Alongside gladiator fights, chariot races were probably one of the most spectacular leisure activities in Roman society. The custom of chariot racing dates back to the time of the Greeks and still fascinates young and old today. But the races were not just for entertainment - they also had great political significance. The topic of the month January, the Nika Uprising (see Topic of the Month January 2025), has already illustrated this in detail.
In ancient Rome, various parties, some of which even enjoyed imperial support, competed against each other in the Circus Maximus. The charioteers, known as agitatores, exposed themselves to great danger with risky maneuvers.
Although the sport was dominated by men, there is evidence that women also took part in chariot races among the Greeks. One example is Kyniska, the first known woman to win an Olympic chariot race. However, there are also various inscriptions dating back to the 4th century BC that document the victories of women in chariot races. These were mainly upper-class women, particularly the wives of the Ptolemies, who were able to secure significant victories for their families through the races. For example, a poem by Poseidippus attests to Berenice's victory in a chariot race:
"Sing, all singers, of my glory, if you like to proclaim what is known, because my fame (as victor) comes from long ago. For my grandfather Ptolemy won with the chariot, driving his horses over the racecourse of Pisa. Berenice, my father's mother, also won." (Poseidippus, Hippika 78, translation by Martin Hose)
But women were also to be found at Roman races and attended the popular sporting events together with their husbands.
The importance of chariot races for women is also shown by a Roman city inscription (CIL VI 10051), which we want to use to bring a previously unknown woman into the public eye on the occasion of International Women's Day.
Carisia Nesis had an inscription made with the important racing successes of a charioteer in the years 13-25 AD. This suggests a certain amount of wealth, as such commissions were associated with considerable costs. The charioteer mentioned in the plaque, Scirtus, was probably the slave of Carisia. His unusual success was that he managed to come first for the white party in more than ten races. He also came second or third in around 100 other races. Carisia herself was a freedwoman: another woman from the Carisier family had set her free. Even if Carisia's relationship with Scirtus cannot be clearly established, her interest in his success may well have been of a commercial nature. It may have been her cars that he drove to victory or she may have had a share in it because, as his owner, she hired out this talented driver and made a tidy profit in the process.
Annalena Schwettlick
Picture credits: www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/galleria-lapidaria/sezione-xi--iscrizioni-di-vario-contenuto--ultime-acquisizioni/lastra-con-epitaffio-di-un-auriga.html
