Did chariots really have spoke crunching apparatus that would wreck opponents' chariots : portrayed in Ben Hur

Answer 1

With respect to chariot races, According to wiki;
"The chariots themselves were modified war chariots, essentially wooden carts with two wheels and an open back, although chariots were by this time no longer used in battle. The charioteer's feet were held in place, but the cart rested on the axle, so the ride was bumpy. The most exciting part of the chariot race, at least for the spectators, was the turns at the ends of the hippodrome. These turns were very dangerous and often deadly. If a chariot had not already been knocked over by an opponent before the turn, it might be overturned or crushed (along with the horses and driver) by the other chariots as they went around the post. Deliberately running into an opponent to cause him to crash was technically illegal, but nothing could be done about it (at Patroclus' funeral games, Antilochus in fact causes Menelaus to crash in this way), and crashes were likely to happen by accident anyway."

Given that deliberate crashing in these races was technically illegal, that would mean there would be no use for such apparatus, as it would be similarly illegal.

Answer 2

Chariots used in combat had a variety of weapons. They were the original fighting vehicles. Some carried swords to slice and dice the enemy when driven among enemy infantry.

Spoke crunching attachments would have been a logical accessory when chariots are used against chariots.

So the answer is "yes."

By the way, chariots were used by Greeks, Romans, Etruscans, Egyptians and most of the ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean area. Some were strictly used for transportation and some were true fighting vehicles.

Answer 3

I'm guessing they did. As far back even in those days, people were out for blood.

I remember seeing a movie at the drive-in when I was real young, it was a Ben Hur type movie. Baldheaded men were in a hole in the ground and were locked in place somehow. A chariot had a blade just underneath. When that chariot drove over them, their heads were chopped off. It looked real.

Answer 4

Back when this movie was made no one cared much about the safety of the animals involved(the people were adults and were paid) It was common to slaughter animals at an alarming pace. I just watched something on BRAVO(A&E?) about this sequence("the most thrilling ever filmed")yes the cutting spokes were real and yes it was filmed the way you see it with no green screen stuff as that did not exist back then.

If you are asking about real life use of chariots in history then you may be assured that everyone using them wanted as much death as possible and were great at figuring out ways to manage it.

Answer 5

Yes, and they also had attack dingo's with chainsaws and friggen laser beams mounted on their heads!

Answer 6

yap, they did. come on it was a race for fame, wealth, and stature. people would do anything to win.