chariot

chariot

chariot earliest and simplest type of carriage and the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. The chariot was known among the Babylonians before the introduction of horses c.2000 BC and was first drawn by asses. The chariot and horse introduced into Egypt c.1700 BC by the Hyksos invaders undoubtedly contributed to their military success. Simultaneously the use of the chariot spread over the Middle East, chiefly as a war machine. The Assyrians are credited with introducing chariots with scythes mounted on the wheels as weapons, a type later adopted by the Persians. In Greece and Rome the chariot was never used to any extent in war, possibly because of generally unfavorable topography. It was, however, prominent in games and processions, becoming in Rome the inevitable carriage of the triumphal procession. Here also the chariot races of the circus were developed. The ancient chariot was a very light vehicle, drawn by two or more horses hitched side by side. The car was little else than a floor with a waist-high semicircular guard in front. British chariots were open in front, had a curved wall behind, often had seats, and sometimes had scythes on the wheels.

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"chariot." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"chariot." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-chariot.html

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chariot

chariot A fast, two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle. They were originally designed for use in war, and developed from the battle-wagons used by the SUMERIANS c.2500 BC, which had four wheels, were drawn by onagers (wild asses), and served as mobile fighting platforms. The use of horses, and light two-wheeled vehicles adapted to them, was introduced to the Near East from the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian c.2000 BC. (Horses, which were only the size of ponies, were rarely used for riding.) Their crews consisted of two or three people, who were generally armed with bows or javelins. In northern Europe, however, the chariot was used to carry into battle soldiers who fought on foot. A popular tactic was to equip chariot wheels with scythe blades to hack at the legs of enemy soldiers.

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"chariot." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"chariot." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-chariot.html

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chariot

chariot, charioteers. Warriors ride in chariots in early Irish and Welsh narratives because most of these were composed before the saddle was introduced. A grave in which chariots were buried with their owners has been found at Waldalgesheim, Germany. The Irish god most likely to be called ‘the charioteer’ is Manannán mac Lir, but Conall Anglonnach is also a charioteer. Cúchulainn's faithful charioteer was Láeg. The name Cairbre might mean ‘charioteer’.

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JAMES MacKILLOP. "chariot." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAMES MacKILLOP. "chariot." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-chariot.html

JAMES MacKILLOP. "chariot." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-chariot.html

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chariot

char·i·ot / ˈcharēət/ • n. hist. a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle used in ancient warfare and racing. ∎ hist. a four-wheeled carriage with back seats and a coachman's seat. ∎ poetic/lit. a stately or triumphal carriage. • v. [tr.] poetic/lit. convey in or as in a chariot.

chariot

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"chariot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"chariot." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-chariot.html

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chariot

chariot †cart, wagon; stately vehicle for the conveyance of persons. XIV. — (O)F. chariot wagon, augm. of char CAR.
Hence charioteer XVII.

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T. F. HOAD. "chariot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "chariot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-chariot.html

T. F. HOAD. "chariot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-chariot.html

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Chariot

Chariot (of God, in Ezekiel's vision): see MERKABAH MYSTICISM.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Chariot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Chariot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Chariot.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Chariot." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Chariot.html

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chariot

chariot •peart •immediate, intermediate •idiot •collegiate, intercollegiate •orgeat • Eliot • affiliate •foliate, trifoliate •aculeate, Juliet •Uniate • opiate •chariot, Harriet, Judas Iscariot, lariat, Marryat •compatriot, expatriate, patriot •heriot, Herriot •commissariat, lumpenproletariat, proletariat, salariat, secretariat, vicariate •inebriate • Cypriot •baccalaureate, laureate, professoriate •appropriate • licentiate • satiate •initiate, novitiate, patriciate •associate • cruciate • Cheviot • soviet •roseate •Byatt, diet, quiet, riot, ryot, Wyatt •inchoate •Ewart, Stewart •Verwoerd •graduate, undergraduate •attenuate • situate •abbot, Cabot •Albert • lambert • Egbert • Delbert •filbert, Gilbert •halibut • celibate • Robert • Osbert •Norbert •Hubert, Schubert •Humbert • Cuthbert •burbot, Herbert, sherbet, turbot •Frankfort • effort • comfort

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"chariot." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Chariot and horse burials in ancient China.
Magazine article from: Antiquity; 12/1/1993
Did King Tut break his leg on a joy ride? His chariot now in New York.(Science)
Newspaper article from: The Christian Science Monitor; 8/3/2010
Tutankhamen's tribology: mechanical problem had to be solved even back in the...
Magazine article from: Mechanical Engineering-CIME; 11/1/2004

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chariot. Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)