

453,

spectator

(Romano 1993b, p. 22). Hansen pp. 25-29)

is a to the

standing and of assembly

figure

of 0.4 m2.

the spina, two metae, starting gates (carceres), an arena, and metae were constructed by little else (Fig. 13).48The spina and the perhaps trenches into the bedrock, into which the foundation digging foundation blocks were set; the trench for these foundations was 1.15 m wide and

have

included

level would 1.2 m deep. Several courses of stone above the foundation a to create features for both wall low have been then (Fig. 14). required The north-south cross-wall, ca. 4 m west of the curved end of the meta, a space. The three suggests that the meta was separated from the spina by at the same time, as were into bedrock probably dug directly large pits of the metae and spina, and may have been part of the initial construction of trees or bushes. The total width of the arena ca. 55 m (ca. 25.5 m to the north of in the Augustan phase may have been the spina and 29.5 m to the south) as there is no evidence for any formal at this time and there appears to have been space spectator accommodation for a racecourse of this width (Fig. 13). The carceres are likely to have been intended

for the planting

built at the east end of the facility (see below). In the 2nd century a.d. a spectator gallery, with a maximum width of ca. 8 m,49 was constructed on the north side of the circus, probably ex west sides as well (Figs. 7, 8, 13). These tending along the south and the total width of the would have diminished spectator accommodations racecourse proper, at least in this area, from ca. 55 to 39 m.50 The race course width to the north of the spina would have been restricted to ca. 18 m. The spectator capacity of the facility can be estimated at approximately 12,000.51

"00

DAVID

GILMAN

ROMANO

0

surface was raised as layers of road metal on created the track. In the 6th century, when the meta and spina were renovated, the original trenches for the foundation walls were reutilized Over

time the racecourse

were

but the refitted blocks were

not set fully into the trenches (Figs. 3,11). By this time the foundation walls (including wall 16) for the spectator facility to the north had gone out of use and been covered (Fig. 9).

14. Reconstruction draw Figure meta and of the eastern ing spina a.d. Corinth 6th century Corinth, Computer

at

Project

PLAN AND LOCATION OF THE CIRCUS carcereswere located at the east or west end of the circus. If they were located at the eastern end of the facility, more space would have been available for the total length of the arena. Given the arena could have been as long as 388 m if constraints, topographical the carcereswere located at its eastern end, but only ca. 330 m if they were

It is not known whether

located at its western end, since, in circus design, the space required from the carceres to the meta secunda is greater than the space required from the closed end of the circus to the meta prima (Fig. 13).52 from the 2nd century on the available arena width between Although the eastern meta and the spectator facility to the north was only ca. 18 m, thus implying the narrower space associated with a meta prima rather than a meta

other

secunda,

evidence

that

suggests

this was

not

the

case.

The

lo

cation of the foundations for the spectator facilities that are only roughly arena and some 35 m east of the eastern meta indicates that to the parallel some distance to the east and did not turn to follow the arena continued the semicircular

end of the circus. The

curved end of the arena should thus

be found at the western

end of the circus. The orientation of the spectator to the north of the circus suggests that the northern spectator wall flared slightly to the north by approximately 1? 30', providing more space carceres in the east to the meta secundaP for the starting chariots from the The projected location of the carceres is near that of the major cardines that center of the city from the north. For instance, there would approach the have been amajor roadway (likely to be cardo IV west) leading north from facilities

the Theater

to the area of the Asklepieion

and the Gymnasium. There is in the of the for this and the space arrangement ample city possibility plan would thus be similar to examples elsewhere in the Roman world.54

52. Humphrey that

"the preferred

(1986, p. 334) states orientation

for a cir

cus [inNorth Africa] seems to be that the the

should be at the west, starting gates semicircular end at the east." 53. This

arrangement

to

is similar

the hypothetical plan illustrated by Humphrey (1986, p. 22, fig. 5:c). 54. See, recently

1998 for the e.g., Ribera circus at Valentia discovered

in the There, (HispaniaTarraconensis). reconstruction of the circus, the carceres are ca. 150 m to the east of the only to the south of forum and immediately the decumanus the center Roman

maximus,

of town. Other

very

close

to

of examples later ones,

circuses, especially were constructed e.g., in Thessaloniki, close to a major and thoroughfare are next to a to have palace; they likely earlier city streets. crossed

