Factions: Red, White, Blue, Green (+ Domitian’s Purple and Gold)

Domini factionumFactionarius

Imperial supporters:Blues: Vitellius (68: year of the four emperors), Caracalla

Greens: Caligula; Nero; Domitian; Commodus; Elagabalus

Mosaic showing all 4 factions (Roman first half of the 3rd century CE. From the Villa dei Severi (the imperial villa of the Severan dynasty) at Baccano, 16 miles from the Via Appia in Rome).

Pavement mosaic with a circus charioteer of the white faction.

Mosaic showing Polydus, charioteer for the Red faction, with his horse Compressor (Trier, mid third century CE: found in the bath complex)

Victorious charioteer, red faction

Location of the stables in Campus Martius

Monument to Crescens

Gutta’s monument

The charioteer Eros with his horses, Amandus and Frunitus (From Dougga, 4th century CE)

Porphyrius monument, Constantinople

Erected by the Green faction; 6th century CE

Porphyrius

Remaining bases for 2 of the 7 statues to Porphyrios

(Istanbul Archaeological Museum).

Green dot: base erected by the Greens to PorphyriusBlue dote: base erected by the Blues to Porphyrius

Curse tablet against charioteers

(Roman; 4th century CE; found on the Via Appia)

Fragment of glass with chariot and driver (Roman, 1st century CE)

Glass beaker with chariot scenes; inscription records that Cresces beat his opponents Hierax, Olympaeus and Antilocus. (Roman from Britain)

Chariot scene on terracotta oil lamp (Roman; 2-3rd century CE)

Scene shows race in the Circus Maximus

Terracotta oil lamp showing a triumphant charioteer in the Circus Maximus

(Roman 1st century CE)

Triumphant principal horse of team with placard for its name and number of victories

(terracotta oil lamp; 1st century CE)

Mosaic showing boy as charioteer (4th century CE Piazza Amerina, Sicily)

Mosaic from Carthage showing chariot race (3rd century CE)

Mosaic from Selin, Libya, showing chariot race