Premium Essay

Chariot Racing in Ancient History

In:

Submitted By ZachG232
Words 3076
Pages 13
Chariot racing plays an important role in sports history. It was one of the most popular and influential sports in ancient history. The sport has many claimed origins and thrived during the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Empires. The sport that started out so simple evolved as it moved from one era to the next, gaining more importance at every advancement. It was an extremely dangerous sport, as drivers frequently suffered gruesome injuries and unfortunate deaths. Chariot racing teams, or factions, had a very strong fan base. These factions drew tons of spectator support, which would lead to many conflicts between differing factions. These conflicts were politicized, affecting both society and their respective empire. Roman and Byzantine emperors eventually took control of these factions and had their officials running them, placing even more importance on the sport. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, chariot racing only survived in the east, the Byzantine Empire. These Roman factions transitioned with the sport, which played an important role in the history of Byzantium. These factions had an even stronger social and political influence, and in the end, played a role in the demise of its own sport, along with the eventual demise of an empire. The origin of Chariot Racing is an unknown commodity. The first known reference to the sport was by Homer at a funeral for Patroclus where he claimed they raced only one lap around a tree. According to a legend, chariot racing founded the Olympic Games. Pelops supposedly founded the games in his own honor after he defeated King Oenomaus in a race for his daughter Hippodamia. That being said, chariot racing dates back to at least the sixth century BC. There are also depictions of chariot racing on the Lucanians of Sicily in the fifth century
BC. Races were supposedly associated with funeral games, whether that

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Nero's Influence On Roman Culture

...nature of Greek sports into spectator entertainment. The sports the Romans participated in, boxing, chariot racing, ball games, gladiator battles, and pankration, were all male dominant boasting strength and athleticism. Wealthy Romans had large paying fields in the villas where they hosted the sporting events. The patronage of the empire for sports came apparent in the era of Emperor Nero, when the first gymnasium was built, and soon became one the symbols of Roman Strength. Emperor Nero was born in 37 A.D. and ruled Rome from 54 AD to 68 AD. He began his reign as a generous and reasonable leader but all changed after Agrippina’s murder. Emperor Nero descended into a hedonic lifestyle manifested by self-indulgences and tyranny. Even though Nero was not appreciated by all of Rome, there was good that came from his rule. It was during his reign that the state patronage of sports reached high numbers. He was the first to build a gymnasium in Rome. Due to this, large amphitheaters for various sports, in particular...

Words: 2040 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Anciant Greece

...qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer...

Words: 4818 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

History of Sports

...History of Sports History of sports can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. During those days admiration for the healthy human body is shown in their sculpture and makes almost a religion of competitive athletics. It was their custom on solemn occasions, including even funerals, to engage in races. This passion leads to the world's first athletic fixture - the games at Olympia, established according to tradition in the year 776 BC and held every four years. At the beginning this was a one-day athletic meeting with a single competitive event. The entire day is taken up with heats for a running race - a sprint the length of the stadium, the equivalent of about 200 meters. In later years more events are added. In the sports history, the important events that are included in the Olympic Games are discus throw, javelin throw, long jump, boxing, wrestling, chariots, horse racing and a challenge to test all-round ability - the pentathlon. The pentathlon actually starts with contest in four criteria - running, jumping, throwing the discus and the javelin. The winners from these encounters have to meet in a fifth and exclusive contest, wrestling. However, the winner receives a simple token of their victory, a garland of fresh olive to wear on the head. This is essentially a religious festival, in honor of the greatest of the Greek gods, Zeus whose sanctuary is at Olympia. Looking back to the origin of sports during the Victorian period, sports developed in the context of industrial...

Words: 500 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Ancient Rome Vs Usa Research Paper

...How much has really changed since the time around Ancient Rome to now in The United States? Ancient Rome’s city population was about 1 million people. They were also overcrowded, noisy and even walking was dangerous. Cities today in The U.S. aren’t as unsafe as then because we have people to keep us safe, such as police officers, firefighters, etc. The United States cities overall are still overcrowded and noisy most of the time. There’s a diverse amount of people now in The U.S., our population didn’t used to be 319,062,017+ (a birth every 8 seconds and a death every 13 seconds). But ever since people started migrating from different countries, our community has expanded. Asian, Caucasian, African American, Hispanic/ Mexican and Multiracial...

