San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-05-14
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GREEK HORSE RACES.
Kings and Princes Sometimes Drove Their
Own Horses in the Olympic Games.

Kings and Princes Sometimes Drove Their
Own Horses in the Olympic Games.
The most brilliant and exciting con-
tests of the festival were the chariot
and horse races. They took place in the
hippodrome, adjoining the stadium.
The structure itself no longer exists,
and we are dependent upon analogous
buildings and upon literature for its re-
construction. The portion Immediately
adjoining the altis was an artificial en-
bankment, with seats backing against
those of the stadium. Farther on the
rolling slope formed a natural stand for
the spectators. The dimensions of the
hippodrome are not definitely known,
but are put with some probability at
two stadia in length and about 600 feet
in breadth. AS with the races in the
stadium, the chariot and horse races
also involved a sharp turn, so that tho
course was traversed several times be-
fore the finish. Pindar, in his lode 10
Arcesilas," speaks of tires'12 swift turns
of the sacred course"
The relative positions of the chariots
at the start were determined by lot;
but, as there was a natural difference
between the inside and the outside
track, this difference was neutralized
by a device in the manner of starting
invented by Cleoetas. This is described
by Pausanias as in shape like the PROV
of ship, with partitioned stalls, in
which the chariots and horses took their
stand. In front of the chariots was ex-
tended q rope. First the ropes on the
extremities were slackened, and when
the horses stationed there advanced as
far as the horses in the second stalls
then the ropes there were slackened,
and so on until all started fair at the
lbeak. This shows that a number of
chariots started together; how many
is uncertain. When Pindar speaks Of
the 40 characters who fell in the
Pythian contest in which Arcesilas cor
quered he is not at variance with Sopho-
cles, who relates that ten chariots then
started together, for the races were
doubtless run in heats. Alcibiades alone
sent seven chariots to Olympia, win
ming the first, second and fourth prizes.
- In the CHARIOT race the skill Of the
driver told far more than the speed Of
the horses. After the trumpet had
sounded and the bronze dolphin had
been lowered and the bronze eagle
raised as signal for the start, his cool
head in the first bolt for the lead, AMI
amid the dust clouds of the course and
at the taraxippos-thatt terror of horses,
the turning post-often guided slower
horses with success to the finish, where
beside the judges stood a statue of
Hippodameia holding a fillet for the
victor.
Long after the quadriga had ceased
to be used in active warfare the chariot
race fourished in the great national
games. It was the event in which the
rich and powerful, princes and kings
took part, and sometimes themselves
appeared as characters. There ART
many memorials of these victories ir
Greek vase paintings, coins and gems
varying in character from serious rep
reservations of an actual race to allie
gorical and symbolic scenes in which
Cupids and winged Victories are the
charioteers.-Prof. Allan Marquand, In
Century.