Hippodrome Hippodrome The hippodrome () was an ancient Grecian stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name is derived from the Greek words "hippos" (ἵππος; "horse") and "dromos" (δρόμος; "course"). The term is used in the modern French language and some others, with the meaning of "horse racecourse". Hence, some present-day horse racing tracks also include the word "hippodrome" in their names, such as the Hippodrome de Vincennes and the Central Moscow Hippodrome. The Greek hippodrome was similar to the Roman Circus. The hippodrome was not a Roman amphitheatre which was used for spectator sports, games and displays, or a
Ancient Greek coinage in order to discourage avarice and the hoarding of wealth. In addition to its original meaning (which also gave the diminutive ""obelisk"", "little spit"), the word "obol" (ὀβολός, "obolós", or ὀβελός, "obelós") was retained as a Greek word for coins of small value, still used as such in Modern Greek slang (όβολα, "óvola", "monies"). The obol was further subdivided into "tetartemorioi" (singular "tetartemorion") which represented 1/4 of an obol, or 1/24 of a drachm. This coin (which was known to have been struck in Athens, Colophon, and several other cities) is mentioned by Aristotle as the smallest silver coin. Various