Twisted Facts About The Circus
"The circus is the only fun you can buy that is good for you."—Ernest Hemingway
The history of the circus is a long one filled with pleasant childhood memories, but despite Hemingway's glowing endorsement, beneath all that joy and adventure hides a world of sacrifice, hard work, abuse, and even death. These 43 facts will intrigue, astonish, maybe even disgust, but they're also integral to the full story of the circus. Step on up!
Circus Facts
43. Origin Story
Like many words in the English language, the word "circus" comes from Greek, by way of Latin—circus is a Latin word which comes from the Greek kirkos. The word originally meant "ring" or "circle," and it referred to a place where Romans would hold all kinds of entertainment, whether it was gladiator battles, chariot racing, or feeding Rome’s enemies to the lions.
42. A Day at Sea
These stadiums would also be used to re-enact legendary battles to allow Romans a chance to pat themselves on the back. In the case of naval battles, some arenas could actually be flooded with water so that ships could sail convincingly. That just might give Cirque du Soleil's "O" a run for it's money!
41. Talk About a Big Top!
While the roman circuses might not have been quite the same as what we call the circus today, their massive popularity is nothing to scoff at. The largest circus in Roman history was the Circus Maximus, in Rome, which was built and re-built several times until it could allegedly hold up to 250,000 spectators.
