APRIL 8 th :

                                                    Ludi Circenses (semifinals)          Certamen Historicum 5          Certamen Latinum 5

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           LUDI CIRCENSES  ( semifinals ) :

           Presented by :   Aula Tullia Scholastica

                                        Caius Curius Saturninus - races calculations.

Now that all of the quarter final races are over and some of the chariots out of contention, there's a longer intermission so that the
spectators can refresh themselves, stretching a bit and getting something more substantial to eat, even venturing to the public latrines...

The contenders for the first missus of the semifinals make their last minute preparations, checking and rechecking the harnesses, the horses, the
chariots...the trumpet sounds, and the first group comes into the brilliant sunlight, blinking as their eyes adjust to the intense light.  This race
will pit the formidable Velociraptor, Praesina, with two Albata representatives, Ars Longa and the Love Chariot. Well, Russata and Veneta
partisans can get some extra snacks; their turn will come in the next race, when two Reds, Mercurius Visucius and Aprilis, meet a Blue, Windchaser,
while Albata and Praesina relax.

The chariots jog their way to the carceres as the magistrates signal the soldiers to 'encourage' the crowd to take their places in the cavea.  It's
taking an unduly long time to get the spectators in order; the redheaded trumpeter (can his name really be 'Randy?') blows some quick blasts; Consul
Modianus waves the mappa most vigorously.  The crowd starts to quiet down, but the drivers have guided their steeds into the allotted carceres before
quiet is restored.

Velociraptor's Spandex has drawn Scorpio again, while Ars Longa has Libra (much more appropriate...) and the Love Chariot has drawn Cancer.
They're in the gate; Consul Modianus drops the mappa, et missi sunt! They're off!  Ars Longa is maintaining a steady pace while the Love Chariot
is quicker down the straightaway.  Velociraptor is also taking this section of the course at an even clip as they approach the first turn.  The dolphin
is turned; they're on the second lap.  Gnipho in Ars Longa and Maximus in Velociraptor continue to maintain an even, unhurried pace, while Latina in
the Love Chariot speeds up on the stretches, but pulls back on the turns. Meanwhile, Censor Marinus has found a spare mappa to wipe his dripping brow,
while the two plebeian women's chariots round the spina again and again as the pace quickens with each lap.  In the less elegant plebeian sections,
hopes are pinned on the blond giant, Spandex, or the crafty Latina Harmonia, recalling that her owner had once been one of them.

Now the chariots are heading into the middle of the race, and the pace picks up; the stakes are even higher now, so risks must be taken.
Velociraptor crowds the Love Chariot on the turn, but Latina pulls away none the worse for the encounter; they continue down the stretch with Ars Longa
in close pursuit.  Around the spina again, heading into the fifth lap...Velociraptor drops a little behind, letting the Love Chariot and Ars
Longa move on ahead.  It looks as though Spandex' horses are tiring at last; he's a big guy, and the reinforced chariot is extra heavy--but is it a
trick?  Does Spandex have something in mind?  Hmmmm...Now they're coming into the far turn again, about to round the spina.  The Love Chariot leads,
followed closely by Ars Longa.  Petronius Gnipho edges close to the spina; his head is turned to gauge his distance; the roar of the crowd is
deafening--and he doesn't notice that Velociraptor is aiming its arrowhead point at an angle meant to intercept Ars Longa while sparing its own horses.
Oh, NO!  Velociraptor has rammed Ars Longa into the spina!  Consul Po gasps in horror; the color drains from Censor Marinus' face...looks like there'll
have to be yet another Ars Longa in his future, even if his charioteer and horses survived the collision...Velociraptor pulls clear of the wreckage at
a furious pace, and closes with the Love Chariot.  Meanwhile, the shaken Gnipho cuts the reins and extricates himself from the wreckage.  He calms
the horses and leads them off, hurrying to escape getting run over in the remaining laps.  Luckily, he's just a bit bruised and shaken up; Consul Po,
who has risen from her seat, will tend to him once he gets the horses off the track.  They, too, are shaken, but only the crucial left funalis, or
trace horse, seems to have been injured, and that, too, none too seriously as they were almost past the spina when they were rammed; the chariot,
however, doesn't look as though it will race again; it took the brunt of the collision.

