Terracotta relief of a chariot race at the Circus Maximus, Rome. The charioteer gets ready for the sharp left-hand turn at the end of the long straight, always the most dangerous moment in a race. Ahead is a hortator, an outrider who supported the chariot team during the race.On the ground in front are the remains of a third figure, a sparsor. His job would have been to douse the sand with water to keep the dust down - a very exposed and dangerous task. A set of reigns are wrapped around the body of the charioteer, so in the event of and accident, there was a high risk that he might be dragged by the animals. The turning-post, or meta, with its 3 conical pillars probably dates to Claudius' upgrade of the circus. He replaced the old stone posts with new metae sheathed in richly ornamented, gilded bronze. British Museum.