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Article: Chariot racing.
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- October 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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To the ancient Greeks, the chariot was always associated with heroes. Light, two-wheeled carts pulled by horses were first used as tools of war in the Bronze Age (3500-1000 B.C.). The Greeks remembered this distant time as the era of their greatest legends, including the Trojan War. Warriors in this heroic period rode to battle in these two-wheeled chariots. A driver was onboard to do the steering, allowing the warrior to focus all his attention on defeating the enemy.
These vehicles were the equipment of aristocrats. Initially, this type of warfare was reserved for those who could afford a chariot and a team of horses. Chariot racing, therefore, started as a type ...