During the first century, people across Rome were obsessed with chariot races, which frequently produced horrific crashes.
However, one charioteer steered his way to victory more than 2,000 times. Flavius Scorpus began his career as a slave, but rose to heights of fame and fortune.
Just how did he do it? And how dangerous were his races? To find out, experts built and test-drove a Roman-era racing chariot, finding that the chariots were designed to maximize the spectacle of racing, but did little to protect the driver. Scorpus' feats — and the pulse-pounding risks of charioteering — are featured in the Smithsonian Channel's new two-part documentary series "Rome's Chariot Superstar."
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