Amphora (storage jar): Chariot Race

Chariot racing was the sport of kings, tyrants, and aristocrats. Breeding and training horses required considerable wealth, and victory in a race carried significant prestige. Chariot races are a suitable motif for friezes. The painter of this amphora made effective use of the available space to convey the event’s dynamics: four overlapping four-horse chariots speed around the vessel’s body, a charioteer ducks under a handle, and turning posts fly by. As often on black-figure vases, it is difficult to determine whether the race is mythological or drawn from real life, perhaps depicting the Olympic games, founded in 776 BCE.