A

ROMAN

IN

CIRCUS

CORINTH

601

identification of the eastern meta and spina of a Roman circus in an provides important part of the plan of the Roman colony of 44 b.c.55As a result of research carried out by the Corinth Computer Project since 1988, it has been possible to reconstruct a "drawing board plan" of the Caesarian colony, covering 240.6 hectares and divided into four centuries, The

Corinth

or

urban area is arranged quadrants, each of 240 iugera (Figs. 15,16).56The axis of the colony and probably lengthwise with respect to the north-south 1x2 actus (1 actus = 120 feet or had as its dominant unit an area measuring 35.4 m). The primary north-south orientation of the grid of the Roman city is ca. 3? west

of north

curb of the Lechaion

based on the orientation of the east (N3? 3' 46"W), Road as the cardomaximus of the colony. The principal

are oriented generally 2-3? west of north; the surveyed cardines of the city decumani are generally 2-3? south of west. The average orientation of the east-west foundations of the meta of the circus are 2? 47' 51" south of west, 16' from the principal east-west orientation of the Roman the metae and spina of a circus are oriented obliquely to colony. Typically the axis of the arena in order to provide sufficient space to the right of

which

iswithin

the meta secunda for the starting chariots. This appears to be the case at Corinth, where there is, as a result of the oblique planning, slightly more room to the north of the spina, in front of the attested spectator facilities, than there is to the south. location of the meta as a part of the spina of the circus falls close of a 2-actus north-south dividing line within the organiza tion of the city (Figs. 15,16). It is known that amajor east-west roadway, decumanus III north, lay 3 actus to the south of the meta, and I have sug The

to the middle

limes of the city was located gested elsewhere that the northern east-west ca. 1 actus to the north of the meta}1 Decumanus IV north would then have been located immediately to the north immediately

to the south of the circus and decumanus V north

the 2-actus space projected as (Fig. 16).Within width of the circus, there is slightly more room potential to the south of the axis of the meta than there is to the north, 38.2 m and

the maximum

32.6 m, respectively, although space was not utilized. There

it is clear that the entire width of the 2-actus can be little doubt that the orientation and

location of the circus were planned with respect to the layout of the Ro man city since the total width of the circus would fit into the 2-actus block, room for spectator facilities on the including retaining walls to the north, and presumably also the south. the spectator facilities included in the planning, the available as noted above, would have been ca. 55 m for the racecourse, space (Fig. 13). Without

Furthermore,

space

remains

in

the

urban

for

plan

an

roadway to the north of the circus, decumanus V north 55. See Romano figs.

3-5,

1993,

pp.

13-21,

7.

56. The Corinth Computer Project of Pennsylvania of the University Mu seum of and Anthropol Archaeology

ogy was directed from 1988 to 1997 was carried by the author. The project out under the auspices of the American

School Corinth

of Classical Excavations,

east-west

Roman

(Fig. 16).58 at Athens, C. K. Williams

Studies

Director. 57. Romano

1993, p. 20. was put out of roadway use the construction of theWest by Waterworks and the Domed Building 58. This

(see below).

II,

CIRCUS

-?-??^^^^

A

Figure of Roman

16. North-central

Restored locations

ca. a.d.

Corinth, of plans of roads.

structures Corinth

region 100. and

ROMAN

IN

CIRCUS

CORINTH

603

THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF ROMAN CORINTH

Com

The general

topography of the northwest quadrant of the Roman city is flat, room for a circus structure with an overall total providing ample length of ca. 400 m and width of 65 m. The arena of the would be resulting length m m was located to the 388 and the width 43 (Fig. 13). The Roman circus south and west of the Asklepieion and directly south of the Gymnasium

puter Project

and the Fountain

of the Lamps (Fig. 16).59The northwest quadrant of the city appears to have been filled with civic and religious structures. were outside and the Gymnasium technically the Asklepieion Although the limites of the Roman city, the Odeion, the Theater, a bath to the north of the Theater, and the circus would have been within the city proper. Other facilities were constructed in the area of the eastern meta (Figs. 7, Roman

to the north, identified byWiseman as the 17,18). The area immediately was West Waterworks, and includes a large cistern and a bronze-casting pit m in its north-south an industrial installation. This 15 possibly complex, appears to have had its southern wall built up against the already spectator gallery on the north side of the racecourse (the northern

dimension, existing element

of which

is now represented by a robbing trench). Further to the stoa lies the rubble south of the east-west Gymnasium of the so-called Domed It appears to have Building.

