Goddess of Love

Aphrodite

Goddess of Love

An ancient Assyrian wall relief, depicting two hunters on a chariot.

Assyrian Chariot Wall Relief

An ancient Assyrian wall relief, depicting two hunters on a chariot.

"Assyrian bas-relief. Part of a Lion-hunt, from Nimrud." —D'Anvers, 1895

Assyrian Hunting Bas-relief

"Assyrian bas-relief. Part of a Lion-hunt, from Nimrud." —D'Anvers, 1895

Assyrian war-chariot.

Chariot

Assyrian war-chariot.

"Arms and a chariot are here assigned to June through not properly a warlike goddess. The idea itself, of giving such appendages to Diety, seems borrowed from the habits of the heroic age. The following delineation of a chariot is from an ancient one preserved in the Vatican; <em>Hoc regnum dea</em> etc." &mdash; Anthon, 1891

Chariot

"Arms and a chariot are here assigned to June through not properly a warlike goddess. The idea itself,…

A Roman chariot.

Chariot

A Roman chariot.

Egyptian War-chariot

Egyptian War-chariot

Egyptian War-chariot

A horse-drawn chariot for soldiers, used to break enemy battalions. The wheels are equipped with blades or scythes, affixed to the axletrees. An archer rides next to the driver, taking aim.

A Chariot of Iron

A horse-drawn chariot for soldiers, used to break enemy battalions. The wheels are equipped with blades…

An illustration of two men standing in a chariot pulled by two small goats.

Men in Chariot Pulled by Goats

An illustration of two men standing in a chariot pulled by two small goats.

"The chariot was discovered in 1903 in an Ertuscan cemetery near Rome. It dates from perhaps 600 B.C. Almost every part of the vehicle is covered with thin plates of bronze, elaborately decorated. The wheels are only two feet in diameter. Since the chariot is too small and delicate for use in warfare, we may believe it to have been intended for ceremonial purposes only."&mdash;Webster, 1913

A Graeco-Ertuscan Chariot

"The chariot was discovered in 1903 in an Ertuscan cemetery near Rome. It dates from perhaps 600 B.C.…

"The stalwart character and aggressive bearing of the Assyrians were particularly shown in war. The same ferocity which they manifested in the pursuit and destruction of beasts they also exhibited in hunting men. The sculptures show that the feeling of the Assyrians towards the foe was one, not of hostility only, but of hatred and contempt."&mdash;Ridpath, 1885

Assyrian War Chariot

"The stalwart character and aggressive bearing of the Assyrians were particularly shown in war. The…

"In the battles, as depicted by Homer, the chiefs are the only important combatants, while the people are an almost useless mass, frequently put to rout by the prowess of a single hero. The chief is mounted in a war chariot, and stands by the side of his charioteer, who is frequently a friend." — Smith, 1882

Greek Chariot

"In the battles, as depicted by Homer, the chiefs are the only important combatants, while the people…

A vehicle used for pleasure and war by the early Assyrians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. The vehicle has two wheels, closed in the front and open in the back.

Roman Military Chariot

A vehicle used for pleasure and war by the early Assyrians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. The vehicle…

"The chariot-race." &mdash; Smith, 1882

Chariot-race

"The chariot-race." — Smith, 1882

"Chariot-racing was a favorite amusement, and the great circuses were arranged especially for such contests. The space was broad enough to accommodate three of four chariots side by side, each with four horses abreast."&mdash;Ridpath, 1885

Circus Maximus

"Chariot-racing was a favorite amusement, and the great circuses were arranged especially for such contests.…

Clisthenes, also known as the Father of Athenian democracy, is depicted competing in a chariot race in the Olympic games.

Clisthenes in the Olympic Games

Clisthenes, also known as the Father of Athenian democracy, is depicted competing in a chariot race…

A Roman coin.

Roman coin

A Roman coin.

