THE SENSATION OF ANCIENT ROME – DARING CHARIOT RACES FOR FAME AND LAURELS

Published by: Pro Ludo Author: Wolfgang Riedesser Illustrations: Eckhard Freytag Graphic Design: Ingrid Berner

A daring chariot race for up to 6 drivers ages 12 years and up.

Contents: 1 Double-sided game board 6 Chariots 6 Denari (coins) 144 Race Cards (divided into 6 decks of 24 cards, each in a different color)

BECOME THE BEST CHARIOT DRIVER IN ROME! In Ave Caesar, you and up to five other charioteers compete in the Circus Maximus to determine who is the greatest driver in all of Rome. The racer who most skillfully navigates their chariot over the course of three laps will receive the most Laurels. After several races, whoever has collected the most Laurels wins the tournament, and the adulation of countless fans.

2 CONTENTS AND GAMEPLAY: I. Select a Racecourse ...... page 3 II. Setup and Starting Positions ...... page 3 III. The Start of the Race ...... page 4 IV. Emperor’s Alley ...... page 6 V. The End of the Race ...... page 7 VI. Setup for the Next Race ...... page 7 VII. Tips und Tactics ...... page 7 VIII. History of the Circus Maximus ...... page 8

I. SELECT A RACECOURSE Both sides of the game board contain racecourses that can accommodate up to 6 players. The races move in a clockwise direction along the course. Each race is a distance of 3 laps, during which all participants must drive their chariots through Emperor’s Alley to pay homage at least once.

II. SETUP AND STARTING POSITIONS Before the game begins, each player receives a chariot, the appropriately colored deck of race cards, and a matching denari. The race card decks are identical (they differ only in color) and contain barely enough points in total to complete the 3 laps around the course to finish the race.

3 To determine starting positions, each player shuffles their deck and places it face-down on the table. Now, each player reveals the top-most card in their deck. The player with the highest numbered card places their chariot in starting position No. I. The player to the left of the starting player places their chariot in position No. II, and all other players place their chariots in the remaining starting positions following the same clock- wise pattern. The revealed cards are then shuffled back into the deck. In the case of a tie for the highest numbered card, the tied players con- tinue to reveal the top-most cards in their decks until the tie is broken and a starting player can be determined.

A tip for all charioteers: It is best to take the inside route on curves, as this uses the fewest movement points. The race card decks contain only a few extra movement points, you need both skill and tactics to reach the end of the race.

III. THE START OF THE RACE Each player takes the top three cards from their deck to form their hand and looks at them, while keeping them hidden from their opponents. The player whose chariot is in starting position No. I then begins the race.

The starting player places one of their three race cards on the table face-up and moves their chariot the appro- priate number of spaces in the clock- wise direction along the track. The player then replenishes their hand by taking the top-most card from their race card deck.

Once the starting player finishes their turn, the remaining players bring their chariots into the race in the same fashion.

4 MOVEMENT RULES: • Chariots can only move forward. They can change lanes to any space (that is not barred by a wall) by moving diagonally forwards into the space in the desired lane. While diagonal movement is possible in this way, sideways movement is not permitted.

• If a wall stands directly in front of a chariot, the chariot can still move diagonally to another lane.

• Players must always play a card, and must move the exact number of spaces indicated on the card played. In the curves, this may force a player to move to one of the longer, outside lanes.

• Only one chariot can occupy any single space.

• After a race card is played, the player draws the top card from their race card deck, so that their hand of 3 cards is maintained.

• A race card can only be played if the chariot is able to move the number of spaces indicated on the card. If that is not possible, because (for instance) the player’s chariot is blocked on all sides and cannot move forward, the player’s turn is skipped and the blocked player does not play a card.

• The player whose chariot is leading the race may not play a card with a value of 6, except at the very beginning of the game (the starting player). In the case of a tie, none of the leading players may play a 6 until a single leader emerges.

• If the leading player has only sixes in their hand, their turn is skipped until someone else takes over the lead.