east and immediately concrete foundation 59. For sium

and

discussion the Fountain

seeWiseman 60. Wiseman

of the Gymna of the Lamps,

1972. 1967a,

pp. 21-23;

1967b, pp. 413-416; 1969, pp. 67-69.

been built up against the existing spectator gallery also presumably used for industrial purposes.

further to the east and

was

Wiseman

dated

the construction

of all of these facilities

to the 1st

2nd centuries A.D., suggesting that they remained in use until the 4th cen were built on available land immediately to the tury.60 These buildings

Figure

17. North-central

region

of Roman

Corinth.

Geo-rectified

actual-state

drawings

of excavated

features.

Corin

A

ROMAN

IN

CIRCUS

CORINTH

605

Asklepieion

Figure of Roman

18. North-central

Restored Corinth

ca. a.d.

Corinth, plans

of

Computer

region 150.

of the circus, where, as just noted, the decumanus V north is likely to have structure in the area, the Fountain of the Lamps, passed. Another m north of the circus, had a 70 approximately long history in the Greek and Roman periods as a bath; itwas heavily utilized in the 4th and 5th cen turies and possibly into the 6th century.61 Elements identified as being from

north

structures.

Project

a Late Roman wall, built in the late 4th or were exca early 5th century a.D., vated between the Fountain of the Lamps and the circus (Figs. 7,17).62 circus with respect to the Caesarian The location of the Corinth city limit of the city and tucked next to the northern the city limes (Fig. 15)?is worthy of mention. For comparison, corner of the colonial at is located the northeast amphitheater plan, ap 1,200 m to the east. Given that the excavated meta and spina proximately appear to be aligned with the orientation of the Roman colony, and that the northern

plan?at east-west

of the circus design as well as the dating evidence of the a mid-late it date for the original construction, Augustan spina suggests seems likely that the circus was a part of the early of the planning colony.63 the typology

61. Wiseman 62. This

wall

1969, pp. 77-78. as the is also known

Epistyle Wall. SeeWiseman 1967b, pp. 410-413; 1969, pp. 87-92; 1972, pp. 5-7; Gregory

1979. The

placement

of thiswall would have limited the circus

at its western

end

(Gregory the wall was

1979,

p. 265, fig. 1). Since prob and ably built in the early 5th century, to function the circus continued into the 6th sumably

the wall century, have respected

would

pre the circus on

the west,

as we

know

the north.

The

cannot therefore, to the Greek all the way

have

extended

city have

circuit wall been

rimeter Roman

that

room

since inside

there

See,

to

needs

the Greek

pe of the Late

for the construction wall.

to

it does

circus,

however,

Slane

and

2005, p. 293, for a proposed course for the line of the wall.

Sanders new

In summarizing of the North African 63.

the circuses,

location Hum

phrey (1986, pp. 333-334) writes that

"cireuses

were

skirts

of towns,

areas.

In most

outside

found on the out usually outside the built-up cases were built they

the regular street does the circus

Carthage the orientation within was

at grid. Only seem to follow

of the grid and to He to the the area allocated grid; at the extreme however edge of

it

the city, as is shown by the fact that the Roman immedi city wall passed at Cor situation it." The ately around

Late

inth

is very

similar

to that at Carthage.

