The size of the Lageion was 615 meter with curvature on both ends and its tracks were 568 meter in length as indicated by the records during the
Napoleonic expeditions. Following the
Hellenistic model for such a structure, it had tiered seats that were built on top of a system of parallel walls. The structure was similar to the
hippodrome built at
Cyrene and the
Circus Maximus constructed in Rome during the reigns of
Julius Caesar and
Augustus. Records show that the Lageion was initially used as a stadium for athletic events and as a hippodrome racecourse later on. An account cited that the Lageion was also used during the late second- or early third century for official ceremonies such as imperial cult offerings. According to
Plutarch, the Lageion was the location of the first clash between
Octavian and
Mark Antony in 30 BC. It was converted to a circus for
chariot racing during the Roman period as indicated by the addition of a central dividing barrier (
spina), which was found at the western end of the edifice. == References ==