The Use of Horses in Ancient Rome

In Ancient Roman times, horses were used quite often. They were a big part in military, daily life, and in mythology and stories. One might not think of the horse to be an asset to a culture but the horse played a big role.

Horses were used everyday for everyday things such as:

• Farming
• Getting around
• Money for trading
• Sports
• Battle
• Stories and Mythology
• Art

Horses and Farming

Horses were used as sacrifices to the Gods to have a bountiful harvest. They would be raced in a chariot race and then the winning horse would then be stabbed by a priest and then sacrificed to the harvest god. The blood, tail, and the head were used in a ritual after the sacrifice.

• The blood was used to purify livestock.
• The tail was brought to the king for health.
• The head of the horse was nailed to a wall in hopes it would bring a bountiful harvest.

Horse and Transportation

Horses played a big role in the transportation of people and goods.People would travel from town to town by means of the hoof. Horses were also used in the transportation of goods such as mail. The horse was mainly used to transport people though.

The Horse and Sport

The main sport in Ancient Rome the the horse was a big part of was chariot racing. Chariot racing was considered an important yet dangerous activity for these reasons:

• They had profesional charioteers
• Romans would gather everyday to watch the races take place.
• Some emperors were known to murder the opposing team's charioteers.
• If the chariot were to tip over, the horse would continue to run and therefore the charioteer risked getting his hand cut off by the strap.

There were other sports in Ancient Rome dealing with the horse besides chariot racing, these being:

• Pageants in which chariots were paraded by teams of horses.
• Horses were in exibitions dancing to music and performing what is called "Tripudium."
• Roman riding first came to use in Ancient Roman times, this is now known as vaulting, or aerobatics on horseback.

Horses for Money

As with many civilizations, money to Romans was important so, the horse, for the Romans, was a means by which they could make trades instead of using money. One would use the horse in trades and agreements. In these cases, one would use a horse as an offer, and the mightier the steed, the higher the value.

Horses in Battle

To have a horse in battle was to have a greater advantage over the enemy. The horse was sometimes considered a soldier in itself. The calvary was mainly made up of young men who owned their horses. Men on horseback were at the front of the fighting line. By using horses, it made the Roman army faster and more efficient when time was an issue. Horses aided in this by:

• Ability to scout out territory.
• Send urgent messages.
• Have an overall height advantage over the opposing army.

The Horse in Stories

The horse was portrayed many times in stories, some being:

• Alexander the Great
• Stories of the Roman god Neptune
• Homer's the Iliad when Athena made herself known through the horse's voice at Patroluklus' funeral.
• The myth of Pegasus

The Use of the Horse in Art

The coming of Athenian sculptures were responsible for a new subject in Roman art: the equestrian statue. As quoted by Mellin "...a great number of equestrian statues pranced and pirouetted on their pedistals all over Rome. Indeed the market was flooded with equestrian figures of emperors and centurions." Art was important for the Romans and the felt the horses deserved a place in the artistic world.

Horses as a Whole

The horse has shown great importance in the history of Ancient Rome. They were important in the ways of farming, getting around, money for trading, sports, battle, stories and mythology, and art.