of or pertaining to entertainment
given in an arena in ancient
Rome, as a chariot race or a
public game. The arena, called a circus, was a large, usually oblong or oval, roofless enclosure, surrounded by tiers of seats rising one above another. Gladiatorial contests (in which men, singly or in troops, often fought to the
death to provide spectacles for the populace) and
beast hunts were also regularly
given in circuses in
Rome.
—Academy Level 0 Glossary Approved 3-12-90