Examining the Real-Life Legend Underlying "Those About to Die" Through Scorpus Chariot Races
One character in the riveting historical drama "Those About to Die," Scorpus, the renowned charioteer, really comes out as a legend. Real historical person Scorpus is shown in the series as a talented and charismatic athlete who wins an amazing count of chariot races and enthralls viewers. Still, the actual Scorpus's accomplishments were even more extraordinary than the show's already outstanding presentation.
Chariot Racing Career of Scorpus: An Athlete Breaking Records
As first episode shows, Scorpus had already won an incredible 86 chariot races before the events of "Those About To Die." Two Roman citizens who are ardent supporters of Scorpus mention this accomplishment, so underscoring his popularity and success. Although the show doesn't say specifically whether these 86 wins were consecutive, Scorpus's severe response to finishing third for the first time in a later episode points to his past successes being indeed unbroken.
Note that Scorpus participated in four-horse chariot races, regarded as the most difficult and dangerous. According to former charioteer Gavros, these races were basically a "suicide race" given the great chance of injury or death. Because Scorpus not only survived but also won so many four-horse chariot races, his accomplishment is especially remarkable.
Evaluating Real-Life Figure Against Scorpus in "Those About to Die
Although the show presents a gripping portrait of Scorpus, there are some deviations between the fictionalized form and the actual historical figure. Originally racing for the Blue faction, Scorpus in the show then turns to the Gold faction, under Tenax's direction. Actually, though, Scorpus competed for the Green faction. Furthermore, the actual Scorpus won an astounding 2,048 chariot races over his lifetime—a figure almost 25 times higher than the 86 victories ascribed to him prior to the series began.
Given that Scorpus passed young at age 27, this amazing feat is even more remarkable. Given the high death rate connected with this dangerous sport, it is generally accepted that he died during a chariot race even though there are not exact records regarding his death.
Chariot racing in ancient Rome: the risks
In ancient Roman chariot racing, death was a continual threat and the sport was quite dangerous. Although their weight was intended to be as low as feasible for speed, this also made the chariots unstable and prone to collisions. After being thrown from their chariots, charioters frequently suffered terrible injuries or perished.
To use their weight for horse control, charioteers would wrap the reins around their bodies, so augmenting the risk. Many charioteers were crushed or trampled to death, even while they carried knives to cut themselves free in case of an accident. As shown in "Those About to Die," some charioteers retired but many more perished in this cruel sport.
Legendary in Ancient Rome, Scorpus was a real-life charioteer who won an incredible number of events. Though the show "Those About to Die" veers somewhat creatively with his narrative, it faithfully captures the thrill and danger of chariot racing and reminds us of the extraordinary success of this ancient athlete.
