article_snippet: The modern circus only dates back to around 1770, the invention of an Englishman named Philip Astley, who added jugglers, acrobats and clowns to Brown .
article_snippet: (The term "circus" comes from the ancient Romans, although the Roman version was closer to a sporting event featuring soldiers, and the Roman version could be quite bloody.)
article_snippet: Astley's circus was such a huge success that Astley's circus created one in Paris, and Astley's circus students and acolytes -- knowing a good idea when they saw one -- brought Astley's circus to other cities.
article_snippet: To this day, the ringmaster wears elegant riding clothes because of Astley's circus equestrian roots.
article_snippet: Circuses in this era were really for adults, and not marketed for children at all," says Davis.
article_snippet: For one thing, until World War I, Circus was the king of the entertainment circuit:
article_snippet: "There were no movies, radio or television to compete with the wonders of the circus ring and little traffic congestion or parking problems to impede those who sought to attend," wrote Bob Brooke in History magazine.
article_snippet: Ringling Brothers and other circus companies have dealt with numerous challenges over the last half-century, including ever-splintering attention for entertainment dollars and the rise of acrobat-based shows such as Cirque du Soleil, which is now a global empire.