Spectacle · Roman Empire Daily
Chariot racing had team 'factions' (the Reds, Whites, Blues, and Greens) with devoted, sometimes violent fans.
Deep dive
Spectators backed their colors with the intensity of modern football supporters, and rivalries occasionally spilled into the streets. Charioteers could become wealthy celebrities.
Source: Pliny the Elder, 'Natural History,' 7.186; Juvenal, 'Satires,' 11.
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