The Circus Maximus was first built by Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth Etruscan ruler of Rome, in 530 BC. Various improvements were made to the design of the massive arena which was magnificently adorned. The Circus Maximus was located in a valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills referred to by the ancients as Murcia. The design was oblong in shape, with a long barrier (spina) that ran down the middle of the trackcontaining statues and monuments. It measured 621 m (2,037 ft) in length and 118 m (387 ft) in width. Its circumference was a mile. The stadium was surrounded with rows of seats all around, three stories high which rose one above another. The lowest seats were made of stone and the highest of wood. Separate places were allotted to the Senators and to the Equites. There were starting gates, permanent viewing stands and private boxes for the politicians, senators and important military personnel. Under Augustus the Imperial box was added and later one more rose high up in the palace area on the Palatine hill for the Emperor and the royal family. An Egyptian obelisque dedicated to Ramses II and taken by Augustus from Heliopolis in 10 bc. ( from the XVI Cent. stands in Piazza del Popolo) stood in the middle.

Trajan had the circus completely rebuilt and at that time it reached the capacity of 250,000 , although according to Pliny the Circus Maximus could already accommodate 250,000 spectators in the time of Vespasian. The last modifications were ordered by Constantine and Costanzo II when the capacity is estimated to be 300,000. During this time another obelisque was added which can now be found in Lateran square. The chariot races attracted huge crowds. The last known race was organized by Totila in 549. Its abandonment led to systematic looting, which eventually left it in its present state.