A Day At The Races In Ancient Rome

Think ‘Roman sport’ and images of Kirk Douglas, Russell Crowe, Paul
Mescal and other Hollywood gladiators may come to mind. But while
the Romans were partial to blood-sports, chariot-racing was the
really big thing.  The archaeological remains of
chariot-racing tracks have been found all over the Roman Empire,
but none suggest a scale or grandeur close to the Circus Maximus in
Rome. At full capacity, we think it could take a quarter of a
million people - that’s twice the largest football stadium
today.  In this episode, Mary and Charlotte recreate what a
day at the races was actually like for the Romans. They describe
how chariot-racing worked as a sport, what the experience may have
been like for the spectators (courtesy of the poet Ovid), although
remain stumped by the not insignificant issue of how a quarter of a
million people went to the loo when archeological labour has - so
far - only discovered one, solitary toilet.  They also
describe how the chariot-racing industry worked, and the phenomenal
wealth that prize charioteers acquired (Cristiano Ronaldo looks
underpaid in comparison).  Ultimately, it is impossible to
draw comparisons with sporting events today because chariot-racing
at the Circus Maximus was far more than entertainment. It played a
hugely important role in the political life of the empire as one of
the few places where the people in large numbers could encounter
the emperor . As a consequence, it was not only a site for
chariot-racing but for mass public protest. How the emperor
behaved, before the gaze of the city, was critical to his
popularity. While no emperor was ever unseated at the Circus
Maximus, it gave his enemies a chance to see whether the people
would mind if something unpleasant happened to him later. 
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X email: instantclassicspod@gmail.com To join the Instant Classics
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published every other Tuesday, and available exclusively for
members beginning 30th September. Sign up now with the promo code
EARLYBIRD25 to receive a 25% discount on membership.  Mary and
Charlotte’s recommended reads: For good introductions to the
“sport”, try: F. Meijer, Chariot Racing in the Roman Empire (Johns
Hopkins, 2010) J. Toner, The Day Commodus Killed a Rhino:
understanding the Roman Games (Johns Hopkins pb, 2015) The career
of the super successful Diocles is the theme of an online article
by Peter Struck:
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/greatest-all-time Mary
discusses the problems that emperors had at the races  in her
book Emperor of Rome (Profile pb, 2024) Instant Classics handmade
by Vespucci Producer: Jonty Claypole  Executive Producer: Jo
Meek  Senior Producer: Natalia Rodriguez Ford Video Editor:
Jak Ford Theme music: Casey Gibson Learn more about your ad
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