Circus Maximus is a memorial to the innocent men who died in Rome's original Circus Maximus where everything from public executions to wild animal fights took place for hundreds of years. The elongated earthen mound, augmented by grass, stone and cypress trees, was inspired by the ancient landscape mounds such as those that crowned the tombs of Emperors Hadrian and Augustus. An over-scaled altar anchors one end of the site where one can leave offerings to the deceased. Tension builds over the length of the site and culminates between soaring stone walls that finally open to light and repose in the deep, grassy bowl.