CHARIOT, a half coach, having only a seat behind, with a stool before. The chariots of the ancients, chiefly used in war, were called by the several names of bigae, trigae, or quadrigae, according to the number of horses used to draw them. Every chariot carried two men, who were probably the warrior and the charioteer; and we read of several men of note and valour employed in driving the chariot. When the warriors came to encounter in close fight, they alighted from the chariot and fought on foot; but when they were weary, which often happened by reason of their armour, they retired into their chariot, and thence annoyed their enemies with darts and missile weapons. These chariots were so strongly built that they lasted for several generations.

Besides this sort, we find frequent mention of the eurnu falcati, or chariots armed with hooks or scythes,-with which whole ranks of soldiers were sometimes cut off when they had not the art of avoiding the danger. These were not only used by the Persians, Syrians, Egyptians, and other eastern nations; for we find them also among the ancient Britons; and, notwithstanding the imperfect state of some of the most necessary arts among that nation before the invasion of the Romans, it is certain that they had war-chariots in great abundance. By the Greek and Roman historians these chariots are described by the various names of henna, petoritum, currus or carrus, covinus, essedum, and rheda. The henna seems to have been a chariot designed rather for travelling than for war. It contained two persons, who were called comhennones, from their sitting together in the same vehicle. The petoritum seems to have been a larger kind of chariot than the henna, and is thought to have derived its name from the British word pedwar, signifying four, as this kind of carriage had four wheels. The carrus or currus was the common cart or waggon. This kind of chariot was used by the ancient Britons, in time of peace, for the purposes of agriculture and merchandise; and, in time of war, for carrying their baggage, and wives and children, who commonly followed the armies of all the Celtic nations. The covinus was a war chariot, and a very terrible instrument of destruction, being armed with sharp scythes and hooks for cutting and tearing all who happened to come within its reach. This kind of chariot was made very slightly, and had few or no men in it besides the charioteer, being designed to drive with great force and rapidity, and to do execution chiefly with its hooks and scythes. The essedum and nWawere also war-chariots, probably of a larger size and stronger make than the covinus, being designed for containing a charioteer to conduct it, and one or two warriors to fight. The greater number of the British war-chariots seem to have been of this kind. These chariots, as we have already observed, were found in great numbers among the Britons; insomuch that, according to Caesar, Cassivelaunus, after dismissing all his other forces, retained no fewer than four thousand war-chariots about his person. Th⅛ same author relates, that by continual practice they had arrived at such perfection in the management of their chariots, that in the most steep and difficult places they could stop their horses upon full stretch, turn them which way they pleased, run along the pole, rest on their harness, and throw themselves back into their chariots with incredible dexterity.

Chariots, in the Heathen Mythology, were sometimes consecrated to the sun; and the Scripture observes that Josiah burnt those which had been offered to the sun by the kings, his predecessors. This superstitious custom was an imitation of the heathens, and principally of the Persians, who had horses and chariots consecrated in· honour[7:6:327] of the sun. Herodotus, Xenophon, and Quintus Curtius, speak of white chariots crowned, which were consecrated to the sun, among the Persians and in their ceremonies were drawn by white horses consecrated to the same luminary.

Triumphal Chariot, was one of the principal ornaments of the Roman celebration of a victory.

The Roman triumphal chariot was generally made of ivory, and round like a tower, or rather of a cylindrical figure. It was sometimes gilded at the top, and ornamented with crowns; and, to represent a victory more naturally, it was usual to stain it with blood. It was commonly drawn by four white horses; but oftentimes by lions, elephants, tigers, bears, leopards, and dogs.