6o6

DAVID

GILMAN

ROMANO

eastern meta clearly had a long life in this location since its exterior curved marble slabs were reset into the earlier layers of road metal in the

The

6th century. To the west defines

of the eastern meta,

space exists for the circus with the Greek circuit wall that intersecting are no other apparent topo limit of the city; there sufficient

some 290 m before

to extend

the northern

to the west of the graphical restrictions. The only excavation undertaken in 1896 (Fig. 7: trench I).64 meta, as noted above, was that by Richardson To the north, there is approximately 45 m of space before the long east-west stoa of the Gymnasium. The restored plan of the north-central Roman city ca. A.D. 150 is shown in Figure 18.

area of the

COMPARANDA size of Roman circuses varies considerably. At Lepcis Magna, for in m was m 231 wide between the faces of the stance, the spina long and 6.2 outer walls, and the overall length of the arena was 450 m.65 At Lepcis the distance between the meta prima to the curved end of the arena ismuch shorter (ca. 50 m) than the distance from the meta secunda to the carceres (ca. 160 m). This spacing has to do with the nature of the start of the race:

The

a considerable

between

distance

the carceres and the meta secunda is needed

to allow the starting teams to run an equal distance to clear

the

Given

and have enough

room

of starting gates in Roman circuses, one m on the arena floor for each chariot team.67 At

the known widths

Lepcis Magna

the 64 m wide 12 chariot

approximately

arena (32 m for half) room for provided m arena at in the wide Corinth 55

teams. The

eight chariot teams period would have allowed approximately Augustan to compete. This figure includes some room for the retaining walls and spectator areas, north and south. As noted above, however, by A.D. 100 the width of the track at Corinth was reduced to ca. 39 m by the con struction teams

to

of spectator

facilities, which

may

have

limited

the number

of

six.

is similar to that of other the circus design at Corinth Typologically, in the Augustan The circuses constructed period. general characteristics are the relatively short length and narrow width of the arena, the narrow spina,

and

the

shallow

area

reserved

for

spectators.

For

comparison,

the

11 miles south of Rome on the Via circus found at Bovillae, approximately some respects, with an arena about 328.5 m long and in is similar Appia, 60 m wide (Fig. 19).68 The excavated spina is 2.5 m wide, leaving a track is dated 28.75 m per side. The circus at Bovillae or not much later, on the basis of construction to the Augustan period, a and Humphrey materials, suggests that "in the early first century A.D.

width

of approximately

circus with was

the circus the Late

barrier.66

should allow ca. 2.7-3.1

an arena

ca. 330 m and an overall length of

considered minimally adequate."69 it is now known From recent excavations

See n. 20,

64.

to the west

m length of 350

that at Caesarea Mar?tima

was part of the Herodian a very small circus palace complex of the facility 1st century b.c. (Fig. 20).70 The length of the arena is at least 265 m and

above. The

open space room for

provides adequate to be accommodated

Roman

wall;

65.

Humphrey 66. Humphrey see also Humphrey the width

Lepcis

Magna

above.

1986,

pp. 36-47.

1986,

pp.

19-24;

1996.

(1986, pp. 48-49) re

67. Humphrey cords

within

see n. 62,

at starting gates as ca. 2.7 m, and Patrich of the

(2001, p. 275) reports thewidth of the car ceres at Caesarea 68. For at Bovillae,

pp. 561-566. 69. Humphrey cording

as 3.1 m.

Maritima

a summary of the evidence see 1986, Humphrey

to the plan

1986, p. 566. Ac of Bovillae pub

lished by Dobosi and reproduced by Humphrey (p. 563, fig. 268), the spina appears circus, that

to lie

although this is not

70. Porath

parallel

to the axis of the

Humphrey

comments

proven. 1995;

see also Patrich

2001. The facility was definitely used for equestrian ments of the

contests

because

ele

starting gates have been to Porath found. According (p. 17), in the facility excavation revealed

1.7 m walls "two parallel subterranean on the central apart... longitudinal axis of the arena. [The walls] may a vault and served as have supported

a dividing device for the length of the track."

A

19. Circus

Figure

CIRCUS

IN

After

1986, p. 563, fig. 268; Corinth

Humphrey Computer

at Bovi?ae.

ROMAN

Project

Gerasa

Neapolis

Caesarea

?

25 20. Circuses

Figure polis, After

and Caesarea Porath

Computer

at Gerasa,

Nea

Maritima.

