#charioteers

[illustratus]

Pompa Circensis by Julio Borrell Pla

[thegirlmirage]

I've been studying what I think is the historical origin for transphobia and I think the best answer I can give is it was an accident through monotheism post Egyptian rule. The ancient world had a niche in which temples formed and practiced a necessary action within society that you catch-all church won't do. Like transitions for example.

The ancient world was not a stranger to trans people, even if it didn't always know how to handle them. Trans women were generally regarded as strange men, and Trans Men were as mad women. But their temples existed and it was if not widely known, certainly widely practiced methods of estrogen and testosterone extraction, Bottom surgery, and top surgery. And they were exempt from laws forbidding those practices in a cis environment. There were pride parades, and even amazingly, drag bingo, club nights and crossdressing parties.

These didn't go away, we've always been practicing these even if we are missing the crucial education of that time. There's always been trannies making hospitals somewhere.

When you begin to unearth the historical data yourself it's actually staggering to see the enormity of what trans people have contributed frankly, to all expressions of art, creativity and communication. There's been times when that's been widely known and celebrated.

I can't argue that we always had a fair place in society, certainly the furthest back trans people I can guess at are likely doing highly dangerous work like charioteering, potentially for our tenuous place in that society, I cannot say without studying more.

This is the truth as I see it, as I can argue for. I pray to have the ability to educate this to the world, that there is no reason to hurt us and every reason to restore us to equal members of society. For society's chosen, pain is treated, injury is repaired, suffering is eased. If you understood the enormity of this injustice, it's my belief you would come to the same conclusions we have about our own safety, health and happiness.

Please always ask questions of your world

[mordicaifeed]

[equines-in-antiquity]

Clay figurine of three people in a chariot pulled by two horses. Cypro-Archaic period. c. 600 BCE. Currently in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece.

This figurine, similar to this one, is in the Free-field style. It often depicts humans, birds, fish, and animals. The horses are often painted with linear lines on their bodies. Here, the paint has mostly worn off. If you look closely at the horses’ mouths, you can see where the bit, the metal part of the bridle that goes in the horse’s mouth, would have went. The heads of the three men and the two horses, were cast in mold. This figurine may have been used as a toy.

[gregpoppleton]

Kid Ory 1949-55 Radio - Phantom Dancer 5 March Radio Show

Kid Ory 1949-55 Radio – Phantom Dancer 5 March Radio Show

FEATURE

One of the most influential musicians in early jazz, Kid Ory is this week’s Phantom Dancer feature artist with Greg Poppleton, in a series of broadcasts from 1949 and 1954.

PHANTOM DANCER

Hear this week’s Phantom Dancer (after 5 March) and past Phantom Dancers at 2ser.com. You can hear the show live every Tuesday 12:04-2pm on 107.3 2SER Sydney

KID ORY

Kid Ory was born in 1886 and began…

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[linkfinds]

🎵 DOO DOO DOO DOO! 𝄑

[monohedron]

[garysfacts]

Circus Maximus

What visitors see today is a large oblong field that modern-day Romans go for walks in. But Circus Maximus today is not so very different to what the ancient Romans saw when they first started to use this small valley for sports. People sat on the ground on the slopes to watch sporting events.

The shape and structure of the Circus Maximus changed as fast as Rome grew and with the importance of chariot racing, one of the great Roman passions. The first building, built in the VII century B.C. by Tarquinio Prisco was made of wood, but in its moment of splendour, Circus Maximus would have been completely covered in marble and travertine stone. Circus Maximus is the biggest sports stadium ever built. Just think that it could hold almost three hundred and eighty thousand visitors with free access to races. Almost four times bigger than the biggest stadium today.

Four teams "the factiones" took part in each race, each with an identifying colour; they were so popular and important that they ended up becoming actual political parties. Classical races were those with quadrigas and bigas, that is respectively chariots drawn by either four or two horses. The drivers, called "charioteers", were hired and sold to other teams for sums much like those spent today to buy sports champions. Prizes were magnificent. Diocle, the greatest Roman charioteer, stopped racing when his riches amounted to the equivalent of 7 million euros today.

The most important races took place during the Roman Games, from 4 to 18 September. Races went from morning till night, up to a hundred a day. Each lasted seven laps indicated by a mechanical counter placed in the centre of the track which, as each chariot drove by, raised large wooden eggs or bronze dolphins (a symbol of the horse protecting Gods).

But Circus Maximus was not just for races: Julius Caesar simulated a battle with about one thousand foot-soldiers, six hundred cavalry and forty elephants. To add variety to events, during the intervals between races they put on acrobatics or fights between exotic animals. The races were really dangerous, often bloody, anything was allowed. Crashes between chariots were normal. Chronicles of the day tell of violent, often fatal crashes, and give the names of young charioteers who died in the ruins of their chariots. But it was not just the race that was dangerous. Over-excited Emperors like Vitellius or Caracalla could have a team killed just because it threatened the victory of their favourites or because it had disappointed them.

Over the centuries, the building was damaged by fire several times. It is well known that the famous fire of Rome (the one that legend says was started by Nero) began on a short side of the Circus (the one where you can now still see the brick remains), but after each fire Circus Maximus was repaired, rebuilt and even enlarged straight away.

The last games were organised around 549 A.D. In the Middle Ages it became a fortified area as the small Frangipane tower shows. Then, due to the urban decentralizing suffered by the area, Circus Maximus fell into disuse and slowly began to fall apart due to the stealing of marble and stone and the progressive sinking into the ground that still covers a large part of the building today.