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Terracotta plaque with a chariot-racing scene
Height: 30.500 cm
Length: 40.500 cm
Townley Collection
GR 1805.7-3.337 (Terracotta D 627)
Chariot-racing in ancient Rome
Terracotta plaque with a chariot-racing scene
The scene shows a quadriga (four-horse chariot) thundering towards the three cones of the meta (turning post). The charioteer wears a cap, leggings, and a short tunic with fasciae (protective leather straps). The reins are passed tightly around his waist. Disappearing behind the meta is a hortator, a horsemen who rode among the chariots to encourage the contestants during the race. The turns were the point of maximum danger, where the charioteer and the inside lead -horse played a critical role.
In every race the chariots made seven laps of the circus. A good charioteer who kept close to the central island (i) and took the turns as tightly as possible, would drive around 5,200 metres from start to finish. Modern racetracks (for mounted horses) are usually 2,000 -3,000 metres.
The name of the maker of the panel, Anniae Arescusa, appears in a panel above the horses. Plaques of this type were originally used to decorate the upper parts of the walls of porticoes and shrines, and occasionally private houses.