Heart pounding, blood racing, you fight to stay in front knowing that winning

this race could mean your freedom! Discover the world of ancient Roman
chariot racing and experience the thrill of competition.

Ancient Racing
Your heart is pounding as you race around the bend for the third time. Only
four more laps to go and you are almost half a lap ahead of your competition.
You hear the crowds cheering you on, but the dust is thick and your horses
are starting to lag. You don't know if you can hold on to your lead, but you
must, for if you win this chariot race you might earn enough money to buy
your freedom!

Reenactment of a Roman Chariot Race

The Chariot
The Roman chariot was a two- or four-wheeled cart usually pulled by horses.
The chariots used in racing were two-wheeled and made of wood so that they
were lightweight. This made the chariots perfect for maneuvering around the
track; however it would have provided little protection for the rider!

The Horse
Racing chariots were normally pulled by teams of two to four horses. The
horses were beautifully decorated; some even had gorgeous gems braided
into their mane or tail. Winning horses became very famous, however because
chariot racing was very dangerous for them, their life expectancy was short.

The Charioteers
The charioteers were the fearless drivers of the chariots. They were usually
slaves, who upon winning enough races could actually earn enough money to
buy their freedom. One of the most famous Roman charioteers was a man
named Diocles. Upon retiring after 24 years of racing, he had earned a present
day equivalent of 15 billion dollars. Can you imagine? That makes him the
highest paid sports star in history!

To protect themselves, charioteers wore helmets, knee pads and shin pads in
case of a crash. They even carried a curved knife fastened to their waists or
backs to cut themselves free if they got entangled in the reins.

Roman Charioteer Representing the Blue Team

Cheering Your Team

Races could have up to 12 chariots competing in the seven lap race. Each
charioteer was a member of one of four teams: the red team, blue team, white
team, or green team. Each driver wore the color of their team, which made it
easy for each team's loyal fans to passionately cheer the team to victory. Like
present day, teams even had their own scouts who would search wide and far
for new talent to make their teams even stronger.

Read the text about Chariot races and answer the following questions

1) According to paragraph 1, what might happen if the charioteer wins the race?
2) What was a typical chariot like? Describe it
3) How many horses were used for each chariot?
4) Who were the charioteers? Why could they become so famous?
5) What do these numbers stand for: 12
7
4