Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-23
Agricultural.
Ancient Greek and Roman Horse Races.

Ancient Greek and Roman Horse Races
Inc following description OF the way AZ which
the ancient Greeks ana Romans managed horse
races will DO read wlth Interest by ali VINO have
liking iOr tnat sport. We quote from an al
tIcie III the London QGGrteriy:
. Inc Olympic course was known BIZ the name
ot Hppodromus ~ was bounded oa one side by
d hill, ard the o,her oy an errinci4i embank-
ment, Mhlen Col. Leake coDJectures was formed
Tor the purpose oi Keeping the water of the
course When the Ilger AlpueUs oveIhowed It's
banks. The distance /. ON the starting place 70
the goal around WHEN the horses Kan, IS con
side rel to nave Ueeu Two etaGia, about 1oor
hundred yards, but We have no pTecISs IUiorna-
taon upon thls poIut. The general form OF the
hippoGrome was obioHg, with d seini-eircuier
end al the opr05Ite end was the stating pace,
which Was III the form OF the pro" or 4 snip,
With the apex directed toward tie c0urse,
and each vi ITS sides tn4u four hundred
ieet iuDg- AI0Ig both these sides were the
stalls ior the horses aud cnerl0is. The front Of
each stall MAD i coTl drawn across 1t, and the
necessary arIaa -ements were mate Tor letlIng =
these coIo5 I2iI at tnc right nlOmsnt. On the
siguai beng given Tor the race 10 begin, the
corQs III front ii the Two cA RENE Stalls let
taiI simultaneously anu the Two IiOts start
"a, then those o. the next pair, on, each
ftiIr u cn4EIot5 bcIag liberated - Jae precise
moment Hnsn those WaIch mai already seated
Uha cheIiots formed an even line a0Te4s- oi the
sreX OF Sne startlns place, IL (. fair star.
Ihe STINT WIS gwen Ia the following manner: :
--DJu. The centre CI the Triangular area OF he
1LartIDz tj4-Ce, Was q Lzul VI : UTOEZs cag IL
"ith out7sreE5ned Wings, surulOulllns5 atar );
above the apex Of the starting place WIS :
DrJlzs dolphin. W nea all the oodTseTs we're
ready, up scared the eI5e, 10 apprize the spec
taSors chat tie start vas 10 ne gwen, and Gown
sank the dolphin, and the began. TINS
chaslots mad 10 pass several times round Two
5Uais, near one vi wAIclI-pIODAoIy that one
most distant from the stating piace-was the
d!sor Known b. the 4 me OF IdTdtIDyoS, that Il
lie horse ali IghteneT. OI the IQrdIiDDOS,
I'ausanias, ouT Chief authority, ,sus writes Ia
IOIui II Il like round aiL44 a. the uOlses ran
past 1t they are seiz-d win vehement terror
without any apparent reason, and this fear Is
succeeded by utter c-1lu-lOn, iJT frequently The
cLarIots arc smashed to pieces, anu chariot
GERS nurt % THIS account the cnario eers s.ori-
Ice 10 the altar, ana pray Iarax!ppOs 10 De pre-
pltIoUs ~ them.
Inc spectators h4d se4ts GA each s.de OF the
hIppodEome. the best places being reserved IOT
magistrates ana Other Important IeIs0nages.
tne ihGnagemen Vi tnese races was aDaer the
control OF three stewards (ueiianodc,e}, vine
decided doubtful cases, bestowed the p1iZ =, and
gave orders 10 tine police and other otiicefs.
From the number OF cbarIots that ireqae1tly
the wealth and importance oI the owners or
drivers, these races must have been rare treats
u the racing pubic of ancient Greece. We
nave no information about the regulations re-
iatIn5 10 the weight OF the riders, but oil
competitors mai to undergo d sort of preliminary
erainIng tor thirty days before the races, W
may suppose sucn rules 10 have existed. Ile
ancIents To1o without saddles, anu consequently
without stIrrurs. Al the olympic games the
riders discarded ali clothing, the bi5 ana orr Ie
and "nip iJfmed the sole acc0utremepJs. No
pefsoh " no had been guilty vi any eacIIiIs IUus
a5t, or nad been Dr4nueu wIGa AUiIuIa, was a.
lowed 10 enter his horses. Com petItors had
even 10 prove that they tree men, vi pure
Hellenic b-ood anu that they had undergone the
necessary training. The only priz5 gwen to the
winner Vss.s an olive Crowd, cut from the sacred
tree which grew IN The grove or AItis in O1ymp-
ID PAIN branches wrre also PilceQ III MS
HANDS. his name, family, and native country
were publicly proclaimed before the Tepresen-
tatiyes Ut Gssem Dled Greece, his statue was
placed III the AltIs, anu he himself re-eutered
MS native town In d IrIum pDal procession, and
poets sang his praises IN loItIest Not
outstanding Tue admirable manner n which
these games were conducted, ana the strictly
honorable feature winch they bore, 0ailnQueLts
among Tie competitors were lax from unooui-
mon Every TIGer or eharlCEeer was bound IN
hCnor To VIA the race ii ne couid. Bribery
HSo strictly iGfji4U6u. ana tUniSaeL Dy h6aFy
lines out We learn Iroln PausanIas that sucn III.
stances were frequent, attssted by the NJ
nerous statues 10 Orecian deltios 10 lie eeen II
bis time III the sacred grove. Inc cost of these
statues was betrayed by taes fJr bribery.
The Roman horse ana chariot races took
place the Circus 4uaXimua AID although
Iormed ca the model OF the Greek races, they
diner irom them IL some res poets. Hoses were
drawn ahead OF d chalked rope (AIraunea)
mn "a, ft..4
u which 1t Was AttscLel, ana ialr start was
anus elected. Inc 81 nal TOR dropping the rope
was gwen either by the sound OF trumpet, or
by letting faII napkin, hence the expression Of
Juyenai, spectacular InapEe.' Ii Is SAID that
tins later custom arose from the occasion Of
Nero throwing down his napkin when at dinner
as signal TO start the race, 70: which the peo-
pie We're becoming Impatient.
Ihe usual number Of charIots which started
Ior each race was four. The drivers were also
divided mo Jour companies, each distinguished
by cIhtTent color, TO represent the four seasons
OIL the year thus, green represented the spring,
rec the summer, azure the autumn, and the
white the winter. The driver stood III his
within the reIns, which went around his back.
his enabled him 10 throw eli / is weight against
the horses by leaning backward, but it greatly
enhanced his danger III case OF upset,
caused TIE death of Hippo ytus. TO avoid the
peril, Il sort OF knight or bIilhook was carried al
the vast ior the purpose of cutting the reins in
d case OF emergency. Down the centre Of the
area Of the circus there ran long low wall,
called the spina, and the course was so many,
generally seven, tirnes round this wall. In
Rome, unlike Greece, the winning characters or
riders received, as the prize, money, often IN
large sums; hence they were frequently men of
considerable wealth. Cards of the races, with
the names and cOlors OF the riders and drivers,
were handed about and betting was carried on
with perhaps as much vigor IN the days Of an
cieEt Rome Us III those OF mo45.n England.