How is chariot racing arena like?

Answer 1

Chariot Racing was one of the most popular ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine sports. Chariot racing was often dangerous to both driver and horse as they frequently suffered serious injury and even death, but generated strong spectator enthusiasm. In ancient times, Horse racing, the ancient equivalent to Formula One. To find the origins of actual chariot racing we have to turn to Greece and the islands of the Aegean. In the fourteenth to twelfth centuries BC, first the Minoan, and later the Mycenean, culture inhabited what was subsequently seen as the cradle of European civilization. The ongoing excavations and exciting discoveries of the last hundred years are still changing our view of the world before the classic age. They have also shed some light on the development of horse racing as a sport.

The masses who gathered divided into their favourite colours. The seating order reflected the different strata of Roman society with the first rows reserved for senators, high ranking officials and the Vestal Virgins. Then came the knights, the guilds and colleges and finally the common people. Even the different orders of priests had their own place. A number of vivid descriptions exist telling how the audience -- in the Circus Maximus between 100,000-250,000 -- noisily greeted the emperor, addressed him with thoroughly orchestrated chants, gained benefits, had officials suspended or simply expressed their dedication to their rulers. It was here where political events and personalities were discussed and approval or discontent expressed. Often enough riots broke out in the heated atmosphere of the races with horrific results.One after the other the chariots were released with the ones in the middle starting last. After 320m in straight lanes, a Trumpet was blown, on which signal they were allowed to leave the lanes and the race began in earnest. Now they entered the U-shaped course itself, marked by two turning posts, in Greek `nyssa', with a distance of three stadiums between them, i.e. 576m. It seems most likely that there were short, middle and long distance races. Apart from these, there were different disciplines, like two- and four-handed races, or different animals were raced; foals, mares, stallions, mules and asses. It has been suggested that races with female drivers took place but this seems unlikely.

As you can see, the race arena was not like a gladiator arena but the same result in the death of the competitors was acomplished.