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Rumble racing circus minimus1/17/2024 ![]() The race would begin with the dropping of a white handkerchief (mappa). Roman chariot races were thrilling and short, but occasionally brutal. Teams could also be associated with divinities: White with the wind god Zephyr and Red with the war god Mars. Their supporters would reinforce the sense of enmity between the two by associating White with winter and Red with summer. writer Tertullian recorded that the rivalry between Whites and Reds was the oldest. The four factions-Red (Russata), White (Albata), Blue (Venata), and Green (Prasina)-existed during the republic and continued well into the empire. Much like sports leagues today, Roman chariot racing had teams with legions of devoted fans. the games were associated with mass culture, power, and populism. Sponsorship by generals boosted the popularity of racing and other sports, so by the first century B.C. Arguably, it is at this stage that the spirit of chariot racing began to evolve into entertainment. As Rome’s military influence grew, generals began dedicating portions of their war booty to sponsor chariot races and other games. ![]() the Ludi Romani became an annual event, sponsored by the state. Chariot racing was incorporated into the early Ludi Romani, the games held in honor of the chief Roman god, Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Games likewise formed an important religious role in the emerging power of Rome. The word “hippodrome” also comes from the Greek, with hippo meaning “horses” and dromos meaning“path.” ( Delphi was home to the Pythian Games, sacred to Apollo.) Homer’s epic The Iliad features chariot races as part of the funeral games ordered by the mourning Achilles in honor of his fallen companion, Patroclus. The purpose of these events, which included chariot racing, was to please the gods, either through sacrifice or in presenting bodily skill as an offering in itself. They were holy activities and part of solemn religious rites. New stadiums were built in other cities, and racing became an obsession there.Ĭhariot racing’s historic roots, however, tap deep into the sacred beliefs of ancient Greece, whose games-such as the Olympic and the Pythian events-were not considered entertainment. Chariot racing’s popularity only grew as the Roman Empire expanded. These same elites funded the construction of massive venues for racing, such as the Circus Maximus in Rome and the Hippodrome in Constantinople. ![]() The spectacle, as described by Wallace centuries later, was indeed intoxicating, but some Roman elites looked upon racing with disapproval. Wallace adored chariot racing, but ancient Rome’s relationship to it was more complicated. let him see the fours, chosen for beauty as well as speed. in their left hands held in careful separation, and high. let him see the drivers-in their right hands goads. let him then, in this perfect field, see the chariots, light of wheel, very graceful, and ornate. Let the reader try to fancy it let him first look down upon the arena, and see it glistening. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Ĭan we accept the saying, then these latter days, so tame in pastime and dull in sports, have scarcely anything to compare to the spectacle.
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