A course on which the ancient Greeks and Romans held chariot and horse races. The courses were U-shaped with a barrier down the centre. The competitors would race down one side and then back up the other. Spectators watched from tiered stands. Olympia had an early example, and hippodromes were a typical feature of major Greek cities of classical and Hellenistic times. The one at Constantinople (now Istanbul) held about 100,000 spectators and was the scene of fierce rivalry among partisan supporters. The Circus Maximus at Rome was modelled on the Greek hippodrome.