Home to one of the most popular ancient sports, chariot racing, the hippodrome at Caesarea Maritima was one of the main structures in the city. Dating to the 2nd century CE, it is located along the coast south of the theater. Its perimeter, with a U-shape, reaches a length of 265 meters (869 ft) along the north-south axis.
The best preserved areas are the eastern row of seats (cavea) and the southern curved side. The local kurkar stone served exclusively as the building material. The arena, approximately 300 meters (984 ft) long and 50.5 meters (166 ft) wide at 2.2 meters (7.2 ft) above sea level, was enclosed on the east, south, and west by the cavea in 12 rows, with a seating capacity of approximately 10,000. The rounded gallery (sphendonê) was in the south. The seats were retained on two parallel walls with a fill of earth in between. The starting gates (carceres), like all other parts of the hippodrome, were built of kurkar stone and coated with white plaster.
Using archaeological reports by Ehud Netzer, Barbara Burrell, Kenneth Holum, Robert Bull, and others, along with Flavius Josephus' eyewitness descriptions, the image you see is part of the collaborative work of Lithodomos and Patrick Scott Smith.
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APA Style
A., P. S. S. M. (2026, April 08). Hippodrome, Caesarea Maritima. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21689/hippodrome-caesarea-maritima/
Chicago Style
A., Patrick Scott Smith, M.. "Hippodrome, Caesarea Maritima." World History Encyclopedia, April 08, 2026. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21689/hippodrome-caesarea-maritima/.
MLA Style
A., Patrick Scott Smith, M.. "Hippodrome, Caesarea Maritima." World History Encyclopedia, 08 Apr 2026, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21689/hippodrome-caesarea-maritima/.
