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The most exciting parts of the chariot race, at least for the spectators, were the turns at the ends of the hippodrome. These turns were dangerous and sometimes deadly. In a full-sized racing stadium, the chariots could reach high speeds along the straights, then overturn or be crushed along with their horses and driver by the following chariots as they wheeled around the post.
- Chariot Racing's Origins
- Chariot Drivers Held Low Status—But Could Become Rich
- Chariot Racing as A Roman National Pastime
- Riot Hastens The End of Roman-Style Chariot Racing
In legend, the sport dates back to the city’s founder, Romulus, who supposedly oversaw the construction of the first racetrack, the Circus Maximus, in the 6th century B.C. The contests went on to become not just the most popular sporting event in ancient Rome, but a deeply embedded part of Roman culture that lasted for centuries. Over time, the rac...
Chariot racing wasn’t quite as gruesome as the death matches between gladiators that Romans staged for audiences. Drivers had to be phenomenally skilled and athletic just to compete. As Bell has written, they came from all over the Roman Empire—most were enslaved, freedmen or foreigners. It was rare for a driver to be a freeborn Roman citizen. Driv...
“Chariot racing was a national pastime in which a large percentage of the population from all classes came together, by choice, for the thrill of the races,” explains Casey Stark, an assistant professor of teaching in the history department at Bowling Green State University. More than that, “It was also a place to see and be seen. Seating arrangeme...
Chariot racing was so popular that even after Imperial Rome fellin 476 A.D., the sport continued for a while, with the city’s new barbarian rulers continuing to hold races. It also remained popular in the eastern empire that had split from Rome, though it finally started to wane there after fans’ fanaticism reached unruly extremes. At one hotly-con...
Apr 17, 2019 · During the first century, people across Rome were obsessed with chariot races, which frequently produced horrific crashes. However, one charioteer steered his way to victory more than 2,000 times.
The oldest games in Rome were the chariot races . Typical chariots used for the races were drawn by a team of four horses (quadriga) . The races required two long tracks and two 180-degree turns. Like gladiatorial shows and boxing, races were extremely dangerous, since chariots often collided or went out of control.
Given the dangerous nature of the sport, chariot racing was very expensive. ... it became highly organized into an early form of show business. Chariot teams Chariots were organized in four main ...
View gallery - 38 images. The two-wheeled horse-drawn chariot was one of the most important inventions in history. It gave humanity its first concept of personal transport, and for two thousand ...
Oct 9, 2018 · The most dangerous moment was the sharp, full turn at each end of the spina, a maneuver that involved slowing the horses, but which was still executed at nearly 20 miles an hour. These brutal ...
