The Hippodrome – A Better Sports Stadium Than The Colosseum?

What do you know about the Hippodrome of Constantinople? If you’re like most people, the only ancient sports stadium you’ve heard of is the Colosseum in Rome. I don’t blame you. It’s huge, it’s famous, tourists love it, and it hosted gladiator combats. Unless you’re still angry at the Romans for their barbaric willingness to […]

Byzantine Chariot Racing – Sports Without Gladiators

Perhaps it is unusual to follow up my first post on the Byzantine Empire with a post on Byzantine chariot racing. However, sports are an area in which this medieval empire appears quite modern. Plus, they’re fun, and in the Byzantine world they were a big deal. But a major difference existed between the sports […]