[3,68] Κατεσκεύασε δὲ καὶ τὸν μέγιστον τῶν ἱπποδρόμων Ταρκύνιος τὸν μεταξὺ τοῦ τε Αὐεντίνου καὶ τοῦ Παλλαντίου κείμενον πρῶτος ὑποστέγους ποιήσας περὶ αὐτὸν καθέδρας (τέως γὰρ ἑστῶτες ἐθεώρουν) ἐπ´ ἰκρίοις, δοκῶν ξυλίναις σκηναῖς ὑποκειμένων· καὶ διελὼν τοὺς τόπους εἰς τριάκοντα φράτρας ἑκάστῃ {φράτρᾳ} μοῖραν ἀπέδωκε μίαν, ὥστε ἐν τῇ προσηκούσῃ χώρᾳ καθεζόμενον ἕκαστον θεωρεῖν. ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα σὺν χρόνῳ καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον ἐν τοῖς πάνυ καλοῖς καὶ θαυμαστοῖς κατασκευάσμασι τῆς πόλεως γενήσεσθαι. μῆκος μὲν γὰρ τοῦ ἱπποδρόμου τριῶν καὶ ἡμίσους ἐστὶ σταδίων, εὖρος δὲ τεττάρων πλέθρων· πέριξ δὲ αὐτοῦ κατά τε τὰς μείζους πλευρὰς καὶ κατὰ μίαν τῶν ἐλαττόνων εὔριπος εἰς ὑποδοχὴν ὕδατος ὀρώρυκται βάθος τε καὶ πλάτος δεκάπους. μετὰ δὲ τὸν εὔριπον ᾠκοδόμηνται στοαὶ τρίστεγοι. τούτων δὲ αἱ μὲν ἐπίπεδοι λιθίνας ἔχουσιν ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις ὀλίγον ὑπερανεστηκυίας ἀλλήλων καθέδρας, αἱ δ´ ὑπερῷοι ξυλίνας. συνάγονται δ´ εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ συνάπτουσιν ἀλλήλαις αἱ μείζους ὑπὸ τῆς ἐλάττονος μηνοειδὲς ἐχούσης τὸ σχῆμα συγκλειόμεναι, ὥστε μίαν ἐκ τῶν τριῶν γίνεσθαι στοὰν ἀμφιθέατρον ὀκτὼ σταδίων ἱκανὴν ὑποδέξασθαι πεντεκαίδεκα μυριάδας ἀνθρώπων. ἡ δὲ λοιπὴ τῶν ἐλαττόνων πλευρῶν αἴθριος ἀνειμένη ψαλιδωτὰς ἱππαφέσεις ἔχει διὰ μιᾶς ὕσπληγος ἅμα πάσας ἀνοιγομένας. ἔστι δὲ καὶ περὶ τὸν ἱππόδρομον ἔξωθεν ἑτέρα στοὰ μονόστεγος ἐργαστήρια ἔχουσα ἐν αὑτῇ καὶ οἰκήσεις ὑπὲρ αὐτά, δι´ ἧς εἰσιν εἴσοδοί τε καὶ ἀναβάσεις τοῖς ἐπὶ τὴν θέαν ἀφικομένοις παρ´ ἕκαστον ἐργαστήριον, ὥστε μηδὲν ἐνοχλεῖσθαι τὰς τοσάςδε μυριάδας εἰσιούσας τε καὶ ἀπολυομένας.

[3,68] Tarquinius also built the Circus Maximus, which lies between the Aventine and Palatine Hills, and was the first to erect covered seats round it on scaffolding (for till then the spectators had stood), the wooden stands being supported by beams. And dividing the places among the thirty curiae, he assigned to each curia a particular section, so that every spectator was seated in his proper place. This work also was destined to become in time one of the most beautiful and most admirable structures in Rome. For the Circus is three stades and a half in length and four plethra in breadth. Round about (p243) it on the two longer sides and one of the shorter sides a canal has been dug, ten feet in depth and width, to receive water. Behind the canal are erected porticos three stories high, of which the lowest story has stone seats, gradually rising, as in the theatres, one above the other, and the two upper stories wooden seats. The two longer porticos are united into one and joined together by means of the shorter one, which is crescent-shaped, so that all three form a single portico like an amphitheatre, eight stades in circuit and capable of holding 150,000 persons. The other of the shorter sides is left uncovered and contains vaulted starting-places for the horses, which are all opened by means of a single rope. 86On the outside of the Circus there is another portico of one story which has shops in it and habitations over them. In this portico there are entrances and ascents for the spectators at every shop, so that the countless thousands of people may enter and depart without inconvenience.