Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Hippodromus

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

HIPPOD'ROMUS. A hippodrome; which, amongst the Romans, implies a plot of ground in a garden or villa, planted with trees, and laid out into a variety of avenues for the purpose of taking equestrian exercise. Plin. Ep. v. 6. 32. Mart. xii. 50.

2. (ἱππόδρομος). A hippodrome; which, amongst the Greeks, implies a race-course for horses and chariots, as contradistinguished from the stadium, which was appropriated to foot-racing. Hippodromes of this kind were frequently attached to the gymnasia, in which the youth of Greece learned the art of horsemanship (Plaut. Bacch. iii. 3. 27.); but the regular Greek Hippodrome, in which the public races took place, corresponds more closely with the Roman Circus, though possessing some remarkable points of difference, and is better known to us from the description which Pausanias has left of the Olympic race-course, than from its actual remains, some vestiges of it merely being still extant. (Gell. Itinerary of Morea, p. 36). The most important distinction consisted in the manner of arranging the stalls for the horses and chariots, which were not disposed in the segment of a circle, like the Roman circus (see the woodcut p. 165. A. A.); but were arranged in two lines with curvilinear sides converging to a point in front of the course, so that the whole plan resembled the figure of a ship's prow, with its beak towards the course, and the base, or extremity of the two sides, where they were widest apart, resting upon the flat end of the hippodrome, or upon a colonnade which covered it. (Pausan. vi. 20. 7.) The whole of this was called the ἄφεσις, and corresponded in locality, though not in distribution, with the oppidum of a Roman circus. The peculiarity of the arrangement was an ingenious invention of the architect Cleotas (Paus. l. c.), and originated in the necessity of affording abundant stabling room, which required much greater accommodation at a Greek race-course, where the numbers were not limited to twelve, as they were with the Romans, but all were freely admitted who wished to compete for the prize. The drivers drew lots for their stalls (Paus. l. c.); and the following method was adopted in order that those who got nearest to the point might not possess any advantage over the others who were posted behind them. A separate rope or bar (καλώδιον, ὕσπληξ) was drawn as a barrier across the front of each stall; and when the races were about to commence, the two ropes which closed the remote stall (1. 1.) on each side, were loosened simultaneously, so that the two cars from the furthest end came out first; and when they had advanced as far as the level of the two next (2. 2.), these were removed; and the four cars continued their course until they had gained the line of the next stall (3. 3.), when the third barriers were slacked away; and so on until the whole number arrived on a line with the point of the prow (B), from whence they all started together and abreast. (Paus. l. c.). It is probable that a long line was drawn entirely across the course at this point, which answered the same purpose as the Roman linea alba. The whole of the design will be clearly understood from the annexed plan (Hippodromus/1.1) of the Olympic hippodrome, as suggested by Visconti, to illustrate the description of Pausanias; though conjectural, it possesses great seeming probability to stamp it with a mark of authority. At all events, it will serve to give a distinct idea of the more important features of a Greek hippodrome, and of the meaning of the terms by which each part was designated. A. The space enclosed by the stalls already described. B. The point or beak of the ἄφεσις, termed ἔμβολον by Pausanias. C. The colonnade (στοά) forming a termination to the flat end of the hippodrome: perhaps this member was not always added. 1, 2, 3. The stalls for the horses (οἰκήματα, carceres). D D. The course (δρόμος). E. A barrier, which divides the course into two parts, like the Roman spina, but more simple, and less decorated, consisting of a plain bank of earth (χώμα), as may be inferred from Pausanias (vi. 20. 8.). F. The goal round which the chariots turned (νύσσα, καμπτήρ, meta); there probably was a similar one at the opposite end of the spina, as in the Roman Circus. G G. The space occupied by the spectators, usually formed in steps cut out on the side of a mountain; or, if the course was in a flat country, formed upon a bank of earth (χώμα) thrown up for the purpose; but not upon vaulted corridors, forming an architectural elevation, like a Roman circus. One side is observed to be longer than the other, which was the case at Olympia (Paus. l. c.), and probably in most other places, in order to give the spectators an equal sight of the race. In the centre of the space occupied by the stalls was a temporary altar (A), upon which a large bronze eagle was placed; and on the point of the prow (B) a similar figure of a dolphin, both of which were worked by machinery, and employed to inform the concourse of the moment when the race was about to commence; the first, by rising up into the air, the other by plunging on to the ground in front of the assembled multitude. Paus. l. c.

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  Hippodromus/1.1