Hippodrome, << HIHP uh drohm, >> is a place for horse and chariot races. The ancient Greeks built hippodromes with seats in rows, or tiers, like bleachers. The seats surrounded a long race course, and curved around one end of it. A wall in the center divided the course. It was usually from 600 to 800 feet (180 to 240 meters) long.
The largest Greek hippodrome was in Constantinople (now Istanbul). The Roman Circus Maximus, like all Roman circuses, was a copy of the Greek hippodromes. The Circus Maximus was the largest of the ancient Roman hippodromes. It seated about 250,000 spectators.
In more recent times, race tracks, indoor circuses, and amusement places have been called hippodromes. The New York Hippodrome was the largest indoor playhouse in the world until it closed in 1928. It could seat about 5,200 people at one time.