Words: 964 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Roman Spain

...the next 600 years. Much of the customs, religious practices, and laws still practiced in Spain are a result of this influence. Famous for their ability to establish an efficient infrastructure, the Romans created roads and bridges during and after the conquering of Hispania. This infrastructure was essential in uniting the peninsula that had since been divided by geographical obstacles. It was also crucial in that it allowed trade to flourish both within Hispania and between other geographic areas within the entire empire. This not only allowed the peninsula to become an economic force, but also furthered the mixing of all the cultures that existed under the vast Roman Empire. Today, modern roadways in Spain often run parallel to the ancient Roman roads and the layout of historical cities remain the same as they did during the empire. In addition to the transportation infrastructure, Romans recognized the need of a water supply for those cities not situated on a waterway. Just as was done in Rome, they constructed aqueducts that supplied water to some...

Words: 978 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Inventory

...Unit 1 Introduction to Humanities Individual Project Tenisha Greene HUMA215-1101B- AIU Online Instructor Marek McKenna, MA August 25, 2012 Differences and Similarities Early Greece Early Rome |The Greeks were responsible for various temples and such sculptures as the Parthenon, the temple at| |The Roman empire built some of the grandest structure amongst all other early civilizations. | |Hephaestus, and the concert hall Odeon. The three architectural styles the Greeks used to build | |The Romans built aqueducts, the amphitheaters, the coliseum, walls, temples, cathedrals, | |structures were Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. These styles were used to create palaces, sculptures,| |tombs, sculptures, pottery, and clay terra cotta statues. The Romans specialized in arched | |art, and jewelry. During the archaic times the Greek culture made grade stride with their | |entrances and columns. The three architectural styles the Romans used to build structures | |sculptures, pottery and clay terra cotta statues. | |were Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. | | | ...

Words: 1412 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Sports

...involving physical or mental exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another. The ten most popular sports in the world are Football/ Soccer, cricket, tennis, hockey, baseball, table tennis, volleyball, rugby, and golf. In the United States motor sports, pro- wrestling, and martial arts are also popular. Sports are usually governed by rules and regulations to ensure fair competition and ensure the adjudication of a winner though fairness was not always a common practice especially in the ancient world. The history of sport can teach us about the social changes with society. In ancient times it was not uncommon for humans to die during sport events. For at least seven hundred years entire villages participated in violent combat sports such as fencing and jousting. The Romans were especially known for this with the gladiatorial games and chariot racing. These types of sports would almost always leave an opponent seriously or fatally injured. In ancient Greece most sports took place during the funeral games during the Mycenaean period. Such games have been described in Greek mythology like the Iliad and Odyssey. Roman Gladiator games gladiators armed with combatant would challenge other gladiators or animals to a fight to the death during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. The winners moving on the other competitions even being deemed blessed by the gods by roaring spectators. Gladiator games reached their peak during the 5th century with the adoption...

Words: 3377 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Justin and Theodora

...Theodora and Justinian “There are two great gifts which God, in his love for man, has granted from on high: the priesthood and the imperial dignity"
—Justinian I. What many emperors failed to do before him was to completely remake the Roman Empire. Justinian and Theodora were not the likely people to be granted such high status and power, to change the view of religion in Byzantium. The pair had many instances in their past that should have damage the duo as rulers, but through their determination they thrived. Byzantium the Eastern Roman Empire was focused in the center of Constantinople "City of Constantine". Today eminent for ancient Rome a Greek culture, portrayed by Christianity rather than Roman paganism and was primarily Greek-speaking society. During most of its existence, it remained one of the most powerful economic, cultural, and military forces in Europe, notwithstanding setbacks and territorial losses. Throughout the paper we will be considering how Justinian, Theodora, and their partnership flourished in the Byzantium era. Justinian commonly known as Justinian the Great was born in Tauresium around 482 to a peasant Latin speaking family. His uncle Justin later adopted him, guaranteed his education and allowing him to work under him. While his uncle was a ruler Justinian was an honorable confidant who during his rule until his uncle aged; Justinian was selected as consul and commander of the east until Justin’s death upon which Justinian...

