Cursus (classical)
Encyclopedia
The Latin
word 'cursus' can be generally translated into English
as 'course'. The word derives from currere, to run. It may be applied, for example, to a course of study or of medical treatment or to a race-course.
s or in chariot
s, raced. The normal arrangement was more formalised as two straights, separated by a spina but very close to each other and with a very tight turn at each turning point. It was the similarity in appearance of this Roman cursus to the Neolithic archaeological feature
which led 18th century antiquarians to use the same name for the latter.
This combination of straight and tight turn combined the thrills of speed
on the straights with those of danger as collisions and falls were likely on the turns.
The distinction between a cursus and a circus in connection with racing is not wholly clear. Compare the description above with that of the Circus Maximus
.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word 'cursus' can be generally translated into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as 'course'. The word derives from currere, to run. It may be applied, for example, to a course of study or of medical treatment or to a race-course.
Roman race-course.
At its simplest, the Roman race-course took the form of two posts; each called a discrimen or a meta, round which the runners, whether on foot, on horseHorse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s or in chariot
Chariot
The chariot is a type of horse carriage used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Ox carts, proto-chariots, were built by the Proto-Indo-Europeans and also built in Mesopotamia as early as 3000 BC. The original horse chariot was a fast, light, open, two wheeled...
s, raced. The normal arrangement was more formalised as two straights, separated by a spina but very close to each other and with a very tight turn at each turning point. It was the similarity in appearance of this Roman cursus to the Neolithic archaeological feature
Cursus
thumb|right|250px|[[Stonehenge Cursus]], Wiltshirethumb|right|250px|[[Dorset Cursus]] terminal on Thickthorn Down, DorsetCursus was a name given by early British archaeologists such as William Stukeley to the large parallel lengths of banks with external ditches which they thought were early Roman...
which led 18th century antiquarians to use the same name for the latter.
This combination of straight and tight turn combined the thrills of speed
Speed
In kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
on the straights with those of danger as collisions and falls were likely on the turns.
The distinction between a cursus and a circus in connection with racing is not wholly clear. Compare the description above with that of the Circus Maximus
Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venue located in Rome, Italy. Situated in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome and its later Empire...
.