"A chariot, a car. These terms appear to have denoted those two wheeled vehicles for the carriage of persons, which were open overhead, thus differing from the corpentum, and closed in front, in which the differed from the cisium. The most essential articles in the construction of the currus were, 1. The rim. 2. The axle. 3. The wheels, which revolved upon the axle and were prevented from coming off by the insertion of pins into the extremities of the axles. The parts of the wheel were: a. The nave. b. The spokes. c. The felly. d. The tire. 4. The pole." &mdash; Smith, 1873

Currus

"A chariot, a car. These terms appear to have denoted those two wheeled vehicles for the carriage of…

"A chariot, a car. These terms appear to have denoted those two wheeled vehicles for the carriage of persons, which were open overhead, thus differing from the corpentum, and closed in front, in which the differed from the cisium. The most essential articles in the construction of the currus were, 1. The rim. 2. The axle. 3. The wheels, which revolved upon the axle and were prevented from coming off by the insertion of pins into the extremities of the axles. The parts of the wheel were: a. The nave. b. The spokes. c. The felly. d. The tire. 4. The pole." &mdash; Smith, 1873. This picture shows a Quadrigae.

Currus

"A chariot, a car. These terms appear to have denoted those two wheeled vehicles for the carriage of…

Roman goddess of nature and fertility

Cybele

Roman goddess of nature and fertility

Roman goddess of nature, fertility and childbirth

Diana

Roman goddess of nature, fertility and childbirth

"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." 2 Kings 2:11 ASV
<p>Illustration of the prophet Elijah riding in a chariot drawn by three horses, being taken up to heaven. The chariot's wheels are flaming. A line of clouds supports the chariot and horses. The chariot has a star on the front. Elisha can be seen kneeling and watching from the ground. Mountains and a small town are pictured below.

Elijah Taken up to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire and a Whirlwind

"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire,…

A ornate Roman engraving.

Roman engraving

A ornate Roman engraving.

"Once on a time, when the gods were contructing their abodes and had already finished Midgard and Valhalla, a certain artificer came and offered to build them a residence so fortified that they should be perfectly safe from the incursions of the Frost giants and the giants of the mountains. But he demanded for his reward the goddess Freya, together with the sun and the moon." &mdash;Bulfinch, 1897

Freya

"Once on a time, when the gods were contructing their abodes and had already finished Midgard and Valhalla,…

Freya searches for her husband Odur in her chariot drawn by two white cats. As she rode, she cried golden tears that spread all across the world.

Freya Searching for Odur

Freya searches for her husband Odur in her chariot drawn by two white cats. As she rode, she cried golden…

A scene from ancient Greece, possibly from a vase.

Scene from ancient Greece

A scene from ancient Greece, possibly from a vase.

"In the reign of Philip of Macedon, the coinage of Greece had attained its full development, having a perfect reverse. One of the earliest specimens of the complete coin is a beautiful medal struck at Syracuse, with the head of Proserpine accompanied by dolphins, and for reverse a victor in the Olympic games in a chariot receiving a wreath from Victory-a type which is also found on the reverse of the staters of Philip of Macedon, known as Philips, and largely imitated by other states." &mdash; Chambers, 1881

Greek Coin

"In the reign of Philip of Macedon, the coinage of Greece had attained its full development, having…

An illustration of a jester riding a chariot attached to a star.

Jester in Chariot

An illustration of a jester riding a chariot attached to a star.

"When grown up, Oedipus is told by the oracle that he would slay his father and marry his mother. On his return to Corinth he met Laius in a narrow pass and, in a dispute about the road, slew him." &mdash; The Delphian Society, 1913

Death of Laius

"When grown up, Oedipus is told by the oracle that he would slay his father and marry his mother. On…

Loreley, a water fairy, rides her chariot drawn by two goldfish. She was a siren, singing and distracting fishermen, until she fell in love with one of them.

Loreley in her Chariot

Loreley, a water fairy, rides her chariot drawn by two goldfish. She was a siren, singing and distracting…

An ancient chariot racing stadium used during the Roman Empire.

Circus Maximus

An ancient chariot racing stadium used during the Roman Empire.

Bass-reliefs from the frieze of the Parthenon.

Parthenon Frieze

Bass-reliefs from the frieze of the Parthenon.

