As Marcus mounted upon his horse he
could hear the sounds of the procession as they echoed through the valley.
Returning to his villa for only a brief moment he set down the hill and into
the valley towards the Circus Maximus. The day’s sun had reached its highest
point in the sky but a cool breeze tunneled through the valley and kept him
cool. The day’s festivities seemed to only remind him of the turmoil they
covered. Since his return home with Caesar he had become more aware of the
cities moral implications. However, entertainment kept the people motivated and
allowed them to shed their anxieties for the day.
Upon entering the Circus,
Marcus was greeted by several acquaintances of senatorial position. Thousands
of citizens from every class surrounded the U-shaped arena just behind its
elaborately ornamented barrier. Chariot racing was the most popular
sport in Rome, appealing to all social classes from slaves to Julius Caesar
himself. This appeal was no doubt enhanced by the private betting that went on,
although there was no public gambling on the races. Passions
were intense both on and off the track and Marcus was always captivated by the
sensation of competition. As the charioteers drew lots for their position in
the starting gates the crowd began to settle in.
At the open end of
the Circus Maximus, Marcus could see the twelve four horse chariots jostling
into their starting positions. There were four
chariot facing factions, the blues, greens, whites, and reds, the colors of
which were worn by respective charioteers. The factions rivaled greatly. In
light of the spirited competition Marcus joined the voices of the crowed and began
to voice his support for the Blue faction. At the drop of the white cloth the twelve
teams of horses thundered onto the track. At each end
of the spina were seven lap markers, one of which was removed after each lap ran
by the charioteers. The noise of the arena was deafening as the competitors
fought for position, lapping the sandy track counter-clockwise.
The strategy was
to avoid running too fast at the beginning of the race, since seven full laps
had to be run, but to try to hold a position close to the barrier. As the last
marker was removed, signifying the final lap, Marcus began to cheer again for
the blue faction. As the winning charioteer crossed the finish there was uproar
in the crowd. To Marcus’s delight a member of the blue faction was victorious.
As the winner processed around the arena with the reins about his waist,
supporters of the blue faction cheered. The presiding magistrate entered onto
the track and ceremoniously presented the victorious charioteer with a palm branch and a wreath. Fortunately for the
losing supporters this was not the only race of the day.
