Chariot Races Important Facts

Chariot racing is one of the most popular sports in Rome and one of the oldest too. It is also a way for us Romans to demonstrate our prosperity at the games. Although chariot racing is fun to watch, it is also very dangerous. It is dangerous to both drivers and the horses because serious injuries and deaths are common in this sport.

After the race has begun, the chariots would move in front of each other to cause their opponents to crash in to a spinae. (A spinae is a divider down the middle of the circus/stadium.) Racers can also carry a weapon while racing to make it harder for the other racer to finish their laps. There are four horse chariots and two horse chariots. However, the four horse chariots are more common at the games since it is more exciting to watch.

No one knew exactly when chariot racing began, but it may have began since the invention of the chariot itself. We (Romans) use to race around a tree trunk before there was such thing as a stadium. At the race a person will announce the competitors names, and they will have to race around the stadium for six to twelve laps. Each lap had sharp turns around the post on either ends. In order to start the game, both competitors have to be behind a gate and wait till the gate to be lowered. The game doesn't start just yet, the actual game starts when the final gate is opened.

Chariots is a wooden cart with two wheels on either sides and an open back. The competitor will be standing while racing with reins around their waist or holding them with their hands for the horses. The charioteer's feet is held in place, but the cart is rested on an axle which makes it bumpy. The most exciting and most dangerous part of the race is when the racers have to turn at the end of the hippodrome. These turns are often dangerous and deadly.

Chariot races are often held in colossal stadiums, which can seat between 150,000-180,000 people. Usually there are 24 races per day during the fourth century, then take place on the 66th day each year.

The rules to chariot racing is that we can not let go of the reins in a crash because if we do let go then we are disqualified from the race. This means that we may even be dragged around the stadium until we are killed or severely injured. In order to cut the reigns and keep from being dragged, we carried a falx, which is a curved knife. We also wear helmets and protective gear to prevent injuries that are likely happens.