Circuses have been around for a very long time. They probably began with the ancient Egyptians who loved to show exotic creatures 1 their people. The ancient Greeks held chariot races and 2 that the Romans developed the idea into a circus. They built huge stadiums where they held horse and chariot 3 and exhibited wild animals such as elephants and lions. They also had jugglers and acrobats. Travelling gypsies probably kept the circus skills alive and brought them to Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. We think that a Briton called Philip Astley started the first modern type of circus in 1768 when he 4 exciting tricks on horseback. 5 he introduced jugglers and acrobats into his show and the modern circus was born. By 1959 other circuses had started and the flying 6 act was part of most shows. Today many people do not like to see circuses using 7 in their shows and Cirque du Soleil is one example. Cirque du Soleil was started in Quebec in 1986 and its show is based on the 8 skills of its performers. They use fantastic costumes and interesting lighting to make the show as exciting as possible.
