Jun 07
This article taken from the book OLYMPICA HIPPICA [Antikas TG, Euandros editions, Athens 2004], refers to the ‘horse-terrorizer mechanism’ [a.k.a Taraxippos] found at Olympia’s hippodrome according to Pausanias, who visited Elis around 173 CE. Such ‘frightening’ mechanisms were also found in other racetracks [e.g at Nemea] but the Taraxippos at Olympia was the most scary of all.
I hypothesize that the smart Elians had placed the mechanism on purpose, in order to ‘diagnose’ which stallions, mares, colts and fillies–and which charioteers or anabatai–were ‘fearless’, thus deserving a victory.
I may be wrong of course.
T. G. Antikas, PhD
FEI veterinarian