Chariot Races and Hippodromes: Here Are the Best-Preserved Ones That Take You Right Back to Ancient Roman Times

Only a handful of ancient Roman hippodromes, where thrilling chariot races once took place, have stood the test of time. These are the best-preserved ones and the stories they hold.

Ancient hippodromes were large open‐air venues built during the Roman era for hosting chariot races and other public events. In those days, these impressive arenas served as the stage for high-speed competitions where charioteers steered lightweight, two-wheeled vehicles drawn by horses around oval tracks. The excitement in the stands was palpable as thousands of spectators cheered on teams marked by distinctive colors. Chariot racing was not only a contest of speed and control but also an occasion that brought people together from all walks of life.

In a typical chariot race, the driver had to handle tight turns and sudden changes in direction while keeping control of a team of horses. The tracks were long and curved, designed to challenge the skill of the racers and their ability to coordinate with their animals. The races could be dangerous, with collisions and overturned chariots adding to the drama of the event. For the people of the Roman Empire, these spectacles provided a lively social outing where excitement filled the air, and the communal spirit was at its peak.

Chariot racing was a high-risk, high-reward career in ancient Rome. Most charioteers started as slaves, which meant they had little to lose in terms of social standing. Even though those who performed in arenas, including charioteers, were often looked down upon, the best of them could achieve immense wealth and widespread admiration.

Some even gained favor with the elite, though their profession was not considered respectable. Despite the dangers and the low social status attached to the profession, successful charioteers and their horses could achieve a level of fame and fortune unmatched by most in Roman society.

The races were often team-based, with charioteers working together within their factions—Reds, Blues, Whites, and Greens—but individual victories were the most celebrated. Competitors faced significant dangers, including fatal crashes. One charioteer, Scorpus, won over 2,000 races before dying in an accident at around 27 years old.

Others, like Gaius Appuleius Diocles, managed longer careers, earning vast sums of prize money. Diocles reportedly retired at 42 with lifetime earnings of nearly 36 million sesterces, a fortune far beyond what most Romans could dream of.

Supporters of the teams were deeply devoted, sometimes to the point of extreme actions. One fan of the Red team is said to have thrown himself onto the funeral pyre of his favorite racer. Some followers turned to illegal magic, burying curse tablets near the track in hopes of influencing the outcomes, and even charioteers themselves were sometimes accused of using supernatural means to win. Several were executed for alleged involvement in sorcery.

Horses were just as crucial to the races as the drivers. Certain breeds from Hispania and North Africa were highly prized, and some horses became famous in their own right. They were carefully trained, starting at around five years old, and were often named in race records.

The “trace” horses on the outer sides of the chariot played a crucial role in stability and guidance, while the yoke horses in the center provided speed and strength. Mares were considered the most reliable for the demanding left-side trace position, where precision was critical to avoid collisions.

Today, several of these ancient venues remain, offering a fine look at a time when public events were a major part of daily life. Unfortunately, the largest chariot racing stadium of ancient Rome, the Circus Maximus, is not in a good condition and so it cannot be included in this list. Located in Rome between the Palatine and Aventine hills, it could once accommodate over 150,000 spectators, but after the 6th century, it fell into disuse and decay. Over time, flooding and debris buried the original track under layers of soil. In the Renaissance, the site was used as a quarry for building materials, further depleting its structure. Today, only the outline of the track remains visible, with most of its original features lost.

Luckily, there are other hippodromes that survived the centuries in a much better condition, notably the ones in Jerash, Tyre, and Caesarea. Each location carries its own character and history that reflect the significance of chariot racing during the Roman period.

Jerash (Jordan) – Best overall preservation

In modern-day Jordan, the ruins at Jerash include the smallest known and best-preserved Roman hippodrome. Constructed during the second century AD, the structure originally served as a venue for horse racing and has maintained much of its original layout. The seating areas, the entry gates, and the walls that once defined the racecourse are still visible today. An inscription at the western entrance of the Temple of Artemis commemorates the achievements of athletes and horse breeders in various competitions.

By the late fourth century, the northern part of the hippodrome had been transformed into an amphitheater for gladiator fights and other sports, while the southern part was abandoned and later used by potters. Between the sixth and eighth centuries, the structure was repurposed as a quarry for materials to repair the city wall, and artisans utilized parts of the ruins as workshops.