"Then Phaethon beheld the world on fire, and felt the heat intolerable. The air he breathed was like the air of a furnace, and full of burning ashes, and the smoke was of a pitchy darkness." &mdash;Bulfinch, 1897

Phaethon

"Then Phaethon beheld the world on fire, and felt the heat intolerable. The air he breathed was like…

"And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him." Acts 8:36-38 ASV
<p>Illustration of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch standing by a body of water. Philip is gesturing towards the heavens and the eunuch's hands are clasped in a gesture of worship. The eunuch's chariot and caravan can be seen in the background. A grove of trees stands behind the two men.

Philip Prepares to Baptize the Ethiopian Eunuch

"And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is…

"And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship; and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah." Acts 8:27-28 ASV
<p>Illustration of the apostle Philip, sitting in a chariot with an Ethiopian treasurer, teaching him about the gospel. Philip's head has a halo behind it. The Ethiopian holds a book in his lap. The chariot is being drawn by two horses and led by a young man, standing in a river.

Philip Speaks with an Ethiopian Eunuch in His Chariot

"And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen…

Poseidon (god of the sea) and Amphitrite (queen of the sea) ride in a shell-shaped chariot pulled by sea creatures and surrounded by Tritons.

Poseidon and Amphitrite

Poseidon (god of the sea) and Amphitrite (queen of the sea) ride in a shell-shaped chariot pulled by…

"An Ethiopian princess on her journey through Upper Egypt to Thebes. The chariot is drawn by oxen, a mode of conveyance in use at this day in Southern Africa." — Goodrich, 1844

Ethiopian Princess

"An Ethiopian princess on her journey through Upper Egypt to Thebes. The chariot is drawn by oxen, a…

"Coin of Syracuse." &mdash; Smith, 1882

Syracuse, coin of

"Coin of Syracuse." — Smith, 1882

"Thor, the thunderer, Odin's eldest son, is the strongest of gods and men, and possesses three very precious things. The first is a hammer, which both the Frost and Mountain giants know to their cost, when they see it hurled against them in the air, for it has split many a skull of their fathers and kindred. When thrown, it returns to his hand of its own accord. The second rare thing he possesses is called the belt of strength. When he girds it about him his divine might is doubled. The third, also very precious, is his iron gloves, which he puts on whenever he would use his mallet efficiently." &mdash;Bulfinch, 1897

Thor

"Thor, the thunderer, Odin's eldest son, is the strongest of gods and men, and possesses three very…

The Norse god of thunder, Thor rides his brass chariot drawn by his goats, Tooth-cracker and Tooth-gnasher. He flies as he carries his red hot iron hammer.

Thor the Thunder God

The Norse god of thunder, Thor rides his brass chariot drawn by his goats, Tooth-cracker and Tooth-gnasher.…

"After his return Triptolemus built a magnificent temple to Ceres in Eleusis and established the worship of the goddess, under the name of the Eleusinian mysteries, which, in the splendor and solemnity of their observance, surpassed all other religious celebrations among the Greeks." &mdash;Bulfinch, 1897

Triptolemus

"After his return Triptolemus built a magnificent temple to Ceres in Eleusis and established the worship…

The Emperor Maximilian on the Triumphal Car is a woodcut that was created by German Artist Albrecht Dürer. It shows the Emperor Maximilian being crowned by the figures of virtue on a chariot. A woodcut is created by carving an image on a wooden block and rolling ink over that surface, and then printing it on paper.

The Emperor Maximilian on the Triumphal Car

The Emperor Maximilian on the Triumphal Car is a woodcut that was created by German Artist Albrecht…

A tracked vehicle is a vehicle that runs on continuous tracks instead of wheels. The principal design advantages of tracked over wheeled vehicles are that they are in contact with a larger surface area than would generally be the case with a wheeled vehicle, and as a result exert a much lower force per unit area on the ground being traversed than a conventional wheeled vehicle of the same weight.

Traction Vehicle

A tracked vehicle is a vehicle that runs on continuous tracks instead of wheels. The principal design…

A wheel from an Ancient Egyptian chariot.

Chariot Wheel

A wheel from an Ancient Egyptian chariot.