As the population grew, the Roman Empire created the Circus Maximus. Being the largest sports stadium ever built, (250,000 people) it was home for the chariot races that would occur in Rome during the Republican Era. It was the form of entertainment that the Romans would attend. Each year, the Roman games would occur, which would last around 2 weeks. There would be up to 100 races a day, and the games would last from day to night. However, it wasn’t just home for chariot races, Julius Caesar made it home to animal fighting, and soldiers battling each other. The events were all quite graphic. After suffering damage from the great Fire of Rome, which is believed to have been started by Emperor Nero while playing the fiddle, the Circus Maximus started to become too old and worn out to be used for anymore games. This artifact is important because it was the start of bringing unity among the people in the Roman Empire. Because of its great significance, it influenced the Romans to build other ancient artifacts to replace its use. Around mid-500’s AD was the time period when the last chariot races were done. (PHOTO CREDIT: Wikipedia)