The Brutal Truth Behind Ancient Rome's Chariot Races

A look into what ancient Rome's chariot races were really like.

#RaceToTheDeathRomesCarioteers #Channel4Documentary #Channel4 #Documentary

[qaryoko]

To me, as a motorsports race fan, this is where it all started. Man..what a sight it would have been to be at the Circo Massimo. with 150k spectators watching a race. What a spectacle. I have been to many Formula 1 races in my life, all around the world. I would give them all up to watch this, just once.

[HO-bndk]

The ghosts of thousands of Roman charioteers are looking at this guy and saying "What a noob!" 😀

[UNSF]

If the chariot cart can be constructed with carbon fiber, with stronger, more comfortable harness and protective gear for both horses and men, I wonder if this could ever be revived in the Olympics?

Controlling 2-4 horses like this shows some real skills both at controlling speed and understanding horse temperament. That is some real skill and so exciting to watch.

If multiple racer in an oval ring is still too dangerous, perhaps a time attack like rally racing could be adopted, with obstacles (like inflated balloon gates) that must be carefully navigated.

[timetraveltvniles]

The Romans used much smaller horses when chariot racing then these ones.

[persiangulfbaghdad]

today the roman chariot race is like a formula 1 grand prix, it's like ferrari, mclaren, willams and renault perspectively

[hefeibao]

This needs to be a much longer video. Personally I'd rather watch this than auto racing, anyone else?

[brianfuller]

Great video. Being a chariot racer was definitely a serious job and the race was a serious spectacle. Considering that the racing chariot could reach 35+ mph speeds, it could have been quite exciting and dangerous. While definitely less dangerous that being a gladiator, racing chariots was not easy.

[lucycasey]

I was just learning about this and it is really fascinating. I love it and 8m so interested in historical things I'm reading a book about villainous Victorians!

[vivamigorky]

The best auriga of all times, Cayo Apuleyo Diocles, came from Hispania and was in action for 23 years.

[VinceCifarelli]

So dumb that they took the full 45 min documentary down

[thedruiddiaries]

It would also be about protection the horses pulling from competitors./ assault. wouldst it? I loved what you did here. this is an amazing presentation. Fantastic. I learned a great deal.

[beowulf.reborn]

What's the point of the outside horses if they're not attached to the Chariot?

[stoveone]

Awesome, such well behaved horses too.

[isntimportant]

What's the point of the outside horses if they don't pull?

[edwardrichardson]

It is surprising they would want 1000-pound quarter horses to pull a 5'6" 120 lb 20 year old on a micro-chariot. These were 7-lap races, you would want the gazelles, it's just a drag race to turn 1, right? The answer might be in Formula 1, where virtually all technical advancements to speed the cars up have been banned for 40+ years. The "formula" for the horses was set to heavier/slower for whatever reason. Dozens of races were scheduled per day, at one point for 60+ days out of the year. If you're running double-time w/ fast light horses now you've got to schedule double the races, double the riders, etc. It was also probably an aesthetic choice. There is also the toughness of quarter-horses, which you can see in rodeo and barrel riding, so in the melee you are more likely to have a survivor. Also, the breeders have a good stock of horses possibly used by the legions. Pliny the Younger gives us a vivid, sober historical peek into it, clearly it is about betting and team worship (yes there were stadium riots and the riders even made political statements like 'taking a knee') not speed. In a way, it was more like NASCAR than the rarified world of Formula 1:

"The races are on, a spectacle which has not the slightest attraction for me. It lacks novelty and variety. If you have seen it once, then there is nothing left for you to see. So it amazes me that thousands and thousands of grown men should act like children, wanting to look at horses running and men standing on chariots over and over again. If it was the speed of the horses or the skill of the drivers that attracted them, there would be some sense in it - but in fact it is simply the colour. That is what they back and that is what fascinates them." - Pliny the Younger, letter to a friend (c. AD 105)

[obedbhiziki]

How do they not fall off all the time? The horses in the video weren’t even jogging so imagine at full race speed.

[theheaterguyryan]

Tight up the two middle horses and steer with the outter ones l would love to try that.

[mattkeith]

I don’t believe him. I think he has done things like that with horses, many times. Listen to how excited he is.

[Charlestic]

I get that its dangerous for the horses...anyone ip for mororcycle chariots again?

[farukpatel]

i did not understand so it was not helpful and then i saw someone elses channel and there’s was better than this one😐😠