The two remaining chariots pour it on; they are well into the sixth lap. Velociraptor comes to the site of the crash...the debris is all over the
track, for the attendants haven't been able to remove it yet...and, Di Boni!
Those Sarmatians are jumping over the wrecked chariot!  Incredible!  One would never have thought that an extra-heavy chariot and driver would have
dreamed of such a maneuver, much less survived it--and gone on into the lead, yet!  Latina has completely forgotten about flowers, perfume, and
tricks with hankies; she thanks her lucky stars that she was able to escape this devious tactic, and steers the Love Chariot around the mess as best she
can.  She has fallen behind, but that matters less than survival.  Round the last turn they gallop at breakneck speed, coming up on the last lap.  The
track attendants rush to get some of the debris out of the way; the dolphin is turned; they're in the seventh and final lap.  Hooves pounding, wheels
whirling as they churn up the dust they come down the homestretch.  Latina would have preferred a better finish, but on this occasion is content to
finish second, letting Spandex, the Sarmatian stallions, and Velociraptor win by a good seven lengths.

 The crowd buzzes with excitement at the astonishing events of this race--imagine jumping over a wrecked chariot!  And not only living to tell
about it, but going on to win!  Still, it was hardly fair to force another chariot into the spina...In the pulvinar, the mood is somber, relieved only
by the knowledge that Petronius Gnipho and Ars Longa's horses will race again, even though the chariot is unlikely to do so.  It's a lot easier to
replace a chariot than an experienced, skillful driver and a set of fine horses.  Consul Po hurries to Gnipho's side and brings him into the pulvinar
where she can minister to his injuries, however minor...Censor Marinus comforts him, knowing that things could have been much worse, though a new
chariot might strain his finances.

The crowd is still marveling at these events when the trumpet sounds once again; the chariots for the second and last missus of the semifinal
races take the track:  Windchaser, the Vestal Messallina's Blue chariot, under the command of Maximus; Mercurius Visucius, the flower of Gallia, a
Russata owned by Sex. Apollonius Scipio and driven by Ambiorix; and Aprilis, another Russata entry owned and driven by the youthful T. Iulius Sabinus
Crassus.  They lope to the carceres, and the drivers draw their lots: Aprilis selects Aries, Windchaser again gets Virgo, and Mercurius Visucius
draws Capricorn.  They're in the gate; Consul Modianus stands and waves the mappa.  A hush falls over the crowd once again...he drops it, and they're off!

Aprilis is on the inside, Mercurius Visucius the middle, and Windchaser on the outside as they take the first lap at a moderate clip.  The dolphin
is turned, and they begin the second lap, still maintaining a comparatively easy pace.  Windchaser is trying to get inside toward the spina, and is
making some headway, for Maximus has overtaken both of his rivals, though Aprilis and its slender driver are too close for him to risk getting as near
the spina as he would like.  At least he's now in the middle, and Mercurius Visucius is outside; that suits Maximus much better.  They're approaching
mid-race now, and the pace has picked up.  Mercurius Visucius is rushing on the straightaways, but more cautious on the turns; Aprilis is keeping a
steady, albeit faster, pace.  Windchaser sees an opening, and pulls ahead of the slender youth's Aprilis.  Now Maximus is where he wants to be as they
round the spina; he's so close to it that he almost scrapes his wheel as he turns.  The dolphin drops; the whips come out.  It's already been a long day
for the horses, and they are tiring.  Crassus flicks the lash over his horses' backs, and they respond with a burst of speed and move Aprilis into
second place.  Mercurius Visucius lays on the lash, too, but only in the stretches; Ambiorix doesn't like that towering spina, so unlike anything in
his native Gallia, and shuns it.  Windchaser, on the other hand, has no such problems; its charioteer, Maximus, is Roman born and bred, a race fan since
childhood.  He has no trouble skimming those curves...and is comfortably in first place as he heads into the seventh and final lap.  The chariots pound
down the dusty track, Windchaser ahead by well over a length; Aprilis, again relying on its driver's weight advantage, is second, and Mercurius Visucius
is behind, for Ambiorix' dislike for the spina has cost him dearly; as they reach the finish line, Windchaser is first, and Aprilis is second by a
length, while Mercurius Visucius is another length behind, and finishes third.  Sadness permeates the Gallia contingent's section, but the Vestales
are beaming and congratulating Messallina on her chariot's hard-fought win as the magistrates and other honorees discuss the latest events.  The crowd
shifts in their seats, some getting up to stretch, others to get some snacks...soon the final race will be run, and once again, all four factions are represented...

          Question #9:

         What three kinds of flora are often connected to Attis, the consort of the Magna Mater?

         Question #10: (2pts.)

         a)  The Temple of the Magna Mater burned twice during its lifetime.  What years did the fires occur and who started the first one?

         b)  What two structures stood between the Temple of the Magna Mater and the Temple of Apollo?

       Answer a :  The first fire erupted in 111 BCE and was started by the aedile, Quintus Memmius.  The second fire occurred in 3 BCE.

       Answer b :  The House of Livia and the House of Augustus.