Horses have traditionally been revered in many different cultures around the planet and through the ages. In terms of Ancient Greece, these animals were seen as a sign of wealth and prestige, while also being hugely important in matters like warfare and trading.

What did horses mean to Greeks in the distant past and how has their love of these animals survived to this day in works of art and in a strong tradition of sporting events?

Who Owned Horses in Ancient Greece?

It isn’t clear how many horses existed in the land at any time. However, we do know that they were extremely expensive to care for and feed, meaning that they were limited in number and, therefore, regarded as being special.

The ownership of horses was spread out across Greece, although some areas were particularly well-known for being skilled at breeding and riding horses. For example, the people of Thessaly were highly-regarded in this respect.

The Thessalian breed from the region is believed to be close to extinction today, yet they were once among the most popular breeds to be found. Indeed, Alexander the Great’s famous Bucephalus that he rode into every battle for almost 20 years was said to be a mighty Thessalian stallion.

The name Bucephalus translates as ox-head, coming from the form of the branding mark on his haunch. This horse was said to be huge and cost Alexander’s father a fortune when he bought it. It was widely believed that no-one could tame Bucephalus but Alexander soon did so by soothing him and making sure that he was no longer able to see his own shadow. 

This iconic horse was so important to the ruler that he named a city after it when it died in the Battle of the Hydaspes in modern-day Pakistan. The exact location of Alexandria Bucephalous isn’t known to us, but the fact that this great warrior decided to name a city after his loyal horse is a sign of the affection that he felt for it.   

Another breed that has lived here for many centuries is the Peneia Pony. Now extremely rare, this animal comes from the Peloponnese in the south of the country. It has been crossed with other breeds in more modern times, but the original ponies are thought to have existed here since ancient times.

In general, buying and owning a horse was too costly for most people, meaning that only the richest could afford to do this. Due to this, ownership of a horse came to be seen as a powerful status symbol that added extra prestige to the owner’s reputation.   

The Solonian Constitution from the 6th century BCE classed the hippeis as the second-highest of the four distinct social classes. These were the cavalry members who had an impressive annual salary of at least 300 medimnoi, compared to the average income of under 200 medimnoi at the time.

So, horse ownership was strictly limited to the elite of the society. They would use them for sport and for hunting, as well as sending them on military campaigns when needed. The ordinary person with access to more limited funds simply wouldn’t be able to even consider the prospect of buying and maintaining a horse, which of course meant that they retained an exclusive air.

Athenian historian Xenophon wrote what are believed to be two of history’s earliest works on looking after horses, showing how important they had become to the Greek culture and how caring for these animals was such an important subject. He pointed out that the golden rule is to approach these animals with care and to not get angry with them.

The title of the first book written by Xenophon is often translated as “The Art of Horsemanship”. He learned how to care for these creatures during his career in the cavalry, before he was awarded a country estate by the King of Sparta. He used this estate to carry on looking after horses.

What is unusual about Xenophon’s writing in this book is that he is perhaps the earliest writer to encourage people to understand a horse’s personality by spending time with the animal and getting to know it. He encourages his readers to build up mutual respect with their horses and to treat them well. 

The Use of Horses in Warfare

As we have seen, the legendary Bucephalus came from Thessaly in Greece, and it is during the era of Alexander the Great that they first become an important part in the increasingly sophisticated tactics that were being used on battlefields. Yet, we can see also horses depicted in many artistic recreations of famous battle scenes from before this time. 

Perhaps the first use of horses in war came in the Late Bronze Age, when they were put into action to pull chariots. We can learn more about this from Homer’s poems, as he pointed out that these horses were so important that they were given a special diet of wheat and were sometimes allowed to drink wine. 

The period when horses started getting brought into wars to pull chariots is around 1500 BCE, but it took about another six centuries for warriors to start to ride into battles on horseback. Even before this, Greek armies would use horses to carry out rapid scouting trips, or to carry heavy equipment to where it was needed.

Later, they were used as cavalry horses, with sources stating that Athens had a cavalry with 1,000 members by 431 BCE. Sparta is thought to have formed its first cavalry regiment in 424 BCE. Bronze armor was often used to protect the horses that rode into battle.

Some historians credit Phillip II of Macedonia, who was the father of Alexander the Great, with introducing the tactic of the cavalry charge, which remained a popular military tactic until well into the 20th century. Before this, individual riders would engage with opponents on a separate basis.

Horses in Greek Mythology

The fascination with horses in ancient times may come down to the fact that they are so closely linked to many of the ancient Gods. A good example of this is that Poseidon is the God of horses and is said to have brought the first horses to the world.

