Hippodrome is a term sometimes used for public entertainment venues of various types. A modern example is the Hippodrome which opened in London in 1900 "combining circus, hippodrome, and stage performances".
The term hippodroming refers to Match fixing, such as in racing or baseball.
Etymology
The word "hippodrome" is derived from
Ancient Greek hippódromos (), a stadium for
horse racing and
chariot racing. The name itself is a compound of the words
híppos (), meaning "horse", and
drómos (), meaning "course". The
Roman Empire counterpart was the
Roman circus.
Description
One end of the
hippodromos of the Ancient Greeks was semicircular, while the other was a quadrilateral with an extensive
portico. At the front thereof, at a lower level, were the stalls for the
and chariots. On either end of the
hippodromos were posts (Greek
termata) around which the chariots turned. This was the most dangerous part of the track and the Greeks put an altar to
Taraxippus (disturber of horses) there to show the spot where many chariots were wrecked. Where possible, it was built on the slope of a hill and the ground excavated from one side was transferred to the other to form an embankment thereat.
List of Greek hippodromes
List of Roman circuses
See also
-
List of horse racing venues
Other structures called hippodromes:
-
Hippodrome du parc de Beyrouth
-
Kensington Hippodrome
-
Madison Square Garden (1879). It is known as the "Great Roman Hippodrome"
-
New York Hippodrome Theatre
-
Brighton Hippodrome Entertainment venue in the ancient centre of Brighton
-
Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre
-
Bristol Hippodrome Theatre
-
Hulme Hippodrome Theatre in Hulme, Manchester
-
Hippodrome Theatre (Baltimore), or the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center
-
Hippodrome Theater (Richmond, Virginia)
-
The Hippodrome, formerly known as the McElroy Auditorium in Waterloo, Iowa
-
Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome
Similar modern structures:
