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Chariot RacingTHE CIRCUS:ROMAN CHARIOTRACINGThe first-century CE satirist Juvenal wrote, “Long ago the peopleshed their anxieties, ever since we do not sell our votes to anyone. For thepeople—who once conferred imperium, symbols of office, legions,everything—now hold themselves in check and anxiously desire only twothings, the grain dole and chariot races in the Circus” ( Satires10.77-81). Juvenal's famous phrase, panem et circenses (“bread andcircuses”) has become proverbial to describe those who give awaysignificant rights in exchange for material pleasures. Juvenal has put hisfinger on two of the most important aspects of Roman chariot races—theirimmense popularity and the pleasure they gave the Roman people, and thepolitical role they played during the empire in diverting energies that mightotherwise have gone into rioting and other forms of popular unrest. The imageabove bears witness to the popularity of the races; found in the imperial bathsin Trier (Germany), this centerpiece of a large mosaic floor depicts acharioteer for the Reds, holding in his hands the palm branch and laurelwreath, symbols of victory.

Both the driver, Polydus, and his lead horse,Compressor, are identified by name, as though they were great state heroes. Wecan deduce something of the political role of chariot racing from the fact thatthe same word, factiones, was used to designate the four racing stablesas had been applied to the political factions (the populares and theoptimates) that had such large followings in the Republic.Origins: Possibly theoldest spectacular sport in Rome, chariot racing dates back at least to thesixth century BCE. It was quite popular among the, an advancedcivilization of non-Italic people who for a time dominated the area around Romeand contributed greatly to many aspects of Roman civilization. We can also seedepictions of chariot racing among theof Sicily in thefifth century BCE. Among these peoples, races were associated with funeralgames, and in Rome too they had religious ties, particularly to thechariot-driving deities Sol (the sun) and Luna (the moon), and to a god calledConsus, an agricultural deity who presided over granaries. Originally chariotraces ( ludi circenses) were held only on religious festivals like theConsualia, but later they would also be held on non-feast days when sponsoredby magistrates and other Roman dignitaries.

CIRCUS MAXIMUSRaces were held in a circus, so named because of its oval shape.The oldest and largest circus in Rome was the Circus Maximus, built in a longvalley stretching between two hills, the(bottom left in thismodel shown ) and the(top right). Originally there was nobuilding, just a flat sandy track with temporary markers; spectators sat on thehill slopes on either side of the track. Gradually the area developed into awell-maintained stadium-style building with a central divider, starting gatesat one end (top left in this picture) and an arch at the other, surrounded onthree sides by stands (originally wooden but later made of stone).

By the timeof Augustus, the entire building was 620 meters long (678 yards) and about140-150 meters (159 yards) at its widest point; its seating capacity wasapproximately 150,000 spectators. This is aof the Circus Maximus,andof the circus from the starting gate end shows theconstruction of the stands. Thisdepicts achariot race in the Circus Maximus; on the left one can see rows of spectators,on the right the starting gates, and at the bottom the spina with its statuesand obelisks.

The form of the circus closely followed its function; for furtherdetails about the various structures in the circus and how they related to theraces, see,. Enjoy a virtual day at theraces by visiting the Circus Maximus in Region XI of VRoma, either via theor the.Charioteers and RacingFactions: Chariot racing was the most popular sport in Rome,appealing to all social classes from slaves to the emperor himself. This appealwas no doubt enhanced by the private betting that went on, although there wasno public gambling on the races. The popularity of chariot racing is reflectedin the many household items decorated with racing motifs, like these twodepictingvictorious chariots in procession, thiswith acircus scene, and this, andthis. Thisshows alittle boy dressed like a charioteer and receiving a palm of victory, eventhough his steeds are birds!Although most Roman charioteers (called aurigae oragitatores) began their careers as slaves, those who were successfulsoon accumulated enough money to buy their freedom. The four Roman racingcompanies or stables ( factiones) were known by the racing colors worn bytheir charioteers;depicts acharioteer and horse from each of the stables,.

Fans became ferventlyattached to one of the factions, proclaiming themselves “partisans of theBlue” in the same way as people today would be “Yankee fans.”The factions encouraged this sort of loyalty by establishing what we might call“clubhouses” in Rome and later in other cities of the empire. In thelater empire these groups even acquired some political influence (JuniusBassus, a consul of 331 CE, had himself portrayed driving a chariot in; behind him are fourhorsemen wearing the colors of the four circus factions). In the first centuryCE, the Roman writer and statesman Pliny the Younger criticized thispartisanship ( Letters 9.6):I am the more astonished that so many thousands of grown men shouldbe possessed again and again with a childish passion to look at gallopinghorses, and men standing upright in their chariots. If, indeed, they wereattracted by the swiftness of the horses or the skill of the men, one couldaccount for this enthusiasm. But in fact it is a bit of cloth they favour, abit of cloth that captivates them. And if during the running the racers were toexchange colours, their partisans would change sides, and instantly forsake thevery drivers and horses whom they were just before recognizing from afar, andclamorously saluting by name. (translated by William Melmoth, H.

Harris,Sport in Greece and Rome Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1972,220-21)These stables competed for the services of the best charioteers, whosepopular celebrity surpassed even that of modern sports heroes, and they weredepicted in many statues and monuments, like the relief shown above fromNeumagen, Germany (Trier Museum). One famous charioteer of the second centuryCE, Gaius Appuleius Diocles, left a detailed record of his career (CIL6.10048). He began driving for the Whites at the age of 18; after 6 years, heswitched to the Greens for 3 years, and then drove 15 years for the Reds beforeretiring at the age of 42. He won 1,462 of the 4,257 four-horse races in whichhe competed, and his winnings totaled nearly 36 million sesterces.Diocles’ career was unusually long; many charioteers died quite young(Fuscus at 24, Crescens at 22, Aurelius Mollicius at 20). Charioteers worelittle body protection and only a light helmet; their practice of wrapping thereins tightly around their waists so they could use their body weight tocontrol the horses was exceedingly dangerous in the case of accidents, sincethey could be dragged and trampled before they could cut themselves loose. Readthewritten by thepoet Martial.Chariots: Roman racingchariots were designed to be as small and lightweight as possible.

Unlike, which werelarger and often reinforced with metal,were made ofwood and afforded little support or protection for the charioteer, whobasically had to balance himself on the axle as he drove, as can be seen infrom Germany(Mainz Landesmuseum).The bronze figurine from the British Museum shown here depicts atwo-horse chariot ( biga), though most races were run with four-horsechariots ( ). Since horseswere always harnessed abreast, more than four were uncommon, though we do hearof six- and even seven-horse teams.Day at theRaces: The ceremonies began with an elaborate procession( pompa) headed by the dignitary who was sponsoring the games, followedby the,musicians and dancers, and priests carrying the statues of the gods andgoddesses who were to watch the races; in, the dieties are.There were usually twelve races scheduled for a day, though this number waslater doubled.

The charioteers drew lots for their position in the startinggates; once the horses were ready, the white cloth ( mappa) was droppedby the sponsor of the games; these two statues show anand apreparing to dropthe cloth. At this signal, the gates were sprung, and up to twelve teams ofhorses thundered onto the track. The strategy was to avoid running too fast atthe beginning of the race, since seven full laps had to be run, but to try tohold a position close to the barrier and round the turning posts as closely aspossible without hitting them.

As the race progressed, passions were intenseboth on and off the track;by Alex Wagnergives some sense of the drama of these races, which is vividly recreated in thefilm Ben Hur. There were plenty of ways that teams from one stable couldfoul their opponents during a race, and sometimes even before it started(attempts to dope or poison horses and charioteers were not unknown). Fanaticalpartisans sometimes even resorted to magic, seeking to “hex” therivals of their favorites. The following curse tablet represents an attempt toincapacitate the drivers of the Red faction: Help me in the Circus on 8 November. Bind every limb, everysinew, the shoulders, the ankles and the elbows of Olympus, Olympianus,Scortius and Juvencus, the charioteers of the Red. Torment their minds, theirintelligence and their senses so that they may not know what they are doing,and knock out their eyes so that they may not see where they aregoing—neither they nor the horses they are going to drive. (translated byH.

Harris, Sport in Greece and Rome, 235-36)Spectators could follow the progress of a race by watching the egg ordolphin counters, clearly shown inof cupids racing.When the race was finally over, the presiding magistrate ceremoniouslypresented the victorious charioteer with aand a wreathwhile the crowds cheered wildly; the more substantial monetary awards forstable and driver would be presented later. Thisshows avictorious charioteer processing in the Circus Maximus; he holds a palm branchand prize wreath, and one can see the spina behind him with the dolphins forcounting laps, the obelisk, and a shrine to a deity. This mosaic commemorates a, and this one, a. The mosaic at right (from the Villa del Casale, Piazza Armerina,Sicily) shows the winning team processing toward the toga-clad magistrate toreceive these tokens as a trumpeter signals the victory. The color of thecharioteer's tunic indicates that he has driven for the Green faction, and thefour reins are still wrapped around his waist., TheCollege of New Rochellerevised July,2003.

By, Chariot racing has a long heritage going into the Greek past. It was a feature of the heroes’ seasonal games in Homer, and it was also a feature of the ancient Greek Olympic Games. The Romans, in their inimitable fashion, took this habit and turned it into the most popular of the mass entertainment staged spectacles in ancient Rome. (Image: Raffaello Sorbi/Public domain) Chariot Racing in the Circus MaximusThe circus was a specific arena, shaped like a bullet, for the staging of chariot races.

