Chariot racing was the most popular sport in Rome, appealing to all social classes from slaves to the Emperor himself. This appeal was no doubt enhanced by the private betting that went on, although there was no public gambling on the races. The popularity of chariot racing is reflected in the many household items decorated with racing motifs, like these two terracotta lamps from the British Museum depicting victorious chariots in procession.

Although most Roman charioteers (called aurigae or agitatores) began their careers as slaves, those who were successful soon accumulated enough money to buy their freedom. The four Roman racing companies or stables (factiones) were known by the racing colors worn by their charioteers (Red, White, Blue, and Green), and fans became fervently attached to one of the factions, proclaiming themselves "partisans of the Blue" in the same way as people today would be "Yankee fans." These stables competed for the services of the best charioteers, whose popular celebrity surpassed even that of modern sports heroes, and they were depicted in many statues and monuments, like this relief from Neumagen, Germany (Trier Museum).

One famous charioteer of the second century CE, Gaius Appuleius Diocles, left a detailed record of his career (CIL 6.10048). He began driving for the Whites at the age of 18; after 6 years, he switched to the Greens for 3 years, and then drove 15 years for the Reds before retiring at the age of 42. He won 1,462 of the 4,257 four-horse races in which he competed, and his winnings totaled nearly 36 million sesterces. Diocles' career was unusually long; many charioteers died quite young (Fuscus at 24, Crescens at 22, Aurelius Mollicius at 20). In the Circus Bookshop, read the epitaphs for the charioteer Scorpus written by the poet Martial.