The Circus Maximus was first built solely for public entertainment and games by the Etruscan kings of Rome. After many years, Julius Caesar expanded the Circus to hold 270,000 to 300,000 spectators, because of the increased population of Rome. The track – able to hold 12 chariots – became 2,037 feet in length and 387 feet in breadth; each race set at the Circus went for a total distance of about 4 miles.