1995, p. 25, fig. 13; Corinth

Project

50

CORINTH

6o8

GILMAN

DAVID

its width

ROMANO

50.35 m. Other

relatively small facilities for equestrian contests in the Roman East, for instance atNeapolis (Nablus)71 in the 2nd century A.D. (Fig. 20).72 The length of the arena at

have been identified and Gerasa Gerasa

is 245 m and the width

five starting gates, teams

implying

is 50 m; the circus functioned with only that there would have been only five chariot

in a race.73

entered

the size and shape of the circus suggests a hybrid form of the western and eastern examples and a western with the closely comparing example at Bovillae. As

At Corinth based

on the narrow width

length more noted above, there probably would have been no more than six starting gates after the spectator stands were built in the 2nd century, although there may originally have been room for eight gates. other circuses are known

in Roman Achaea

those originally Greek hippodromes period. A Roman circus at Gortyn in Crete (administratively a part of Roman North is documented in Epirus, and a Late Ro Africa); another must have existed at Nikopolis No

besides

that were used in the Roman

man

example is known Roman Asia Minor.75

Several circuses are known

inThessaloniki.74

from

ROMAN CHARIOT RACING IN CORINTH a part of two agonistic festivals associated with Corinth, Isthmian Games and the Caesarea.76 The two appear to have had some relationship with each other since it is known that the same

Chariot

races were

the Panhellenic

over both festivals, and the Isthmian Games (trieteric) agonothetes presided been It has often assumed that all the Caesarea (pentaeteric).77 preceded the contests were

held at the Sanctuary of Poseidon at Isthmia, although epigraphical evidence indicates that both the Isthmian and the

convincing Caesarea contests were

held together in Corinth.78 Gebhard of the Isthmian Games is likely to have remained in in Corinth until the principate of Nero and that, from their founding were also the Augustan period until the 2nd century, the Caesarea games a an have stadium would held Such there.79 arrangement usually required sometimes

notes that the celebration

and circus for the agonistic contests and a theater for the musical contests of a Roman stadium has not been discovered in the these festivals. Although m now identified, with the east meta only 275 city plan, the Roman circus is events of north of the orchestra of the Theater (Fig. 15).80The equestrian the Caesarea,

and possibly

1995, p. 25. 72. Humphrey 1996, pp. 73. Ostrasz 1989.

the Isthmian

125-129.

74. Humphrey 1986, pp. 523-524 (Gortyn); 525 (Nikopolis); 625-631 (Thessaloniki). 75. Humphrey 1986, pp. 525-528. of consideration 76. For a general festivals

in Greece,

see

forth 1989. 77. See Geagan

took

Spaw

VIII.2, pp. 63-66, 81; and more recently, Gebhard 1993.

no.

79. Gebhard Gebhard,

p. 71.

p. 87, and Hayes

1993,

Hemans,

n. 35. See

for the chronology pp. 416-417, return of the Isthmian Games

1998, of the to the

Isthmus. 80. For see Corinth

1968,

at times, presumably

78. Corinth

71. Porath

Roman

contests

the Theater IX.3,

in Roman

pp. 4-8.

times,

A

ROMAN

IN

CIRCUS

CORINTH

609

events connected with the place in the circus. It is also possible that other two festivals could have been held in this area.81 A. B. West has suggested that the Caesarea festival at Corinth was B.c. and the victory following the battle atActium probably founded in 30 at not is this date The earliest of Octavian, secure.82 inscription although Corinth that mentions the Caesarea is a partial victor list on a herm that to a.D.

dates

mentions

Suetonius

3.83

all over the Roman world

in honor of Octavian

were

Caesareas

founded

and it is clear that the fes

was

one of them.84 It thus seems likely that the Caesarea in 30 B.c. and that earlier equestrian first held at Corinth

tival at Corinth games were contests were

that many

in a less formal predecessor of the circus. As discussed the construction of the circus cannot be dated before the

held

above, although mid-late Augustan period, the original plan of the Caesarian colony ap a space for the circus, and we can thus assume that the included parently races were held in the same area in a less formal structure.

