Quadriga statues, Venice

The famous bronze horses from the Hippodrome, now in St Mark’s Basilica, Venice. Quadriga statues, which were taken from the hippodrome in Constantinople by the fourth crusaders, 1204.

*A quadriga is a car or chariot drawn by four horses abreast (the Roman Empire's equivalent of Ancient Greek tethrippon). It was raced in the Ancient Olympic Games and other contests. It is represented in profile as the chariot of gods and heroes on Greek vases and in bas-relief. The quadriga was adopted in ancient Roman chariot racing. Quadrigas were emblems of triumph; Victory or Fame often are depicted as the triumphant woman driving it. In classical mythology, the quadriga is the chariot of the gods; Apollo was depicted driving his quadriga across the heavens, delivering daylight and dispersing the night.