As you wander among the stone arches and worn pathways, you can clearly see where charioteers once sped around the track. This well-preserved site offers a direct look at the practical design methods used by Roman builders. Although the building materials have weathered through the ages, the form of the hippodrome remains very close to how it was originally built—a clear sign of the care taken in its construction.

Tyre (Lebanon) – Largest well-preserved hippodrome

A short journey from Jordan brings you to the coastal region of Lebanon, where the ancient city of Tyre is home to an impressively large hippodrome. Tyre’s racing arena is known for its extensive size, and is considered the second-largest hippodrome in the ancient world and the largest well-preserved hippodrome today. Built in the second century AD and measuring approximately 480 meters in length and 90 meters in width, it could accommodate around 20,000 spectators in its prime.

The Tyre Hippodrome is a UNESCO World Heritage site where the track and the rows of seats still visible today allow visitors to appreciate the scale of the venue. The size of Tyre’s hippodrome hints at how popular chariot racing was in the ancient Mediterranean. It was an event that could draw massive crowds, and the remains show how Roman engineers designed spaces that could comfortably accommodate large groups of people.

The structure features a horseshoe-shaped seating area above a gallery, with visible starting boxes and parts of the central median strip, known as the spina, which includes an obelisk. Each end of the track is marked by stone turning posts, called metae. Charioteers had to pass around these posts and complete seven laps to finish the race.

Beyond chariot racing, the hippodrome likely hosted various sports and events, including the Tyrian Games, which were celebrated every four years in honor of the deity Melqart-Heracles. During the Diocletianic Persecution, it is believed that Christians were tortured to death at this venue. The Expositio, a fourth-century geographical account, lists the Tyre Hippodrome as one of the top five racetracks in the Levant during the Roman Empire.

Notably, the hippodrome is unique because it was constructed using stone instead of the more common brick. In the center stood a large granite obelisk, and on both sides were meeting places for supporters of the racing teams, known as the Blues (in the western part) and the Greens (in the eastern part). These were luxurious buildings, adorned with mosaics and equipped with baths.

Caesarea (Israel) – Best coastal hippodrome

Again a short distance away, in the north of Israel, the ancient city of Caesarea offers another well-maintained example of a Roman hippodrome. (In fact, when you plot these three well-preserved hippodromes on a map, they form a triangle with sides measuring roughly between 90 and 130 kilometres or about 55 to 80 miles.) Located by the Mediterranean Sea, Caesarea’s hippodrome benefits from a pleasant setting that adds to its historical charm.

Originally commissioned by Herod the Great around 9/10 BC, the site was initially created for chariot racing and later adapted to serve as an arena for various public functions. Although the structure was altered over the centuries—eventually being partly converted into an arena for other forms of entertainment—the basic layout of the track and the seating areas has largely been preserved.

Measuring approximately 50 meters in width and 400 meters in length, the hippodrome could accommodate about 13,000 spectators and served as a focal point of Roman culture in the region. Caesarea itself was designed as a center of commerce, featuring a modern port, a grand Temple of Augustus, and a Roman theater that remains in use today. The city became a symbol of the cultural and political tensions between the Roman authorities and the local Jewish population.

Notably, in 26 CE, a large group of Jews gathered in the hippodrome to protest Pontius Pilate’s introduction of imperial images into Jerusalem, leading to a confrontation that ended without violence. Decades later, in 66 CE, escalating tensions in Caesarea contributed to the outbreak of the Jewish Rebellion. The hippodrome also witnessed tragic events, such as the public execution of prominent rabbis during the 2nd century CE, an event commemorated in the Yom Kippur liturgy.

The preserved hippodromes of Jerash, Tyre, and Caesare not only give us a look into ancient sports but also demonstrate the skill of Roman construction techniques. The design of these hippodromes was carefully thought out to ensure that they could handle large crowds and the rigorous demands of chariot racing. The clear layout of seating, tracks, and entranceways speaks to a planning process that was both practical and ambitious.

Today, these sites offer a direct connection to history, where visitors can explore the same spaces that once hosted lively, often violent, events. They provide an enjoyable way to learn about the past, from the preserved track in Jerash to the vast ruins of Tyre and the mixed influences in Caesarea. Walking through them, one can picture the races and the crowds that once filled these arenas, gaining insight into Roman entertainment and daily life.

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