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The race declined during the seventh century after the war between the Roman Empire and the Arabs. These charioteers later had fan clubs and factions that got overgenerous clothing and hairstyles. They were the main events of the Roman public games that took place at the Circus Maximus. Spectators would wear the same color as their much loved charioteers. Chariot races were a popular spectator sport in ancient Rome. They were sometimes held during the emperor’s birthday. It was held in the Hippodrome in Constantinople. Chariot races were important during this era because it was a way to support social class and political power. Racing chariots in Rome were made of wood and afforded little support or protection for the driver, where he basically needed to balance himself on the axle as he drove.Ĭhariot Racing continued in the Byzantine Era (Eastern Roman Empire) where cheating and bribes was common.
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For their horses to become fast in racing, they need to weigh very light and small as possible. As many as 12 chariots would race beside each other. The race was made of seven laps or 8.4 kilometers and would last fifteen minutes. The center of the race course had a low wall that had decorative sculptures tilted to let the spectators know how many laps had been completed. The other end was filled with stables and starting boxes. It was a huge, oval shaped stadium that had two long parallel sides and one rounded end with seating all around. In Rome, the Circus Maximus was said to hold more than 350,000 spectators. The end of the hippodrome was curved and the other end four-sided figure with a wide entry in lower level stalls for the chariots and horses. It was set out on the incline of a hill and the ground taken from one side served to form the guard on the other side. Chariot Racing was held in the Ancient Grecian stadium for horse racing and chariot racing called the Hippodrome, located in the southeast corner of Olympia. The stadiums built for the sport grew and grew in size as it became even more popular. The Circus Maximus (in Italian Circo Massimo) today is a large oblong field that is now a public park in Rome, Italy.In Ancient Rome, it was a chariot racing stadium (a chariot is a small two wheeled cart pulled by horses) and entertainment complex that could accommodate almost a quarter of a million spectators, making it the largest stadium in Ancient Rome. It was a known to be a more important event than horseback riding which was removed from the Olympic Games. large reproductive etching of Alexander von Wagners stirring painting Chariot Race in the Circus Maximus, Rome in the Presence of the Emperor Domitian. It was added in 680 BC expanding the racing games from a one-day event to a two-day event. If they became successful in chariot racing, they would eventually become rich, buying their freedom.Ĭhariot racing was said to be the event that founded the Olympic Games in Greece.
#Chariot races rome driver#
Chariot Racing was known to be dangerous for the horse and the driver as they commonly suffer serious injuries from overturning and a broken chariot.ĭrivers of the chariots were typically slaves or those who came from poor backgrounds.