Hippodrome

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Hippodrome is a term sometimes used for public entertainment venues of various types. A modern example is the Hippodrome which opened in London in 1900 "combining circus, hippodrome, and stage performances".<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

The term hippodroming refers to fraudulent sporting competitions, such as in racing or baseball.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Etymology

The word "hippodrome" is derived from Ancient Greek hippódromos (Template:Langx), a stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name itself is a compound of the words híppos (Template:Langx), meaning "horse", and drómos (Template:Langx), meaning "course". The ancient Roman counterpart was the circus.

Description

One end of the hippodromos of the Ancient Greeks was semicircular, while the other was a quadrilateral with an extensive portico. At the front thereof, at a lower level, were the stalls for the horses and chariots. On either end of the hippodromos were posts (Greek termata) around which the chariots turned. This was the most dangerous part of the track and the Greeks put an altar to Taraxippus (disturber of horses) there to show the spot where many chariots were wrecked. Where possible, it was built on the slope of a hill and the ground excavated from one side was transferred to the other to form an embankment thereat.Template:Cn

File:Chariot terma Staatliche Antikensammlungen 1452.jpg

Biga chariot rounding a terma: Attic black-figure amphora, circa 500 BC, found at Vulci

List of Greek hippodromes

Delos
Delphi
Isthmia
Lageion
Mount Lykaion<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive</ref>
Nemea
Olympia<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

List of Roman circuses

References

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Etymology

Description

List of Greek hippodromes

List of Roman circuses

See also

References