Words: 1642 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Greekmyths

...U MYTHOLOGY U GODS AND GODDESSES IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Michelle M. Houle Copyright © 2001 by Michelle M. Houle All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Houle, Michelle M. Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology / Michelle M. Houle. p. cm. — (Mythology) Includes bibliographical references and index. Summary: Discusses various Greek myths, including creation stories and tales of principal gods and goddesses. ISBN 0-7660-1408-8 1. Mythology, Greek—Juvenile literature. [1. Mythology, Greek.] I. Title. II. Mythology (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) BL782 .H68 2000 398.2’0938’01—dc21 00-028782 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Our Readers: All Internet Addresses in this book were active and appropriate when we went to press. Any comments or suggestions can be sent by e-mail to Comments@enslow.com or to the address on the back cover. Cover and illustrations by William Sauts Bock CONTENTS Chart of Major Gods and Goddesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The War Between the Titans and the Olympians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Prometheus and Earth’s First Inhabitants . . . . . . . . . . . ....

Words: 26757 - Pages: 108

Premium Essay

Deviance in Hockey

...Violence in ice hockey has been an identifying staple in the sport since “the first hockey leagues formed in the mid-1880’s,” (Ice Hockey Origins, Growth and Changes in the Game). Since the modern era of hockey, and the creation of the Stanley Cup, hockey has been viewed as one of the most violent sports in western civilization. Clarence Campbell, former NHL President has even said that “[w]ithout violence, there would be no such thing as hockey,” (Coakley). To an extent hockey is unmatched in illegal assaults by any other sport, in both amateur and professional leagues, (Colburn). This does not mean that the contact in other sports is not as intense as hockey, for example rugby and football are both very “violent” sports, but this “violence” is carried out within the rules of the game. Hockey is different because it allows fistfights, which are acts of violence that are carried out outside the rules of the game. Hockey fights occur during stoppages of play, or if one breaks out during the play, the play is whistled down immediately in order to break up the fight. What makes this phenomenon interesting is the fact that in many amateur leagues and most professional leagues a five-minute penalty is assessed to the players involved in a fight. In other sports, where similar interactions between players do occur occasionally, an immediate ejection from the game is the penalty. What this does is “tacitly permit fighting by imposing a relatively lenient penalty,” (Colburn). During...

Words: 2226 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Is Money in Professional Sport Ruining the Ethos of the Game?

...The Money or The Passion: Is Money in Professional Sport Ruining the Ethos of the Game? Ross Schreuder Supervisor: Mr. Werth English Teacher: Mrs. Schroeder Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. History and Evolution of Sport 3 3. What is the Ethos of Sport? 4 4. Positive and Negative Influences of Money in Sport and an Evaluation of their Impact on its Ethos 5 4.1 Doping: 5 4.2 Throwing Matches/ Match Fixing: 6 4.3 Other Factors Contributing to Unethical Behaviour in Sport 7 4.4 Sportsmanship vs. Gamesmanship 8 4.5 The Money in Barclays Premier League 9 4.5.1 Stadium naming rights 10 4.5.2 Transfers and Individual Sponsorships 10 4.6 Philanthropy 11 5. Conclusion 11 Bibliography 12 1. Introduction Money is, undoubtedly, evident in every aspect of professional sport. Player sponsorships and contracts, team ownership, stadia, media - its everywhere. If sport was not about the game, then arguably, sport would be about the money. Each and every week, transfers of players are made, ticket offices receive income, and money is handed from one profiteering person to the next. Where sport is widely thought to be about fair play, professional sport is, in fact, like war. There can only be one winner and what one team or individual gains, the other loses. Many sportsmen and women around the world are caught up with winning, not just because of the prowess of a title but, also because professionalism is now about money and...

Words: 4578 - Pages: 19

Free Essay

History of Architecture Reviewer

...Architecture Comprehensive Examination Reviewer HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1. The ornamental blocks fixed vertically at regular intervals along the lower edge of a roof to cover end tiles. a. ancones c. acroteria b. Antifixae 2. A continuous base or structure in which a colonnade is placed. a. stereobate c. stylobate b. Torus 3. The market in Greek architecture. a. Megaron c. agora b. Pylon 4. The smallest among the famous pyramids at Gizeh. a. Pyramid of Cheops c. Pyramid of Chephren b. Pyramid of Mykerinos 5. The largest outer court, open to the sky, in Egyptian temple. a. Sanctuary c. Irypaetral b. Irypostyle 6. The inner secret chamber in the mastaba which contains the statue of the deceased family member. a. Pilaster c. serdab b. Sarcophagus 7. The grandest of all Egyptian temples. a. Palace of Sargon c. Great temple of Ammon, Karnak b. Great temple of Abu-Simbel 8. The principal interior decoration of early Christian churches. a. stained glass c. painting b. mosaic 9. In early Christian churches, it is the covered space between the atrium and the church which was assigned to penitents. a. baldachino c. narthex b. apse 10. A dome placed on the drum. a. simple c. compound b. superpositioned 11. The architect of a church of Santa Sophia Constantinople, the most important church in Constantinople. a. Ictinus and Callicrates b. Apollodorous of Damascus and Isidorous on Miletus c. Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorous of Miletus 12. The second largest medieval cathedral...

