Description
A war chariot was constructed mainly of wicker with iron-rimmed wheels and was drawn by a pair of horses. The main body was suspended from the axle by a rope, giving a rudimentary suspension and allowing it to travel quickly over uneven terrain. Each chariot carried two men, a driver and a warrior. The driver delivered the fighter into the action and then came back to make a pick-up; the warrior threw javelins and then leapt off to fight in close combat. Julius Caesar provides the most famous description of chariot warfare as he faced British chariots during his invasion of Britain in 55BC: “…they display in battle the speed of horse, the firmness of infantry; and by daily practice and exercise attain to such expertness that they are accustomed, even on a declining and steep place, to check their horses at full speed, and manage to turn them in an instant and run along the pole, stand on the yoke, and thence betake themselves with the greatest celerity to their chariots again”.
