Roman Chariot Research Paper

Ancient Roman chariot races were a highly esteemed event that were, in a rather gruesome way, the life and soul of Rome. Huge crowds of 250,000 to 3 million people(approximately one third of Rome’s population) gathered at the gargantuan and widely acclaimed Circus Maximus, the centerpiece of ancient Rome. The allure for the Romans was held in the overpowering excitement and danger that occurred every time the charioteers stepped onto the track.

The chariot races consisted of a race of twelve lightweight unprotected chariots that raced, in Rome's later times, 24 races a day, running seven laps each, each with a number of horses (the most prominent was four, while some drove only two as still others drove up to ten—though they rarely ever won because the chances of crashing were raised

If you somehow happened to cross the finish line first, you were guaranteed lots of fame and riches. Because a lot of chariot racers were slaves, some even won their freedom by being so good that they went full-time professional charioteers. The most famous chariot racer ever was Gaius Appuleius Diocles, who won over one quarter of his some 4,257 races which by the standards is simply incredulous. According to historians, he got paid around $15 billion dollars in present-day currency before retiring at age 42, which would make him the highest paid sports athlete ever in any event at any time. Talk about the greatest.

In any case, while chariot racing entertained the crowds immensely, the flipside was definitely deplorable. Hundreds of people were killed each year because of chariot racing. Whether racing anyway was worth the lives lost is arguable; however many historians have both critiqued and defended the continued racing of chariots and all views have been judged in turn. Whatever the case, nobody can deny that chariot racing altered the course of Rome and the world