Chariot Racing Flashcards
Which games were chariot races associated with?
Ludi
What was the venue for chariot racing
Circus Maximus
Define the spina
a barrier dividing the ancient Roman hippodrome longitudinally. Chariots would race around the spina
From what geographical region did chariot races supposedly originate and when?
Easter Mediterranean, 8000-6000 BCE
Which Ancient Greek stories feature chariot racing
Illiad (fall of Troy) and Odyssey (journey of Odysseus back home)
Two cultures the Romans may have taken chariot racing from
Greeks
Etruscans
What historical evidence do we have for chariot racing among the etruscans
Tomb of the Olympiads - some had sport paintings - scene of chariot racing
What is the lifespan of chariot racing in Roman history
2000 years
Which Roman origin story includes chariot racing and what happened
Romulus and the “Rape of the Sabine Women”
- Roman writers claim this was how Rome was populated
- supposedly knew about chariot racing since the beginning (festival at beginning)
What was the Greek version of the Circus Maximus
The hippodrome
What was the name of the most popular chariot and how many horses did it have
Quadriga, four horses
How were the horses in a quadriga organized
2 middle horses attached to the pole in the middle, 2 trace horses on the outside just attached by the reigns
What made chariot races so dangerous for drivers and what safety method was supposed to save them
The reigns were wrapped around the body of the driver, they were to cut the reigns if they saw a crash coming
What was the name of a 3 horse chariot
Triga
What was the name of a 2 horse chariot
Biga
What was the purpose of a biga and how did it function
Horses trained on this one before moving up to a bigger one, both horses attached to yoke, charioteer only has to move reigns and body
Who was a munus for
Aimed at below “dead people”
Who was a ludi for
Aimed at above, worshipping gods
How long was the calendar of Philocus (354 CE) and what took place?
176 feast days, of which:
- 102 for theatrical performances
- 64 for chariot races
- 10 for gladiatorial shows
True or False: Owners of horses would compete in chariot races
False. It was unlikely the actual owners would compete, they would have someone else race for them
True or False: one of the highest achievements was winning chariot racing
True
What colours did the Romans use for chariot racing (still used today)
Green, blue, red, and white
How was the organization of chariot racing similar to sports teams of today
Both run by (something like a) board of directors
2 examples of where the Romans would go to get horses
North Africa, Middle East (Arabian horses)
True or False: horse breeding was common in Italy
True. Farms all over Italy would breed horses
What was the process for obtaining and training horses
Difficult to obtain - had to import and train (same logistics as for beast hunts). Horses did not enter a stable for training until they were 2 and would not be raced until they were 5 (3 years of training).
How many chariot races took place per day of a ludi and how many horses were needed
Average 24 races per day, need 400-800 horses
How many times would a horse race per day
1 time per day, may race first thing in the morning if they were needed at the end of the day
What outlandish thing did Caligula do with a horse:
A) served its meat after it won a race
B) fucked it in the middle of the circus
C) made it a senator
D) disguised himself as a horse and raced in the events
C) made it a senator. Even had a jewelled collar and furniture for the horse
How were horses named
In line with appearance, characteristics, named after myths and victories
What does the Pompa Circensis refer to?
Procession for the ludi
What took place in a Pompa Circensis
Charioteers and horses parades among other athletes in the procession
Who were the charioteers
Not slaves, just lower class citizens
Where did the Pompa Circensis begin and end
Starts near the Forum Romanium (capital hill line) and makes it way to the Circus Maximus
Which chariots ran first and why
The best chariots ran first so they could possibly run a second time at the end of the day + everyone was in attendance at the beginning
How long was the race (in km and minutes)
5km and roughly 9-10 minutes
How many chariots raced at a time
4
How fast could chariots go on straightaways and tunes
Straightaways: 70km/h
Turns: 30km/h
How could charioteers interfere with other racers
Could whip other horses or opponents
What were the three prizes awarded
Palm branch
Laurel crown
Money
Define naufragia
Crashes and deaths that occur during the race
What did charioteers wear (4)
Helmet (falx)
Tunic in the colour of their faction
Fasciae (bands of cloth around body)
Knife (cut reigns off body if they fell)
What was the status of charioteers
Not of high status
- freed men (between slave and citizen)
- slaves
- 21% Roman citizens
- 12% slaves who became citizens through races
How many races took place per year
60+
What legal status did charioteers have
Status of infamia
How were charioteers looked at by the people
Top sport celebrities
How old were charioteers when they began their careers
Very young
What role do factions and clubs have to chariot racing
Considered to be the core of chariot racing, critical to the organization
What Ancient artifacts demonstrate the popularity or chariot racing
Jewelry influenced by chariot racing (even among wealthy who in most cases looked down upon the aspects of performance)
Other than white, red, green and blue, which colours were added to the factions by Domitian
Purple and gold
How were fans of chariot racing similar to sports fans of today
Factions would pay membership dues, sit in reserved sections, yell specific chants
What may have explained who you cheered for
Where you lived or worked
Who would the elites cheer for
Some elites would cheer for the emperors preference
What were defixiones
Curse tablets
What were defixiones used for
Curse charioteers and horses they did not want to win
What were defixiones made of and how were they used
Inscribed bronze sheet, crumpled up and thrown into the fire to pay respect to the gods
What were actions of “good” and “bad” emperors relating to the games
Good emperors would attend and support games; bad emperors would kill people who supported opposing teams
