This work investigates the political and social significance of the circus factions—the Blues and the Greens—within the Roman and Byzantine Empires. Alan Cameron, a distinguished scholar of late antiquity, challenges the traditional view that these factions were organized political parties or religious sects. Instead, he argues through extensive analysis of primary sources and historical records that they were primarily athletic supporters whose influence was often exaggerated by contemporary chroniclers and later historians.

This book is widely regarded as a foundational text for understanding the social dynamics of late antiquity. Scholars frequently cite Cameron's work for its rigorous deconstruction of long-standing myths regarding the political power of the circus factions.