The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-01-03
THE CHARIOT OF OLD
A GRIM REMINDER OF THE coMBATS
OF THE HEROIC PERIOD.

This Vehicle Was Used In the Days
OF Antiquity For the Battle, the
Chase, In ProccsSions and In
Gamcs--How II WAS Constructed.
The chariot was used in antiquity
for the battle, the chase, in public pro
cessions and in games. 1t had two
wheels and was drawn by two horses,
and when pne or two horses were add
ed they WIRE attached to each side OF
the main pair by IL 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 muse
um of Florence which is n unique OK
ample of war chariot, the so called
"Biga di Frassino," found 10y Rossell
neo In Thebes tomb. 1t Is certainly
as old us the fourteenth century Il. Q.
1t is probably II trophy obtained in the
north by some Egyptian warrior.
There Is an entire absence of metal
in the construction. Immediately ON
the axle, without springs of any kind.
rests the basket, or body. of the chart.
OF, which consisted of n floor to stand
on and semicircular guard around
the front and about half the height of
tie driver. 1t is entirely open ut the
back, so that the combatauts might
leap to the ground and up again. rs be
came necessary by the exigencles of
action. There was no seat, and gener
ally In war chariots there was only
room for the combatant and his chart
oteer to stand In.
The pole. as in the present Instance,
was usually attached to the middle of
the axle, although to outward appear
anccs 1t looked as though 1t sprang
from the front of the basaet. At the
end of the pole was the yoke, which
looked like rams horns Depending
from this by leather thongs was n
shaped piece, which probably 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 n bride and pair OF reins
somewhat in the same style as are In
useat the present day. These We're made
of leather and were ornamented with
studs OF ivory and metal. The reins
were passed through rings attached
to the collar aud were long enough to
be tied around the waist Of the chariot.
Ger In case of his having to defend him
self.
The wheels and body We're usually of
NC Il. strengthened In places with
bronze or iron The wheels be.d from
four to eight spokPS and the tires
were of bropize or iron Din the present
instance ash was used, ana the pins
which secured the fellics were of fossil
bone.
This description applied TO the chart
OTIS of almost any OF the nations of nm
| tiquity the difference consisting chief
ly in the mouniiugs Thus the chariots
of the Egyptians and Assyrians. viii
I whom the bow was the principal arm
of attack, were richly mounted viii
| qu IS full of arrows. while those oi
{ rceks. who used the spear, were
| pIon except as regards mere dccora
| lions. The persans and the ancient
Britons used class OF charlots having
the wheels mounted with sharp. sickle
shaped blades. which cut to pieces
whatever came in their way. This was
probably the invention 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
Ger, was driven in front of the line to
invite hostile warriors to single com
bat. After the strategic skill Of n com.
mandcr superseded the demands on
his personal valor the chariot WAS
transferred from the battlefield TO the
hppodromc, where alone It's original
form was preserved. The description
OF the Homcric battle chariot, there
fore, to great extent also applies to
the historic chariot of the race course.
The small diameter OF the chariot
wheel may be explained from the de
sire of preventing the chariot from be
ing opposed by the impediments in the
battlefield. such as debris or dead bod
les. The rim was usually formed Of
four fellles, into which the four sp0kes
were let. The upper rail- which was of
either wood or metal, varied greatly in
form and was intended to be grasped
by the warrior on jumping on to the
chariot, while the front part served for
fastening the reins and the traces of
the wheel horses" In the Roman trl-
umphal chariot covering of leather
served to ward off missiles, and later
on the sides were composed of strong
boards.
Unfortunately we know very little of
the vehicles of everyday use In those
days. They nearly all seem to be va
rlety OF what we now term the gig
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