Le cirque Flaminius dans la Rome des IIIe et IIe siècles av. J.-C.

Abstract

The Circus Flaminius in Rome of the Third and Second Centuries BC. The Roman expansion in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries BC and Rome’s rise as a major power in this region affected also the city herself which at that time was transformed in its function and appearance. One of the places subject to intense transformation was the area of the circus Flaminius. It was an important site of social life in Rome where, apart from chariot racing, many religious and political activities took place. This article focuses on the period from the late third to the late second century BC when the Roman ruling class occupied the area of the circus Flaminius by constructing new buildings and thereby also changing the character of this area. The socio-political dimensions of this place and its relevance for the city of Rome and their inhabitants form the centre of this analysis. The architectural structure of that area, its use by the contemporaries and its function as a symbolic system of the respublica Romana will be scrutinised in this article.