Among the most important inventions of mankind fully include war chariots, which are carts designed for two people, which were set in motion by race animals. The warriors on them were much less tired than moving on foot; they did not need to carry heavy weapons on themselves, which is why they were much more willing to engage in battle and win. But who controlled this ancient transport? We offer to find out.
War chariot
A war chariot appeared more than 2.5 millennia ago and was actively used in military affairs. Her purpose was to ensure the mobility of warriors, their faster movement. That is why armies with such a vehicle often won victories.
What is a charioteer in the ancient world? This is one of the warriors who was on the chariot. His responsibilities included managing horses, and often he played the role of a shield-bearer, giving warriors who entered into hand-to-hand combat a new weapon to replace damaged in battle. It was the driver who watched the horse during the battle and all the time was in the very center of bloodshed, so his fate cannot be called easy.
On the role of charioteers
Understanding the meaning of war chariots allows us to determine what combat chariots are . These are people whose functions included managing these vehicles. So, with the invention of the bow and arrows, the methods of warfare also changed, now the enemy could be hit at a distance, but maneuverability and speed were required. And the manager of the wagon made every effort to make it convenient for his "partner" archer to hit the target.
Gradually, the design of the chariots becomes more complicated, it acquires two axles and a special structural element - a large shield that protects the soldiers on it. The team becomes a striking force, ready to bring confusion into the ranks of enemy troops. What is the driver in this case? This is not just a horse manager, but also a strategist whose task it was to direct the animal into the heat of battle so that it would trample or cripple as many opponents as possible with its powerful hooves.
In the country of the pyramids
Consider what a charioteer in ancient Egypt. In the country of the pharaohs, war chariots were actively used, constantly improving and becoming more effective from the dynasty to the dynasty. They were the main fighting force of the Egyptian army, and the drivers played a significant role in this. On their shoulders lay the control of the horses and the wagon itself.
To this day, mentions of chariot battles of ancient epochs have reached:
- So, Thutmose III, who went down in history as a gifted commander and a brilliant strategist, was able to defeat the Palestinian-Syrian army with the help of skillfully placed combat vehicles.
- About 7 thousand chariots took part in the bloody battle of Kadesh.
All this suggests that the role of such transport in the ancient world was very great. So, having examined what a charioteer is in Ancient Egypt, we found out that this is a warrior whose duties included driving a chariot.
The end of the chariot era
With the development of horseback riding, mankind has gradually lost interest in war chariots. It was much simpler and cheaper to keep riding horsemen, who, although they did not possess such fighting force as powerful heavy wagons, were faster. Their content was not so ruinous for the state treasury. Therefore, the chariots left the historical path.
But the question of what the charioteer was still relevant. Now this word has acquired a slightly different meaning and has become synonymous with the modern coachman. The drivers, as before, controlled the horse teams, but they no longer led them into battle, but transported high-ranking officials or priests.
Sport chariots
We examined what charioteer in ancient Egypt and the definition of the term. However, you should not think that these people found their use exclusively in the military industry. No, chariots and their stewards were very popular in sports. The wagon itself was a lightweight structure with an open top and a protected front. Several horses could be harnessed to this, therefore there were several types of teams:
- Two horses harnessed to the bigu.
- Triga is a chariot with three horses.
- Quadriga - with four.
It was the charioteer who managed such a team, who was to show his skills at sports competitions and come to the finish line first. In ancient Rome, such leaps reached an unprecedented peak. There are frequent cases when, wanting to show his skills, the charioteer harnessed a dozen horses to the harness.
Charioteers in later times
After the last page of the history of the ancient world was closed, the drivers did not disappear, but more often became known as cabmen. What is a charioteer in a more modern sense? This is also a person who manages a horse-drawn cart and carries passengers or goods. It was this type of transport that was most common in the 19th century and persisted at the beginning of the 20th century, until the advent of automobiles. The word "charioteer" gradually disappeared from everyday life, being replaced by the synonyms "coachman" or "cabman", but the meaning did not change from this.
Private charioteers appeared, immigrants from the peasant milieu engaged in export fishing. In St. Petersburg, these people lived in settlements and had a difficult fate. They could be beaten with a whip, for the slightest offense sent to hard labor. The following categories of drivers were distinguished:
- Lomoviki - transported goods.
- Cunning men are the lucky owners of comfortable crews carrying extremely wealthy passengers.
- Vanka is the cheapest type of horse drawn cart.
- Darling - harnessed by a pair, more comfortable and more expensive.
All activities of the drivers were strictly regulated by the rules, which established even speed limits.
We examined what a charioteer is. According to the history of the ancient world and more modern sources, we can conclude that these people were very important both in the army and in peacetime for the transport of goods and passengers.