The equestrian events of the Caesarea at Isthmia are known from a series of inscriptions. 1-2740, for example, includes lists of musical, athletic, and equestrian victors in the Caesarea of spring A.D. 127.85 Included are are restored terms), equestrian events (for the most part these including the armed chariot (7ioA,?jLiio"T/r|piov), line 65; two-horse chariot for young horses (cTuvcopi? 7icoAiKf|), line 65; horse race for young horses (k8AT|? 7cco?ikO?), line 65; two-horse chariot for full-grown horses (auvcopi? xe?eioci), line 70; four-horse chariot for young horses (xeGpuucov ??c?aikov), line 70; horse race for full-grown horses (k??J|? xeXeiax), line 75; four-horse chariot for race (e7u?ocTr|piov), full-grown horses (apune xi?^io?), line 75; armed chariot line 75; mounting and dismounting chariot race (afto?ocTiKOv), line 85.86 That a circus would be constructed within the limites of the Roman city is of great importance for the understanding of the religious and of the city and has many implications. Furthermore, cultural development

of Corinth

games in honor of Octavian and Poseidon, held within the city of Corinth, would have drawn interest from around the Greek and Roman world. The equestrian events alone of both of these festivals must have attracted a large audience of spectators. 81. Porath (1995, pp. 26-27) sug in gests that the multipurpose facility was used for dra Caesarea Mar?tima matic, The

athletic, 6th-century

contests. and equestrian circus program from

(Cameron 1976, frontis Oxyrhynchus races inter six chariot included piece) and perfor spersed with processions mances and mimes; by singers, athletes,

Corinth

VIII.2,

83. Corinth no.

14

in (1-751). in the area of the Gymnasium, list of athletic, records a partial eques

mia

and musical

Caesarea.

in the Isth

victors

West

(Corinth

VIII.2,

pp. 64-66) explains that if the festival was

established

in 30 b.c.,

then

Road,

latrine. The

1917

trian,

reused in a 6th-century location of the original is not known, but its place inscription of reuse is only 400 m southeast of chaion

pp. 64-66. VIII. 1, pp. 14-18, The herm, found

the

the eastern

in the

celebration of the series.

herm

84. Suet. 59. Aug. 85. Biers and Geagan 1970; see n. 10, for evidence that the esp. p. 84, were Caesarea and the Isthmian Games

century letic officials

held

often

true for Corinth, as well athletic events,

of the Caesarea

and

could

held

have

been

several

types

as equestrian, Isthmian Games there. There

to suggest that there would at Corinth. have been faction racing of the Caesarea 82. For a history evidence

at Corinth,

of

see the discussion

in

is no

be the ninth

together. 86. The inscription

1-2740

was

in the Great

on

the Le

found

Bath

herm

lowest

circus.

noted

above

was (1-70-39) levels of the pool

of the Fountain of the Lamps, 115 m

were

3 would

of the Roman

to the herm

another

(n. 83), found

P Oxy. 2707 inRea 1968. If the same

of a.D.

meta

In addition

of the eastern

northwest is

and victors; were

p. 20. Herms element of Roman 1972,

see

meta.This

to date to the mid-1st likely a list of ath a.d. and includes

set up between

Humphrey

1986,

seeWiseman an

circuses, the pp.

important and were

starting 138-151.

gates;

DAVID

6io

ROMANO

GILMAN

CONCLUSIONS shown above to be an integral part of the Roman city history of a plan of Corinth. From what is known of the archaeological eastern meta of the structure, it appears that and the of the portion spina the circus had a long life in the northwest quadrant of the city, beginning

The

circus has been

to late Augustan into the 6th century. period, and continuing structure orientation of the and the location Furthermore, suggest the of the Caesarian plan of the Roman city. The circus's best ar utilization in the mid-

are found in the west at Bovillae outside Rome aswell parallels as in the eastern examples at Caesarea Mar?tima, Gerasa, and Neapolis. is likely to have been the site of the equestrian The facility in Corinth chitectural

and, on occasion, of the Panhellenic Isthmian Games. Use of the facility into the 6th century suggests that chariot racing continued to be held in Corinth during the later Empire.87 in this area of the site would elucidate the history of Further excavation contests

the structure as well and

Caesarea

of the Corinthian

as

more

provide

details of its physical

characteristics

1976,

appearance.

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