![]() ![]() If you come in any other way, she shall not be your wife." And Pelias laughed, and drove the young man out of his palace. If you want her, you must come for her in a chariot drawn by a lion and a wild boar. "No one shall have my daughter," said the old king, "until he proves that he is worthy to be my son-in-law. Most other nations of this time had chariots of similar design to the Greeks, the chief differences being the mountings. They had from four to eight spokes and tires of bronze or iron. The wheels and basket of the chariot were usually of wood, strengthened in places with bronze or iron. The reins were passed through rings attached to the collar bands or yoke, and were long enough to be tied round the waist of the charioteer to allow him to defend himself. The reins were mostly the same as those in use in the 19th century, and were made of leather and ornamented with studs of ivory or metal. Besides this the harness of each horse consisted of a bridle and a pair of reins. At the end of the pole was the yoke, which consisted of two small saddles fitting the necks of the horses, and fastened by broad bands round the chest. The central pole was probably attached to the middle of the axle, though it appears to spring from the front of the basket. ![]() Greek games 2000 b.c driver#There was no seat, and generally only enough room for the driver and one passenger.Īthena on a Chariot, 4th century BC, Cyprus ![]() At the back the basket was open, making it easy to mount and dismount. At the front and sides of the basket was a semicircular guard about 3 ft (1 m) high, to give some protection from enemy attack. There was no suspension, making this an uncomfortable form of transport. The body or basket of the chariot rested directly on the axle connecting the two wheels. Greek chariots appear to have lacked any other attachment for the horses, which would have made turning difficult. The biga itself consists of a seat resting on the axle, with a rail at each side to protect the driver from the wheels. If two additional horses were added, they were attached on each side of the main pair by a single bar or trace fastened to the front of the chariot, as may be seen on two prize vases in the British Museum from the Panathenaic Games at Athens, Greece, in which the driver is seated with his feet resting on a board hanging down in front close to the legs of his horses. Greek chariots were made to be drawn by two horses attached to a central pole. Chariots were retained only for races in the public games, or for processions, without undergoing any alteration apparently, their form continuing to correspond with the description of Homer, though it was lighter in build, having to carry only the charioteer. The chariots fell out of use with the end of the Mycenaean civilization, and even in the Iliad, the heroes use the chariots merely as a means of transport, and dismount before engaging the enemy. The Linear B ideogram for a chariot (B240, D800 DCCC ) is an abstract drawing, showing two four-spoked wheels. Administrative records in Linear B script, mainly in Knossos, list chariots (wokha) and their spare parts and equipment, and distinguish between assembled and unassembled chariots. The Mycenaean Greeks made use of chariots in battle. Chariot races continued to be popular in Constantinople until the 6th century. 2000 BC and their usage peaked around 1300 BC (see Battle of Kadesh). The earliest spoke-wheeled chariots date to ca. As horses were gradually bred to be larger and stronger, chariots gave way to cavalry. Chariots were effective in war only on fairly flat, open terrain. In these times, most horses could not support the weight of a man in battle the original wild horse was a large pony in size. The critical invention that allowed the construction of light, horse-drawn chariots for use in battle was the spoked wheel. Early forms may also have had four wheels, although these are not usually referred to as chariots. It was used for battle during the Bronze and Iron Ages, and continued to be used for travel, processions and in games after it had been superseded militarily. In Latin biga is a two-horse chariot, and quadriga is a four-horse chariot. A chariot is a two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle. ![]()
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