A massive crowd of people, cloaked in the colors of their
beloved athletes, slowly fill a 150,000-seat arena to cheer on
their favorite teams. Athletes enter the stadium amid great pomp
and circumstance as opposing fans hurl insults at one another and
place bets on the day's outcome. Although this familiar scene might
describe a contemporary football game, it also portrays a day at
the chariot races in ancient Rome, where racers were the sports
stars of the ancient world.
Following close on the heels of his successful book on
gladiators, Fik Meijer reveals all there is to know about chariot
racing in the Roman Empire. After recounting the Nika riot of 532
AD--where tens of thousands of people were killed after a
politically heated tournament of races--Meijer reviews the
historical background, organization, and popularity of these games.
He profiles the sport's famous teams, jockeys, and horses and
discusses how the whole business fed into the strategy of Juvenal's
"bread and circuses" to keep the citizenry happy.
Expertly translated by Liz Waters, "Chariot Racing in the Roman
Empire" also examines the political importance of these spectacles,
where patricians and plebeians alike filled the stadiums. Meijer
sees these contests not so much as an opiate for the people but as
a political barometer: the Circus Maximus was the only place in the
Empire where the supreme leader was confronted with the approval or
disapproval of his people.
Meijer makes use of scarce and obscure sources in this lively
narrative, describing an exciting race with such enthusiasm readers
will feel they are in the stands themselves. From the length of the
track and the need to ride small horses, to the risks, techniques,
and training methods involved in racing, Meijer recreates ancient
Rome's favorite pastime in impressive detail.
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