Poseidon was also the father of numerous horses, including the legendary Pegasus. This was the white winged horse that is said to have sprung up from the blood of Medusa when Perseus killed and decapitated her. He was later converted into the stellar constellation that bears his name.

Another crucial piece of Greek mythology concerns Athena, who is sometimes called the Goddess of horses. This comes from the story that she showed humans how to tame these animals and then gave Bellerophon a golden bridle to use on Pegasus.

Arguably the most famous example of a horse in Greek mythology isn’t even a real horse. It is the Trojan horse that was used by the Greek army to gain entry into Troy. What isn’t so commonly known is that the horse was the symbol of Troy, and that the model was left outside Troy as a supposed gift for Athena.

It is also worth noting that the horses in Ancient Greek stories are often said to have special powers or have a close relationship with their owners. In some cases, they are even able to speak up, to give warnings and advice to humans.

The Hippoi Athanatoi were the creatures that were regarded as being the immortal horses of the Gods. They were mainly born from the four Wind Gods who drew Zeus’ chariot while disguised as horses. These immortal horses included names such as Aithon, Areion, and Bronte.

Balius and Xanthus were two immortal horses, according to Greek mythology. Xanthus was able to speak and provide prophecies, which is a gift we can see in other legendary horses from the era. Poseidon offered these horses a wedding gift for King Peleus of Phthia, and they were later given to the King’s son, Achilles, to draw his chariot when he headed off to fight in the Trojan War.

Many other horses crop up in other fascinating stories of the Greek Gods. Achilles is credited with saying that horses were animals that “excel all others” due to them being immortal.

The Use of Horses in Art

Among the famous piece of art depicting horses is the so-called Jockey of Artemision. This large bronze statue shows us a small boy who is riding a large horse. It is from around 150 BCE and is one of the few bronze statues from that period to have survived, mainly thanks to it sinking to the bottom of the sea in a shipwreck that was only explored in the 20th century.

Another fine example of equine art in Ancient Greece is the Grave Stele of Dexileos, which is part of the tomb of a cavalry rider from Athens who died while fighting against Sparta in the Corinthian War of 394 BCE. This tall, elegant monument showing the rider on a rearing horse now sits proudly in the Kerameikos Museum in Athens.

Many important buildings in Athens were covered in artwork showing horses, usually in dramatic battle scenes. The Parthenon is probably the best place to find Greek art based on horses, as it was constructed as a tribute to Athena, the Goddess of horses, and includes many equine themes.

Among the highlights here is the sculpture of the head of one of the horses of Selene. We can also see horses rearing gloriously over the bodies of fallen enemies on the famous south and west friezes at this building.

At the Parthenon, we can also find a panel that shows the festivities taking place at the Great Panathenaea event, with horseback riders competing in something similar to the better-known Olympic games.  

Horse are often depicted alongside human on pieces of pottery and sculptures from the past. One common observation made on them is that the horses look smaller than expected. While this is sometimes due to the artist trying to fit both the person and animal into the same scale, it is also true that horses in Ancient Greece were smaller than their modern counterparts.

Sport and Recreation

Chariot racing and horse races were common in massively popular sporting festivals such as the Olympic games and the Panathenaic games. These events are often viewed as the start of the Olympics and other multi-day sporting competitions, but perhaps we could also see them as being the predecessors to horse races like the Dubai World Cup and the Kentucky Derby (you can find more info about that here: https://www.twinspires.com/kentuckyderby/winners).

Chariot races began to be held in Greece around 700 BCE, if not before then. The horses pulled a two-wheeled chariot around a tight track with sharp turns at either end of it, with as many as ten chariots racing at any one time. This type of event usually took place in an arena that had been built for the purpose, leading to the modern use of the name hippodrome.

One of the most thrilling variations of the chariot race saw the competitors jumping off the chariot as it sped along, before they ran alongside it and then attempted to jump back in without getting hurt.

There were also races where the competitors carried out horseback athletics, as well as military events and a sport that involved the riders throwing javelins while seated on their horses. The Olympic games added horses in 684 BCE, with four-horse chariot races added to the list of events in Olympia.

The importance and popularity of chariot racing can be seen in one of the examples of prizes that we know about, with 140 ceramic pots of olive oil giving the winner a huge reward. However, it was for the owner of the horses, rather than for the rider who had shown their skill and bravery. 

The use of horses for leisure purposes is shown on the Hellenistic-period Alexander Sarcophagus, from the 4th century BCE; which was found in Lebanon. This has a battle scene carved on one side and on the other side we can see riders hunting lions.   

All of these facts add up to give horses a unique place in Greek history that shouldn’t be forgotten about.