Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-12-15
THR BATTLE CHARIOT.
4 Vehicle That Is q Grim Rer1fndeF
of the Combats of the
Heroic Period.

The chariot was used in antiquity for
the battle, the chase, in public process
sions and in games 1t had two wheels
and was drawn by two horses, and when
one or two horses were added they were
attached TO each side of the main pair
by side trace, fastened to the front
of the chariot. These chariots have
only come down TO us in fragments,
with the exception of the one in the
Archaeological museum of Florence.
which is a unique example of war
chariot, the so-called 'Biga di Fras-
sino." found by Rosselineo in a tomb at
Thebes- 1t is certainly as old as the
fourteenth century. b. c. 1t is prob
ably a trophy obtained in the north {
by some Egyptian warrior. There IS
an entire absence OF metal in the con-
struction. Immediately on the axle,
without springs of any kind, rests the
basket or body of the chariot. which
consisted of a floor TO stand on, and
semi-circular guard around the front
and about half the height OF the driver.
1t is entirely open at the back, so that
the combatants might leap to the
ground and up again as became neces-
Sary by the ext gencies of action. There
was no seat, and generally in war char
lots there was only room for the COM
Blatant and his charioteer TO stand in.
The pole, as in the present instance.
was usually attached to the middle of
the axle, although to outward appear
ances it looked as though it sprang
from the front of the basket. AT the
end of the pole was the yoke, which
looked like a rams horns. Depending
l. IL
piece. which preferably took the place
of the modern horse collar. Probably
broad bands were also fitted around
the chest of the animals. Besides the
harness of each horse there were a
bride and a pair of reins somewhat in
the same style as in use at the present
day These were made of leather and
were ornamented with studs of ivory
and metal. The reins were passed
through rings attached to the collar,
and were long enough to be tied around
the waist of the charioteer in case of his
having to defend himself. The wheels
and body were usually of wood.
strengthened in places with bronze or
iron. The wheels had from four to
eight spol1es and the tires were of
bronze or iron lin the present instance
ash was used), and the pins which Sc
cured the felloes were of fossil bone.
This description applied TO the chariots
of almost any of the nations of an
tiquity. the difference consisting chief
ly in the mountings. Thus the char
lots of the Egyptians and Assyrians,
with whom the bow was the principal
arm of attack, were richly mounted
with Quivers full of arrows, while those
Of the Greeks, who used the spear, were
plain, except as regards mere decora-
TONS The Persians and the ancient
Britons used a class of chariots hay
ing the wheels mounted with sharp,
sick1e-shaped blades, which cut to
pieces whatever came in their way.
This was probably the intention of the
Persians.
The use of the battle chariot really
belongs to the heroic period. The war
rior standing by the side of his chariot
eer was driven in front of the line to
invite hostile warriors to single combat.
After the strategic skill of command
er superseded the demands on his per-
sonal valor, the chariot was transferred
from the battlefield TO the hippodrome,
where alone its original form was pre-
served The description of the Homeric
battle chariot therefore to i great ex-
tent also applies to the historic chariot
of the race course The small diam
eter of the chariot wheel may be ex-
planned from the desire of preventing
the chariot from being opposed by
the impediments in the battlefield, such
as debris or dead bodies The rim was
usually formed of four felloes in which
the four spokes were let. The upper
rail, which was of either wood or metal,
varied greatly in form, and was in
tended to be grasped by the warrior
on jumping onto the chariot, while
the front part served for fastening the
reins and the traces of the wheel
horses" In the Roman triumphal char
lot n covering of leather served to ward
off missiles, and later on the sides were
composed of strong boards. Unfortu-
nately we know very little of the We
hicles of everyday use. They nearly
all seemed to be a variety of what we
now term the ''gig--Scientific Amer
lean.