They attracted up to 250,000 viewers at one time. They were a favorite pastime of the ancient Romans. Nero himself took part in them. I am talking about chariot racing.
"I am very amazed that so many thousands of adult men are overwhelmed by the childhood passion of seeing galloping horses and men in chariots," wrote Pliny the Younger, a Roman writer and politician. However, the emotions reaching their zenith engulfed not only the audience. In furor circensis because there were also players and those that hardly anyone expected in the circus arena.
The centuries-old stereotype of the typical entertainment of ancient Romans is usually reduced to cruel gladiatorial fights. Alternatively, we tend to see the inhabitants of the Eternal City savoring the bloody sacrifices of Christians thrown to lions to be devoured. Meanwhile, two-wheeled carriages races were the most popular entertainment for the inhabitants of the Roman Empire . In Circus Maximus alone, they were able to gather up to 250,000 viewers at a time . Probably not without significance was the fact that admission to the hippodrome was free. So it happened that many hours before the start of the show, slaves were sent to the stands to take their owners' seats.
Party from holidays and every day
Historians' research seems to confirm that the Romans inherited their passion for horse-drawn carts from the Etruscans or Lucans - former inhabitants of the Apennine Peninsula. Initially, they were probably related to religious rituals and could only take place on certain holidays. It is also assumed that it was from that period that the traditional division into stables (you might say - today's sports clubs) whose names are derived from the colors of the players' robes.
Two-wheeled carriages were the most popular pastime for the inhabitants of the Roman Empire.
And so, the first to appear were the Red stables, probably devoted to Mars, and the White ones - with Jupiter as their patron. Then the Blue and Greens associated with the cult of Neptune - associated with Maya or Venus. The growing popularity of chariot racing, however, meant that over time they lost their typically religious character for mass entertainment. At the same time, disputes between football fans often began to turn into tumult and regular fights, in which today's set-ups are innocent scuffles of preschoolers.
Pecunia non olet
The Romans supporting individual stables were often associated with them for life. The richer ones supported them financially. Of course, as it happens with sports struggles, all kinds of bookmakers were extremely popular . These not always fair transactions took place often in dubious dives. An example of such "well known for cheap wine, playful harlots and delinquents who sold insider information on chariot racing" can be found in Simon Scarrow's book Eagles of the Empire. Caesars Day . It is in such places the most ardent fans were able to bet all their property . And of course there were wins, but their amount was nothing compared to the sums won by players.
The inspiration was the latest book by Simon Scarrow, 'Caesars Day. Eagles of the Empire ", 16th volume of the best-selling Roman series, published by the Książnica publishing house.
The races themselves were often brutal (for example, pushing a rival's chariot was allowed) and so dangerous that the winners were considered heroes. And this, in turn, automatically reflected on their earnings. Suffice it to say that the all-time record holder in the total of awards won was precisely the chariot driver Gaius Apuleius Diocles . It is estimated that during his career he amassed a fortune worth (in terms of) $ 15 billion (!).
Sports for everyone
Chariot races were passionate not only by simple citizens, patricians or even slaves (many of the players came from the lowest social group and successes in the arena were often the way to freedom for them), but also the rulers of the Romanum Empire. It is known that some of the emperors were die-hard fans of the "colored" circus factions . And so Vitellius and Caracalla were to be for the Blues. In turn, Caligula, in his quirks, was to cheer the Greens lively, often sitting for days in their stables.
The color of hope was also to appeal to Nero. But it did not end with the support itself. Known commonly for singing to the back of a bronze-bearded lute, the emperor enthusiastically ... drove chariots. Future despot, cruel, mother and wife-killer " passionately loved horses from an early age and mostly he only talked about circus games, although he was forbidden, ”wrote Suetoniusz. In further deliberations, the Roman writer mentions that:" In the very beginning of his reign he played every day with quadriga races ivory on the gaming table. ' His adolescent fascination with the races was so great that he was able to secretly leave the palace for them or deplore the fate of the Greens' coachman suffered by the horses - for which he was strongly reprimanded by the teacher.
Chariot racing was a passion not only for simple citizens, patricians and even slaves, but also for the rulers of the Roman Empire.
As soon as he freed himself from the guardianship of his guardians, began to regularly organize all kinds of games , among which the leading horse was equestrian, with chariot races at the forefront. In his ingenuity, he went so far as to organize chases of quadrigas harnessed by ... camels. As a person hungry for success and applause, Nero was "ready to compete with anyone who influenced the people in any way," recalled Suetonius. And since the coachmen became the idols of the Romans, the emperor himself wanted to take the reins and enter gold letters in the history of the Games.
Training makes perfect?
For Nero, it did not matter that, despite their fame and wealth, the chariot drivers did not have a high social status. And the competition itself was to be intended for the people who, according to the words put into the imperial mouth by Simon Scarrow in Eagles of the Empire :"He likes gladiator fights and chariot racing more." For Bronzebeard, Tiberius seemed to be the model who even before sitting on the imperial throne, won the laurels at the hippodrome, or King of Pontus Mithridates VI, driving as many as 16 horses in a cart.
Before Nero entered the competition, however, tried his hand at the palace gardens, where his only audience were slaves and random onlookers . To the emperor's delight, these private performances were met with great approval by the common people. However, the patricians and his advisers looked at it completely differently, for whom such unworthy behavior brought disgrace to the imperial majesty. Nero, however, did not do anything about it and just waited to finally present himself officially.
His great Greek… tour
Unfortunately, nothing is known about Nero's first starts, except that appearances in the Circus Maximus arena quickly got bored with him . The emperor wanted truly Olympic glory, and he could get one elsewhere, if not in the cradle of the idea of sporting laurels. It is also suspected that the trip to Achaia was caused by a desire to rest after a foiled plot on his life. However it was, in the years 66–67 Nero made a great tour of Hellas by taking part in the games that have been shifted in the calendar and cumulated especially for him. He was to win over 1,800 awards for singing, acting, playing the guitar, and athletic competitions (in which he specially trained before leaving) and for chariot driving.
Performances in the Circus arena Maximus quickly got bored with Nero
It should be suspected that most of the triumphs were probably not deserved, and resulted more from the caution of the prudent Greeks. For Suetonius describes a certain 10-horse sled race, during which the emperor "fell out of the cart and was put back there. But when he could not support himself, he gave up participation before the end of the race. Nevertheless, he was awarded a wreath. " Perhaps it was also the result of Nero's beloved bribery, which we also read about in Eagles of the Empire . In any case, the emperor's joy was so great that, leaving the hospitable Hellenes, he granted the entire province tax freedom, and efficient judges with Roman citizenship and a large sum of money.
Whether in fact deserved or paid for with thick sesterces and fear of imperial anger the glory turned out to be, contrary to Nero's expectations, very short-lived . Soon after his suicide in AD 68, the Greek jury considered Copperbeard's triumphs null and void and erased them from the annals forever. The official reason for this kind of ostracism on the person of the emperor was that the Games were played on an illegal date ...
Inspiration
- It was inspired by the latest book by Simon Scarrow Caesars Day. Eagles of the empire , 16th volume of the best-selling Roman cycle, published by the Książnica publishing house.
Bibliography
- Cary M., Scullard H.H., History of Rome. From the earliest times to Constantine , crowd. J. Schwakopf, vol. 2, Warsaw 1992.
- Kiedrowski M., The richest athlete in history , Ale Historia [access:February 18, 2022].
- Słapek D., Sports and entertainment in the ancient world , Krakow 2010.
- Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars , crowd. J. Niemirska-Pliszczyńska, vol. 2, Wrocław 2004.