Article on chariot race in ancient rome

Yesterday, one of the most astounding chariot races ever was witnessed by around 250,000 people in the Circus Maximums. This enormous building, 600 meters long and 200 meters wide, which is the host of the popular chariot races, was so full not even a needle could have fit inside it. Today the four teams (red, white, blue, and green) presented their best racers for this season’s final race. The crowd was going wild as the presenter, renown tragedy actor Anthony Apollonus, announced each team’s 3 chariots and their corresponding racers. Between these 12 talented racers were Gaius Apuleis for the red, Tulius Capano for the white, Marcius Brunos for the blue, and Octavius Vonetis for the greens. You could see the crowd dividing into color sections, everybody shifting around to get to the place that matched their team color, and thus their clothing shade.
The race started punctually at 3:30, when the judges dropped the handkerchief. Immediately, the rope that blocked the entrance of the 12 boxes that contained the 12 chariots fell. Out went the 12 chariots pulled each by 2 horses, the standard number of horses in important races. In a matter of seconds, the green team was in the lead with Octavius Vonetis. The green crowd went up like crazy, and a deafening roar erupted from the audience. Vonetis whipped his horses, and they sped up. Directly behind him, Marcius Brunos and Gaius Apuleis were struggling to pass him. Gaius Apuleis lashed his horses, and they picked up the speed, passing Vonetis. Instantly another part of the arena rose up and started hollering. Some of the green crowd started shouting foul words, and Apollonus directed the audience to calm down. Suddenly Apuleis’s chariot stopped and Marcius Brunos who was right behind him took the lead, causing the blue multitude to start jumping around. He was the first to complete the first lap, followed by the rest. Without warning, Tulius Capano sped up drastically right after crossing the starting point and completing the first lap. He became the first in line, and the otherwise quiet white swarm proved that they were not as shy as they had seemed. Capano remained showing the way for the next two laps. Then, a blue contestant named Pompius Rameius took the lead. Soon, however, he was outdone by Vonetis. He had an eager face, which was replaced by a face full of anger when Brunos came up to his side. Vonetis, full of rage, directed a nasty gesture towards Brunos, who’s answer to this was bumping the greens chariot and making it slow down. The blue mass started yelling, laughing, and making the same gestures at the green multitude, which responded in the same way. The audience became a big mess of shouting people and rude gestures, but then came the voice of the actor announcing that there were only 2 laps left and the attention turned back to the race. At that moment Apuleis was ahead of the concentration of chariots by abut four feet. At the end of this thick throng was the white racer Capano. He was going slower than he had at any time in the race, and he was being left behind. The white crowd exploded with shouts and scolding for their best racer, who pretended not to hear the upheaval coming from the tiers of seats. The red crowd began to laugh and point at the whites, and the blue and green swarms took no time to follow suite. Apollonus announced with eagerness that only one lap was left, and this made all of the crowd rise up and engage fully on the race. All of the chariots were struggling to increase their pace, but the horses were tiered after running six laps, and so the general tempo was decreasing. When about 300 meters were missing to the finish line, Capano pounded his whip against his horses, who furiously sped up, and started leaving others behind. As if by magic, a great gasp of fear arose from the arena, followed by a deafening howl and a noisy but coordinated pattern of claps coming from the white mob.
Capano crossed the finish line, and the whites went crazy. They launched a cheer Capano, Capano… In second place came Brunos, followed by Vonetis, and Apuleis came in fourth. Capano climbed down from the chariot with a wide smile spread across his face. He waved and waved and the white crowd hollered and waved back. Then Apollonus presented the award ceremony and handed the money and the cup to Capano, who received it fervently.
This season was one of the most enthusiastic chariot racing seasons of all times. We witnessed some of the most skilled racers, and the Circus Maximus made more profit than ever. It is clear that this sport is becoming a bigger attraction by the minute, and that it is what the Roman people like. The next chariot racing season will be coming soon! Stay tuned for more chariot races!!!!!!