5 • Exception due to bottleneck. Bottlenecks are places where the track narrows to a single space. If the leading player is in this type of space, and possesses three 6s in their hand, the leading player may play one of these 6s to move further along the track.

• A further exception occurs if two players are tied for the lead, they both have three 6s in their hands, and their chariots are blocking the movement of the players behind them. In this unique situation, the leading player whose turn occurs first may play a 6 to move his chariot forward.

• Chariots may not jump over other chariots, but may pass them by moving diagonally into another lane. Chariots may not jump over walls.

• A chariot might not be able to reach the finish line if it takes the outside track too often during the race and runs out of movement points. In this situation, the chariot is removed from the track and receives no Laurels (points).

• Water ditches on the track are just there for graphic interest. They do not divide spaces, but rather run through them. They do not have any effect on the game. It is assumed that the chariots simply drive through them.

IV. EMPEROR’S ALLEY During either the first or the second lap of the race, each player must bring their chariot into Emperor’s Alley to salute the Emperor with the imperial greeting, “Ave Caesar!” Players must bring their chariots to a stop along Emperor’s Alley and pay homage to the Emperor by greeting him (literally yelling “Ave Caesar!”) and paying their denari as tribute (placing it into the box). Once this is accomplished, the chariot can return to the race.

If during the second lap of the race the entrance to Emperor’s Alley is blocked by an opposing chariot, players needing to enter Emperor’s Alley must suspend their turns until the entrance is once again free. If, by the end of the second lap, a player fails to enter Emperor’s Alley to pay tribute to Caesar, that player draws the ire of the Emperor and is dis- qualified. Even if that player is the first to complete the race, the disgraced charioteer will receive no Laurels (points).

6 • There is no passing in Emperor’s Alley.

• Several chariots can occupy Emperor’s Alley at the same time (but this runs the risk of causing a traffic jam, and you might get caught behind one or more opponent’s chariots).

V. THE END OF THE RACE The first chariot to cross the finish line after paying tribute to Caesar and completing 3 laps around the course wins the race. This player receives 6 Laurel wreaths for the victory, which counts as 6 points. The number of spaces by which each charioteer exceeds the goal is irrelevant in determining placement.

The second place player receives 4 points, third place receives 3, fourth place receives 2, and fifth place receives 1 point. The sixth place player receives honor and hope that he may fare better in the next race. All remaining race cards are discarded.

VI. SETUP FOR THE NEXT RACE After the race is completed, the starting player for the next race is the player who placed last in the preceding race, with placement and play proceeding to the left as usual.

The second race is made on the course that was not used in the first race. The third and fourth races are held on the courses already used, but the chariots now travel in the counter-clockwise direction. Whoever accumulates the most Laurels after 4 races is the winner of the tournament and the best charioteer in Rome!

VII. TIPS, TACTICS AND VARIANTS • The interior track around curves is generally shorter than the exterior tracks. In order to conserve movement points, it is recommended that players take the interior tracks on curves as much as possible. If a player drives along the outside edge of the curves too often, he will run out of movement points in his race card deck and be unable to finish the race. Ave Caesar is the most fun when players try to force the opposing chariots into the outside lanes to gain advantage over the other charioteers.

• Bottlenecks can be used to block opposing players and force them to skip their turns.

• Before the beginning of the tournament, players can decide to use an alternate method of determining starting position. For example, the winner of the previous race places their chariot on starting position No. I, second place places his chariot on starting position II, etc.

• There is a very large difference in the feel of the game when you play with 3 vs. 6 players, but variants can be used to adjust for the absence of additional players in the game. Additional unmanned chariots work well for this pur- pose. These chariots act as bottlenecks and blockers during the race. If you wish to do this, place the appropriate colored deck(s) next to the board for the unmanned chariot(s). During play, the top-most card in the appropriate deck is drawn and played as the unmanned chariot’s turn. Unmanned chariots are always moved for their own advantage, as well as for the disadvantage of other players. In the case of a disagreement about movement, the majority of players decide how the chariot will move. If this card is not playable, it is discarded and the chariot does not move. In the case where an unmanned chariot is completely blocked from moving, no card is drawn. The special rule about playing cards with a value of 6 also applies to these chariots, if they are leading the race. If a 6 is drawn, the card is still played (discarded), however the unmanned chariot does not move forward. Unmanned chariots do not have to stop in Emperor’s Alley.

