The chariot is the oldest type of military equipment. What is a chariot, how was it used by the inhabitants of ancient countries? Read about this and much more in the article below.
The invention of chariots
Before proceeding to a detailed analysis of this ancient form of technology, it is necessary to find out an important thing. Not everyone knows what a chariot is, what it is. In fact, this is a wagon that had two or four wheels, in which horses harnessed. The cart was driven by a man called the charioteer. And chariots were used in military operations, sports and ritual processions.
Scientists suggest that the Sumerians invented chariots in the fourth millennium BC. They already knew how to control animals from the body and invented the wheel. The Sumerians initially donkeys harnessed to the chariot. Gradually, the wagon increased its functionality.
If its first function was transport, then later it became a mobile fire center in battle (it was easy to throw darts and shoot arrows from it). Gradually, a convenient invention migrated to other countries. Many peoples have learned what a chariot is and began to apply this innovation.
Egyptian chariots
From about the second millennium BC, the Egyptians began to use the invention of the Sumerians. Already during the reign of the Hyksos pharaohs, chariots became the main striking force of the army. The largest chariot battle in history is known - the Battle of Kadesh, in which more than seven thousand chariots took part. The Egyptian chariots were very fast and maneuverable, they burst into the enemy camp and rushed from flank to flank, destroying everything in its path.
With the development of riding, the fighting vehicle in ancient Egypt began to be used less, although the cavalry could not replace it in terms of force of blows. But the riders were many times cheaper than chariots.
Sickle-nosed Chariots
According to scientists, this type of chariot appears in 479-401 BC. e. What is a sickle-bearing chariot and how does it differ from its predecessors? Its main function is not a powerful combat strike, but a psychological attack. She had to have an impact, reduce the morale of the enemy infantry in a head-on collision. In this regard, it was necessary to create a new kind of troops - fearless, not afraid to rush towards the enemy and death. The wagon was designed for 4 horses, had large wheels. Sickles about 90 cm in size were attached to the axles of the wheels. The enemy’s losses from the use of sickle-chariots were not great, but they gave a psychological effect. Due to the lack of versatility, the use of military vehicles over time came to naught.
Chariots of Ancient Greece
Initially, in Greece, a chariot performed only a transport role. She delivered the warrior in armor to the scene of the battle. If the warrior did not die, the chariot with the charioteer took him back. It happened that they were used in battle, but it was dangerous. For the cart, you need a flat battlefield, since the drawbar on the bumps can break, then the horses will suffer. This is fraught with the death of a warrior on a chariot.
The ancient chariot of Greece was very often used outside the battlefield. The Greeks loved to arrange chariot races, later they even entered the program of the Olympic Games.
Along with the progress came new technical combat innovations, pushing the war chariots to the background, and then completely displacing them. By the end of their existence, these wagons have become not so much participants in hostilities as indicators of the nobility and wealth of their master. To maintain just one chariot required a lot of land (for horses) and personnel caring for animals and the chariot itself. Soon, the content of all this became unprofitable, and the chariots sunk into oblivion.