---
title: Sestertius Commemorating Trajan's Rebuilding of the Circus Maximus
author: Yale University Art Gallery
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19048/sestertius-commemorating-trajans-rebuilding-of-the/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 2024-06-05
---
# Sestertius Commemorating Trajan's Rebuilding of the Circus Maximus
_Authored by Yale University Art Gallery_
## Image File
[](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/19048.jpg)
## Image Caption
Sestertius commemorating [Trajan](https://www.worldhistory.org/trajan/)'s rebuilding of the [Circus Maximus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Circus_Maximus/), showing the Arch of [Titus](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Titus/) (not to be confused with the Arch of Titus built over the Via Sacra), which looks down from the upper left, *quadrigae* (four-horse chariots) surmounting the gates at either end of the grandstand, and *metae* (turning posts) at either end of the racecourse.
The [Circus](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Circus/) Maximus underwent various development stages and systematization after several major fires damaged the structure, including the Great Fire of 64 CE under [Roman emperor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Emperor/) [Nero](https://www.worldhistory.org/Nero/). As a result, subsequent emperors gradually began to rebuild the Circus, and the seats around the track, initially made of wood, were replaced with stone. In 103 CE, Trajan (r. 98-117 CE) restored and expanded the grandstand of the Circus Maximus and gave it its final appearance with an impressive marble façade, elevated stands and an additional 5,000 seats. [Pliny the Younger](https://www.worldhistory.org/Pliny_the_Younger/) (61-112 CE) celebrates the restoration project in his Panegyric for Trajan:
> Elsewhere the vast façade of the circus rivals the beauty of the temples, a fitting place for a nation which has conquered the world, a sight to be seen on its own account as well as for the spectacles there to be displayed: to be seen indeed for its beauty. (51)
Yale University Art Gallery.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Gallery, Y. U. A. (2024, June 05). Sestertius Commemorating Trajan's Rebuilding of the Circus Maximus. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Gallery, Yale University Art. "Sestertius Commemorating Trajan's Rebuilding of the Circus Maximus." *World History Encyclopedia*, June 05, 2024. .
### MLA
Gallery, Yale University Art. "Sestertius Commemorating Trajan's Rebuilding of the Circus Maximus." *World History Encyclopedia*, 05 Jun 2024, .
## License & Copyright
[Original image](https://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/124424#technical-metadata) by **Yale University Art Gallery**. Submitted by [Carole Raddato](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/FollowingHadrian/ "User Page: Carole Raddato"), published on 05 June 2024. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Public Domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain). This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.