• In a 2 or 3 player game, each player can control 2 or 3 chariots during the race. 7 VIII. HISTORY OF THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS Origins: Possibly the oldest spectacular sport in Rome, chariot racing dates back at least to the sixth century BCE. Originally chariot races (ludi circenses) were held only on religious festivals like the Consualia, but later they would also be held on non-feast days when sponsored by magistrates and other Roman dignitaries. Races were held in a circus, so named because of its oval shape. The oldest and largest circus in Rome was the Circus Maximus, built in a long valley stretching between the Aventine and Palatine hills. Originally there was no building, just a flat sandy track with temporary markers; spectators sat on the hill slopes on either side of the track. Gradually the area developed into a well-maintained stadium-style building with a central divider (spina), starting gates at one end and an arch at the other, surrounded on three sides by stands (originally wooden but later made of stone). By the time of Augustus, the entire building was 620 meters long (678 yards) and about 140-150 meters (159 yards) at its widest point; its seating capacity was approximately 150,000 spectators. Chariot racing was the most popular sport in Rome, appealing to all social classes from slaves to the emperor himself. This appeal was no doubt enhanced by the private betting that went on, although there was no public gambling on the races. Charioteers and Racing Factions: Although most Roman charioteers (called aurigae or agitatores) began their careers as slaves, those who were successful soon accumulated enough money to buy their freedom. The four Roman racing companies or stables (factiones) were known by the racing colors worn by their charioteers: Red, White, Blue, and Green. Fans became fervently attached to one of the factions, proclaiming themselves “partisans of the Blue” in the same way as people today would be “Eagles fans”. The factions encouraged this sort of loyalty by establishing what we might call “clubhouses” in Rome and later in other cities of the empire. In the later empire these groups even acquired some political influence. These stables competed for the services of the best charioteers (whose celebrity surpassed even that of modern sports heroes) were depicted in many statues and monuments. Charioteers wore little body protection and only a light helmet; their practice of wrapping the reins tightly around their waists so they could use their body weight to control the horses was exceedingly dangerous in the case of accidents, since they could be dragged and trampled before they could cut themselves loose. Chariots: Roman racing chariots were designed to be as small and lightweight as possible. Unlike military chariots, which were larger and often reinforced with metal, racing chariots were made of wood and afforded little support or protection for the charioteer, who basically had to balance himself on the axle as he drove. Chariots took several forms. While two-horse chariots (biga) were used, most races were run with four-horse chariots (quadrigae). Since horses were always harnessed abreast, more than four were uncommon, though we do hear of six- and even seven-horse teams. Day at the Races: The ceremonies began with an elaborate procession (pompa) headed by the dignitary who was sponsoring the games, followed by the charioteers and teams, musicians and dancers, and priests carrying the statues of the gods and goddesses who were to watch the races. There were usually twelve races scheduled for a day, though this number was later doubled. The charioteers drew lots for their position in the starting gates; once the horses were ready, the white cloth (mappa) was dropped by the sponsor of the games. At this signal, the gates were sprung, and up to twelve teams of horses thundered onto the track. The strategy was to avoid running too fast at the beginning of the race, since seven full laps had to be run, but to try to hold a position close to the barrier and round the turning posts as closely as possible without hitting them. As the race progressed, passions were intense both on and off the track. When the race was finally over, the presiding magistrate ceremoniously presented the victorious charioteer with a laurel wreath and a palm branch while the crowds cheered wildly; the more substantial monetary awards for stable and driver would be presented later.

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