Stadium, in Greek and Roman times, the track provided for foot races. The stadiums eventually came to be oval shaped and were sometimes built against a hill in order to enable spectators to view the races from elevated seats cut into the hill. The famous stadiums of Delphi, Olympia, Athens, and Epidaurus were made in this manner. The first of the modern Olympic games took place 1896 in the newly restored stadium in Athens. Modern stadiums differ from the old Greek stadiums both in size and arrangement, for they have come to be used for all kinds of sports...
Greek stadiums both in size and arrangement, for they have come to be used for all kinds of sports and more closely resemble an amphitheater or the Colosseum at Rome, with seats around the entire bowl. Notable modern stadiums are found on college campuses and in many large American cities, and include the Yale Bowl of Yale University, Soldier Field at Chicago, Franklin Field at the University of pennsylvania, the New York Polo Grounds, the Rose Bowl at Pasadena, Calif., the Cotton Bowl at Dallas, Tex., the Sugar Bowl at New Orleans, La., and the Orange Bowl at Miami, Fla.