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Accessed 16 October 2024. Chariot racing, in the ancient world, a popular form of contest between small, two-wheeled vehicles drawn by two-, four-, or six-horse teams. They were the main events of the Roman public games that took place at the Circus Maximus. Learn more about chariot racing in this article.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 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...
Feb 2, 2023 · Victorious Roman Charioteer. Carole Raddato (CC BY-NC-SA) In Rome, it was possible to have as many as 24 races in one day. Modern estimates suggest that 700 to 800 horses were required for a day's racing. Roman chariot drivers usually began their careers as young boys; these boys were mostly slaves bought and trained by the factions.
Emperors, once the grand patrons of chariot racing, especially after the Constantinian shift to Christianity, became ambivalent and sometimes even hostile to the games. Theodosius I, in the late 4th century AD, marked a significant blow by banning many pagan festivals and games, although chariot racing, due to its immense popularity, managed to survive for a while longer.
Dec 4, 2013 · The most prestigious chariot races were held in Rome's Circus Maximus but by the 3rd century CE other major cities such as Antioch, Alexandria and Constantinople also had circuses with which to host these spectacular events, which became, if anything, even more popular in the later empire. Races at the Circus Maximus probably involved a maximum of twelve chariots organised into four factions ...
- Mark Cartwright
Jun 24, 2021 · In 366 B.C. the Ludi Romani became an annual event, sponsored by the state. As Rome’s military influence grew, generals began dedicating portions of their war booty to sponsor chariot races and ...
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Oct 9, 2018 · October 9, 2018. • 9 min read. Perhaps the greatest action sequence caught on film is the chariot race from the 1959 Hollywood blockbuster Ben-Hur. Before a frenzied crowd of thousands, horse ...