Words: 19682 - Pages: 79

Free Essay

Ancient History

...Indus Valley Civilization – The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization (3300–1300 BC; mature period 2600–1900 BC) extending from what today is northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India. Along with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia it was one of three early civilizations of the Old World, and of the three the most widespread. It flourished in the basins of the Indus River, one of the major rivers of Asia, and the Ghaggar-Hakra River, which once coursed through northwest India and eastern Pakistan. The Indus Valley Civilization is also known as the Harappan Civilization, after Harappa, the first of its sites to be excavated in the 1920s, in what was then the Punjab province of British India, and is now in Pakistan. A uniform culture had developed at settlements spread across nearly 500,000 square miles, including parts of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Baluchistan, Sindh and the Makran coast. It was a highly developed civilization and derived its name from the main river of that region— Indus. |Year |Site |Discovered by | |1920 |Harappa |Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni | |1922 |Mohenjodaro |R. D. Banerjee | |1927 |Sutkagen dor |R. L. Staine ...

Words: 16723 - Pages: 67

Free Essay

Learning Material

...ARTS TEACHERS’ GUIDE Grade 9 ARTS Teacher’s Guide Unit I WESTERN CLASSICAL ART TRADITIONS GRADE 9 Unit 1 ARTS TEACHERS’ GUIDE GRADE 9 Unit 1 WESTERN CLASSICAL ART TRADITIONS LEARNING AREA STANDARD The learner demonstrates an understanding of basic concepts and processes in music and art through appreciation, analysis and performance for his/her self-development, celebration of his/her Filipino cultural identity and diversity, and expansion of his/her world vision. key - stage STANDARD The learner demonstrates understanding of salient features of music and arts of the Philippines and the world, through appreciation, analysis, and performance, for self-development, the celebration of Filipino cultural identity and diversity, and the expansion of one’s world vision. grade level STANDARD The learner demonstrates understanding of salient features of Western music and the arts from different historical periods, through appreciation, analysis, and performance for self-development, the celebration of Filipino cultural identity and diversity, and the expansion of one’s world vision. CONTENT STANDARDs The Learner:  demonstrates understanding of art elements and processes by synthesizing and applying prior knowledge and skills  demonstrates understanding that the arts are integral to the development of organizations, spiritual belief, historical events, scientific discoveries, natural disasters/ occurrences and other external phenomenon ...

Words: 32535 - Pages: 131

Premium Essay

History 1

...Chapter Fifteen The Roman Empire at its Zenith (to 235 CE) In retrospect we can see that a decline of the Roman empire began in the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161-180), when the Germanic barbarians along the Rhine and especially the Danube discovered that the Romans were not well equipped to fight wars on two fronts. When the emperor, that is, was preoccupied with a war against the Parthians in Mesopotamia, the Roman frontier along and beyond the Danube was poorly defended, and the barbarians could make raids deep into the Roman provinces. Despite the danger of wars on two fronts, the Roman empire was able to manage well enough from the 160s until 235, when the decline became precipitous, and brought with it radical economic, cultural and religious changes. This chapter, therefore, will look at the empire in its relatively golden period, from the first century until the death of Alexander Severus, the last of the Severi, in 235. The classes This was a stratified, hierarchical society in all ways. In civic status the top of the pyramid was the emperor, followed by Roman provincial governors, senators and other officials, then by the local gentry, and next by the rank and file of Roman citizens. Of all the free men in the empire, only about a third ranked as Roman citizens. Right behind the Romans were the Hellenes (in the Greek-speaking eastern provinces the Hellenes were enrolled as such in the municipal census), then came Judaeans, and finally the other barbarians. So in...

Words: 14783 - Pages: 60