I’ve been writing a lot about more recent history lately, so I decided to dig deeper into the past of the horse. One of the problems I’ve run into while working on this project of mine is that there’s so much to write about, I have a hard time narrowing down a topic! If you have something you’re interested in learning more about, please let me know! I’d love to hear from you.

About two years ago I went on a five-week backpacking trip in Europe, and my first stop was Rome. The first thing I saw in Rome after taking the train from our hostel was the Circus Maximus. I remember climbing the stairs up into the sunlight, crossing the street, and looking out at the lovely panorama of Palestine Hill with the Circus gently sprawling at its feet. It was fairly early in the morning, so the light was stunning against the crumbling architecture as we carefully descended into the valley.

The Circus is several thousand years old, and its history begins in the 6^th century B.C. Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome, created the chariot racing track between the Palatine and Aventine hills, two of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built. In 329 B.C. the first permanent starting gates were built, and in 174 B.C. seven wooden eggs were placed on top of the central arena wall to mark the number of completed laps. In 33 B.C., seven bronze dolphins were added for the same reason.

Julius Caesar expanded the Circus in 50 B.C. and at that point the track measured 2,037 feet long, 387 feet wide and could hold around 270,000 people! Of course, that number didn’t include all the folks who claimed a spot on the hills surrounding the Circus, which often equaled the number in the stands.

The Circus was victim to fires in its early years, the first in 31 B.C., which destroyed the wooden structure. After emperor Augustus rebuilt it, it caught fire again in 64 A.D., and that particular blaze ended up burning a large portion of Rome during Emperor Nero’s reign. Trajan rebuilt the Circus for a final time in 103 A.D. and constructed it out of marble and stone. The Circus was three stories high, and the seating areas were divided into separate areas by walkways, much like today’s modern stadium designs.

In 140 A.D., one of the upper tiers collapsed, killing 1,112 spectators, which remains one of the deadliest sport related disasters to this day.

Designed for chariot racing, the Circus was also used for gladiator fights, wild animal hunts, processions and other athletic events. It’s hard to say exactly when chariot racing became popular, but it’s possible that the sport might have originated with the chariot itself. Its roots lie in Greece, and the first artistic evidence came from pottery from 1600-1100 B.C., but the first written evidence came from Homer, who wrote about the funeral games of Patroclus in the Illiad. Legend goes that a chariot race also founded the Olympic Games.

Chariot racing was a big part of the ancient Greek Olympic Games, and there were both four- and two-horse races. The event was first added to the Olympic Games in 680 B.C. They used mechanical starting gates, staggered similarly to the way track races (200-yard dash, etc.) are set up. The race did not officially start until all the starting gates were down, which meant that the horses were even on the track. The sharp corners and high speeds of the races often resulted in spectacular crashes, and it was an exciting event for spectators.

Most of the time, the owner and driver were not the same person. The driver was usually a family member or slave of the owner, but professional drivers were also utilized. Oddly enough, despite the need for drivers to be strong, clever and brave, history does not remember many of the drivers’ names. The owner was always listed as the winner.

While most of the Olympic athletes competed nude at the time, charioteers did not, probably due to the high likelihood of crashes. The vehicles were war chariots that had been modified for racing. Chariot racing quickly became a way for Greeks to flaunt their wealth and become famous.

The Roman Empire more than likely took the idea of chariot racing from the Etruscans, who in turn took it from the Greeks. Of course, when the Romans trumped Greece in 146 B.C., they were heavily influence by Greek culture. The Romans took chariot racing pretty seriously.

Roman charioteers wrapped the extra reins around their waist, which meant they could not let go of the reins in case of a crash, and were often dragged around the track until they died or managed to get lose. They carried a curved knife with them in order to cut themselves free. Romans also wore protective gear, such as helmets.

One big difference between Roman and Greek racing was that in Roman racing, the drivers were considered the winners, although they were usually slaves, like in Greece. If they won enough races, they could eventually buy their freedom. Of course, most drivers didn’t last too long, and surviving made a charioteer just as famous as winning. The horses were often celebrities as well, and the Romans kept very detailed records on them.

Chariot racing continued into the Byzantine Empire, but they weren’t quite as organized as the Romans. Theodosius I eventually called an end to the ancient Olympic Games in 393 B.C., but chariot racing remained a popular sport until about the 7^th century. By the end of the 4^th century, public entertainment such as chariot racing had ended in Italy. The last recorded race in the Circus Maximus and in Rome occurred in 549 A.D.

One of web writer Coree Reuter’s favorite parts of working at The Chronicle of the Horse is adventuring up into the attic. While it’s occasionally a journey that requires a head lamp, GPS unit and dust mask, nearly 75 years of the equine industry is documented in the old issues and photographs that live above the offices, and Coree is determined to unearth the great stories of the past. Inspired by the saying: “History was written on the back of a horse,” she hopes to demystify the legends, find new ones and honor the horses who have changed the scope of everyday life with this blog.