Editing Chariot (section)

=== Greece ===
[[File:NAMA 1428 - Stele of Grave Circle A Mycenae.jpg|thumb|Stone stele from [[Grave Circle A, Mycenae|Grave Circle A]] at [[Mycenae]], c. 1600 BC|239x239px]]

The later [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] of the first millennium BC had a (still not very effective) [[cavalry]] arm (indeed, it has been argued that these early horseback riding soldiers may have given rise to the development of the later, heavily armed foot-soldiers known as hoplites<ref>{{cite web |title=BABESCH Annual Papers on Mediterranean Archaeology |url=https://www.babesch.org/82brouwers.html |website=From Horsemen to Hoplites |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230181111/https://www.babesch.org/82brouwers.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>), and the rocky terrain of the [[Geography of Greece|Greek mainland]] was unsuited for wheeled vehicles. The chariot was heavily used by the Mycaenean Greeks, most probably adopted from the Hittites, around 1600 BC. [[Linear B]] tablets from Mycenaean palaces record large inventories of chariots, sometimes with specific details as to how many chariots were assembled or not (i.e. stored in modular form).On a gravestone from the royal Shaft-grave V in Mycenae dated LH II (about 1500 BC) there is one of the earliest depiction of the chariot in Achaean art. This sculpture shows a single man driving a two-wheeled small box chariot. Later the vehicles were used in games and processions, notably for races at the [[Ancient Olympic Games|Olympic]] and [[Panathenaic Games]] and other public festivals in ancient Greece, in ''[[hippodrome]]s'' and in contests called ''[[agon]]s''. They were also used in ceremonial functions, as when a ''[[paranymph]]'', or friend of a bridegroom, went with him in a chariot to fetch the bride home.

[[Herodotus]] (''Histories'', 5. 9) Reports that chariots were widely used in the [[Black Sea|Pontic]]–[[Caspian Sea|Caspian]] steppe by the [[Sigynnae]].

Greek chariots were made to be drawn by two [[horse]]s attached to a central pole. If two additional horses were added, they were attached on each side of the main pair by a single bar or ''trace'' fastened to the front or ''prow'' of the chariot, as may be seen on two prize [[vase]]s in the [[British Museum]] from the [[Panathenaic Games]] at [[Athens, Greece]], in which the driver is seated with feet resting on a board hanging down in front close to the legs of the horses. The biga itself consists of a seat resting on the axle, with a rail at each side to protect the driver from the wheels. Greek chariots appear to have lacked any other attachment for the horses, which would have made turning difficult.

The body or ''basket'' of the chariot rested directly on the [[axle]] (called ''beam'') connecting the two wheels. There was no [[suspension (vehicle)|suspension]], making this an uncomfortable form of transport. At the front and sides of the basket was a semicircular guard about 3&nbsp;ft (1 m) high, to give some protection from enemy attack. At the back the basket was open, making it easy to mount and dismount. There was no seat, and generally only enough room for the driver and one passenger.

The reins were mostly the same as those in use in the 19th century, and were made of leather and ornamented with studs of ivory or metal. The reins were passed through rings attached to the [[horse collar|collar]] bands or yoke, and were long enough to be tied round the waist of the charioteer to allow for defense.

The wheels and basket of the chariot were usually of wood, strengthened in places with bronze or iron. The wheels had from four to eight spokes and tires of bronze or iron. Due to the widely spaced spokes, the rim of the chariot wheel was held in tension over comparatively large spans. Whilst this provided a small measure of shock absorption, it also necessitated the removal of the wheels when the chariot was not in use, to prevent warping from continued weight bearing.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gordon|first=J. E.|title=Structures, or Why Things Don't Fall Down|year=1978|publisher=Pelican|location=London|isbn=9780140219616|page=146}}</ref> Most other nations of this time had chariots of similar design to the Greeks, the chief differences being the mountings.

According to Greek mythology, the chariot was invented by [[Erichthonius of Athens]] to conceal his feet, which were those of a dragon.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/81/3390.html Brewer, E. Cobham. Dictionary of Phrase & Fable. Char'iot.] Bartleby.com: Great Books Online – Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Thesaurus and hundreds more. Retrieved March 5, 2008.</ref>

The most notable appearance of the chariot in Greek mythology occurs when [[Phaethon|Phaëton]], the son of [[Helios]], in an attempt to drive the chariot of the sun, managed to set the earth on fire. This story led to the archaic meaning of a ''phaeton'' as one who drives a chariot or coach, especially at a reckless or dangerous speed. [[Plato]], in his ''[[Chariot Allegory]]'', depicted a chariot drawn by two horses, one well behaved and the other troublesome, representing opposite impulses of human nature; the task of the charioteer, representing reason, was to stop the horses from going different ways and to guide them towards enlightenment.

The [[Greek language|Greek]] word for chariot, ἅρμα, ''hárma'', is also used nowadays to denote a [[tank]], properly called άρμα μάχης, ''árma mákhēs'', literally a "combat chariot".

<gallery widths="150" heights="150">
File:Delphi charioteer front DSC06255.JPG|The ''[[Charioteer of Delphi]]'' was dedicated to the god [[Apollo]] in 474 BC by the tyrant of [[Gela#Ancient era|Gela]] in commemoration of a [[Pythian games|Pythian racing victory]] at [[Delphi]].
File:Atenas, Estoa de Átalo 18.jpg|Chariot, armed warrior and his driver. Greece, 4th century BC
File:Racing chariot. Fresco from Lucanian tomb.jpg|Fresco depicting an [[Italic peoples|Italic]] chariot from the Lucanian tomb, 4th century BC.
File:The Abduction of Persephone by Pluto, Amphipolis.jpg|A [[mosaic]] of the [[Kasta Tomb]] in [[Amphipolis]] depicting the abduction of [[Persephone]] by [[Pluto (mythology)|Pluto]], 4th century BC.
File:2547 - Milano - Museo archeologico - Piatto apulo - Foto di Giovanni Dall'Orto - 1 feb 2014.jpg|The [[Nike (mythology)|goddess Nike]] riding on a two-horse chariot, from an [[Apulia]]n [[patera]] (tray), [[Magna Graecia]], 4th century BC.
File:Parade charriots Louvre CA2503.jpg|Procession of chariots on a [[Geometric art|Late Geometric]] [[amphora]] from Athens ({{circa|720}}–700 BC).
</gallery>