The largest one in the Roman world was the Circus Maximus in Rome; Circus Maximus means “Biggest Circus.” It was an enormous structure, standing four stories in height, half a Roman mile down each side, with a central large spine up the center of the racing arena where the chariots raced around. It could seat about 200,000 people, which would make it the largest sporting arena ever erected anywhere so far in human history.

The Circus Maximus, in Rome could seat approximately 200,000 people. (Image: /Shutterstock). Chariot racing has a long heritage going into the Greek past. It was a feature of the heroes’ seasonal games in Homer, and it was also a feature of the ancient Greek Olympic Games.

The Romans, in their inimitable fashion, took this habit and turned it into the most popular of the mass entertainment staged spectacles in ancient Rome.The chariot races were immensely popular, and historical accounts tell us that the city would be virtually deserted when they would take place. Generally, the format would be to have 12 chariots racing in teams. There were four teams, often called factions, which were identified by their colors: blue, green, red, and white. The fans followed the team color more than they followed the individual drivers or horses, similar to modern sports.This is a transcript from the video series The History of Ancient Rome.If you had 12 chariots racing, that would mean you would have three chariots from each team that would be fielded for a typical race. For each chariot, the normal number was four horses. We do hear of two-horse and even six-horse chariot racing on occasion, but that was quite rare. Imagine trying to control six galloping horses.

Trying to control four is hard enough. Six would be really stretching it.

The most popular seats were at the curved end of the bullet shape of the arena, since that is where most of the crashes took place.The chariots would break out of the starting gates at the one end. In the Circus Maximus, there were 12 starting gates, and the chariots would come out with the drivers wrapped up in leather and with their team colors on.

They would do the circuit of the circus seven times, seven laps being required to complete the race.Learn more about Shipwrecks in the Arena – Chariot Crashes in Ancient RomeThe most popular seats were at the curved end of the bullet shape of the arena, since that is where most of the crashes took place. The slang for a chariot crash in Roman times was a “shipwreck.” They liked to watch the shipwrecks, tangled masses of horses and drivers and wood, that would careen off the corner. The slang for a chariot crash in Roman times was a “shipwreck.” (Image: By Alfredo Tominz/Public domain)Of course, rules were pretty much minimal. You could whip and lash your opponents and try to pull them out of their chariots if that is what you wished. These were violent spectacles, not just spectacles of skill and entertainment.

After the time of Augustus, the race laps were marked with little golden dolphins that were tipped as each lap was finished. Winners of chariot races often became superstars of their day (Image: Unknown/Public domain)We also hear from inscriptions of the enormous popularity of individual charioteers, who often became the superstars of their day. By far the most famous and successful charioteer whom we know about raced during the reigns of Hadrian and Antoninus Pius in the 2 nd century A.D. His name is Gaius Appuleius Diocles, and we have his gravestone on which he claims that he raced for 24 years, mostly for the red faction, and he won almost 35% of his races, placed second in a further 33% (this is an extremely impressive record), and only failed to place in 32% of his races. He was an immensely popular and immensely wealthy man at his death.Another charioteer mentioned in historical sources was a young man called Scorpius, who seemed to have a great career ahead of him for the green faction when, unfortunately, he crashed into the finishing post, and his career came to a swift end at the end of the 1 st century A.D.Learn more about Fanatical Fans of Ancient Chariot Racing.

In the end, the emperor had to send in the troops, with the result that 7,000 people were killed in the ensuing chaos. So the support of the charioteers for their faction was extremely noticeable.All kinds of underhanded stories are told of charioteers poisoning other charioteers or trying to poison their horses so they would not perform well the next day. The fanatical support of the mob for their individual factions is commented on again and again in the sources.We hear that in A.D. 390 one charioteer from one of the factions in Thessalonica over in Greece made a sexual advance on a Roman general in the area, and he was ordered to be arrested. When word got out, the supporters of his faction rioted, lynched the general concerned, broke their charioteer out of jail, and, continuing to riot, burned down the center of the city of Thessalonica.In the end, the emperor had to send in the troops, with the result that 7,000 people were killed in the ensuing chaos. So the support of the charioteers for their faction was extremely noticeable.Learn more aboutThe following curse survives from an inscription in which a person who obviously hates the green and white factions calls down the following curse upon their horses and drivers.

The curse reads:I call upon you, oh demon, whoever you are, to ask that from this hour, from this day, from this moment, you torture and kill the horses of the green and white factions and that you kill and crush completely the drivers Calrice, Felix, Primulus, and Romanus, and that you leave not a breath in their bodies.Such was the fanaticism of the charioteer supporter. Star citizen map. Common Questions About Chariot Racing.