Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-04-28
THE CHARIOT OF OLD
A GRIM REMINDER OF THE COMBATS
OF THE HEROIC PERIOD.


This Vehicle wns Used In the Days
OF Antiquity For the Battle, the
Chase. In PROFESSIONS und In
Gnmes-IiOw II WINS Constructed.
The chariot was used in antiquity
for the battle, the chase, in public pro
ccSSionS and in games. 1t had two
wheels and waS drawn by two horses,
and when one or two horses were add
ed they We're 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 unique eX-
ample of Il war chariot, the so called
"Biga di FraSsino." found by RoSScli-
neo i'll Il ThcbCS tomb. 1t is certainly
as old as the fourteenth century Il. G.
1t is probably Il 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 az" kind,
rests the haS..ct, ,Udy. of TIL. chari-
OF, which consisted of floor to stand
on and Il SCmCirCular guard around
the front and about half the height of
tie driver. 1t is entirely open ut the
back, so that the combatants might
leap to the ground and up again. as be-
b came necessary by the cXi@cncicS of
action. There was no seat and gcncr-
ally in war chariOtS there was only
room for the combatant and his chari-
otecr to stand in.
The pole. rs 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 Il rams horns. Depending
from this by leather thongs WAS y
shaped piece. which probably took
the place of the modern horse collar.
Probably bread bands were also fitted
around the chest of the animals.
Besides the harness of each horse
there were Il bride and Il pair of rens
somewhat in the same style as are in
useat the present day. These were made
of leather and were ornamcntcd with
studs of ivory and metal. The reins
were passed through rings attached
to the collar and We're long enough to
be tied around the waist of the chariot
eer in case of his having to defend him
self
The wheels and body We're usually of
wood, strengthened in places with
bronze or iron. The wheels had from
four to eight Spokes, and the tires
were of bronze or iron Gn the present
instance ash was uSed), ana the pins
which secured the fellies were of fossil
bone
This description applied to the chari
OTIS of almost any of the nations of an
tiquity. the difference consisting chief
ly In the mountngS. Thus the chariOts
of the Egyptians and ASSyrianS, with
whom the bow was the principal arm
of attack, were richly mounted with
Quivcrs full of arrows, while those Of
the Greeks. who used the spear. We're
plain except rs regards mere dccora-
tions. The Pcrsians and the ancient
Britons used class of chariots 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
eer, was driven in front of the line to
invite hostile warriors to single COM
bat. After the strategic skill of COM
mander superseded the demands on
his personal valor the chariot was
transferred from the battlefield to the
hippOdrOme, where alone its original
form was preserved. The description
fore, to Il 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 fellies, into which the four spokcs
were let. The upper rail, which was of
either wood or metal varied greatly in
form and was intended to be graspcd
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 tri-
umphal chariot a 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 a va
riety of what we now term the gig
Scientific American.
Nm ExcuSl. INnr. CHIN, nn.-a