
Gaius Appuleius Diocles won in 1462, and in 1437 races he came in second place. The arena of Circus Maximus had its great heroes. The coachmen wore a tunic in a colour matching the colours of the party they represented. The carriage took place in a standing position. Interestingly, in Rome, the exchange of players was also popular, as players now move to other clubs. During the race, in order not to let the reins go, they tied them up (and that’s why they always wore knives so that they could cut the reins in the event of an accident – which did not always work).ĭuring the races, there was often cooperation between individual teams to push one of the coachmen onto a spin. It happened, however, that some impoverished citizens decided on this path to gain wealth and fame. Most of the coachmen were recruited from slaves. They have often won a great fortune and worship of Roman women.
#Chariot races rome drivers#
The best drivers were great stars in Rome.

Mosaic from the 3rd century CE showing a coachman with a horse.

Importantly, each team had a maximum of three teams for each race. There were also the Circus Flaminius and the Circus Maritimus. The largest was the Circus Maximus, which some say could hold 100,000 people. Roman chariot race, The Circus Maximus, 20th century. Circus in Roman terms meant a ring or an oval course for running races. Browse 593 chariot racing stock photos and images available, or search for roman chariot racing to find more great stock photos and pictures.

The viewer who thought that the race should be repeated got up and waved his gown or tunic – when the majority did, the race was interrupted and repeated. Ancient Roman chariot races took place in a circus. Browse 605 chariot racing stock photos and images available, or search for roman chariot racing to find more great stock photos and pictures. Due to the colour of the carriage drivers’ tunes, parties were formed among the audience, whose members often behaved similarly to modern football fans. Certainly, the most popular factions were the Blues and Greens – supported by the Emperor’s entourage – as evidenced by the small number of sources regarding Red and White.īut where exactly did these colours represent the teams? In the third century CE, Tertullian mentioned that the Reds were consecrated to Mars, the White Marshmallow, the Greens to Mother Earth or spring, and the Blue to sky and sea or autumn 1.Īs a curiosity, it is worth mentioning that the admirer of green was emperor Caligula, who spent hours sitting in their stables. In the times of Domitian, two additional teams were introduced: Purple and Gold but soon after his death in 96 CE, they disappeared. In ancient Rome, four fan clubs were classically distinguished: Red ( russata), Green ( prasina), White ( albata) and Blue ( veneta). The fans were divided into specific factions ( factiones), depending on the colours. From four to six chariots competed in a single race, normally consisting of seven laps around the circus. In addition to gladiatorial fights, the Romans also loved horse racing. What were Roman chariot races They were the main events of the Roman public games (ludi publici) that took place at the Circus Maximus.
