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Hippodrome is a term sometimes used for public entertainment venues of various types. A modern example is theHippodrome which opened inLondon in 1900 "combining circus, hippodrome, and stage performances".[1]
The termhippodroming refers tofraudulent sporting competitions, such as in racing or baseball.[2]
The word "hippodrome" is derived fromAncient Greekhippódromos (Greek:ἱππόδρομος), a stadium forhorse racing andchariot racing. The name itself is a compound of the wordshíppos (Greek:ἵππος), meaning "horse", anddrómos (Greek:δρόμος), meaning "course". Theancient Roman counterpart was thecircus.
One end of thehippodromos of the Ancient Greeks was semicircular, while the other was a quadrilateral with an extensiveportico. At the front thereof, at a lower level, were the stalls for thehorses and chariots. On either end of thehippodromos were posts (Greektermata) around which the chariots turned. This was the most dangerous part of the track and the Greeks put an altar toTaraxippus (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.[citation needed]
Other structures called hippodromes:
Similar modern structures:
