Circus of Nero

Coordinates: 41°54′6″N 12°27′19″E / 41.90167°N 12.45528°E / 41.90167; 12.45528
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Circus of Nero
Circus
mausoleum of Hadrian
Plan[1]

The so-called Circus of Nero or Circus of Caligula was a

circus in ancient Rome, located mostly in the present-day Vatican City
.

It was first built under Caligula.

History

See also: Ager Vaticanus

The Ager Vaticanus, the alluvial plain outside the city walls on the west bank of the Tiber, was developed at the end of the first century BC,[2] allowing patrician families to construct luxurious private residences (Horti).[3] The Horti Agrippinae villa-estate belonged to Agrippina the Elder and was inherited by her son Caligula (r. 31–41 AD). He was a chariot-racing enthusiast and began construction of the circus which was completed by Claudius (r. 41-54 AD).

The privately owned circus and Horti were then inherited by Nero who made the circus public so he could invite them to cheer him on.[4] He also used both of these to lodge Romans made homeless by the great fire of 64. The circus was used in 65 to carry out mass executions of the Christians accused as scapegoats of the fire itself.[5] Because of this the area beyond the Tiber north of Trastevere was known as "Nero's meadows" until the end of the Middle Ages.[6]

The circus was also the site of St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s martyrdom.

The circus was abandoned by the middle of the second century AD, when the area was partitioned and given in concession to private individuals for the construction of tombs in the necropolis.

St Peter's Basilica
). Most of the ruins of the Circus survived until 1450, when they were finally destroyed by the construction of the new St. Peter's Basilica.

Place of martyrdom

Main article: Saint Peter's tomb

The circus was the site of the first organized, state-sponsored

martyrdoms of Christians in 65 AD. Tradition holds that two years later, Saint Peter and many other Christians shared their fate. The circumstances were described in detail by Tacitus in a well-known passage of the Annals
(xv.44).

The site for crucifixions in the Circus would have been along the

Saint Peter's Square in the 16th century by the architect Domenico Fontana. The obelisk was originally brought to Rome by Caligula
.

Nearby Roman cemetery

The

Bernini
's colonnade and the lefthand fountain, a tomb was discovered with a bas-relief above the door representing a marriage-scene ("vi era un bellissimo bassorilievo di un matrimonio antico"). Others were soon found. The best discovery, that of pagan tombs exactly on the line of St Peter's tomb, was made in the presence of Grimaldi, 9 November 1616:

On that day, I entered a square sepulchral room the ceiling of which was ornamented with designs in painted stucco. There was a medallion in the centre, with a figure in high relief. The door opened on the Via Cornelia, which was on the same level. This tomb is located under the seventh step in front of the middle door of the church. I am told that the sarcophagus now used as a fountain, in the court of the Swiss Guards, was discovered at the time of
Gregory XIII
in the same place, and that it contained the body of a pagan.

See also

References

  1. ^ Based on "Outline of St. Peter's, Old St. Peter's, and Circus of Nero".
  2. ISBN 978-88-04-11896-1
    p 311
  3. ISBN 978-88-492-3320-9
    p 21
  4. ^ Tacitus, Annals 14.14.4
  5. ISBN 978-88-492-3320-9
    p 23
  6. ^ Castagnoli, Ferdinando; Cecchelli, Carlo; Giovannoni, Gustavo; Zocca, Mario (1958). Topografia e urbanistica di Roma. Bologna: Cappelli. p. 239

External links

Media related to Circus of Nero (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
Circus of Maxentius 		Landmarks of Rome
Circus of Nero 		Succeeded by
Colosseum
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