Who will be crowned "Greatest Charioteer of Rome"? Three to six players compete in a race around the famous Circus Maximus.

The winner of a race is the first driver to complete 3 laps of the course and cross the finish line to collect his laurels (points).

This is done by judicious play of the race cards. Ultimately, the player with the most points after several races (we suggest 4) is winner of the tournament.

Components

• 1 Game board
• 6 Chariots
• 6 Coins
• 6 Sets of 24 race cards
• Rulebook

Setup

Select a racecourse; for 3-4 players, we suggest side A, white course, clockwise for the first race. For 5-6 players, side B, yellow course, clockwise. Every race takes 3 laps, with every player stopping in the Imperial Alley once.

Each player gets a chariot, a coin, and the set of cards of one color.

The racing cards have barely enough points for players to complete 3 laps of the course.

Starting Positions

Players cut their deck of cards. The one with the highest card puts his chariot on the starting position labeled 1; in the case of a tie for first place, the tied players cut again.

The others proceed clockwise. Each player shuffles all of his cards, including the one cut.

To all Chariot Drivers

Taking the shortest route on the track uses the least movement points.

The cards total 84 movement points, so 3 or 4 players have only 4 points to spare, 5 and 6 players have 6 points to spare (assuming the race courses were chosen as indicated under Preparation), so stay close to the shortest possible route. Don't waste movement points!

Game Play

Each player draws 3 cards from his deck. The first player starts by playing a race card and moving his chariot forwards the number of spaces shown on the card. Players follow in clockwise order. After playing a card, players replenish their hands to 3 cards.

The Movement Rules

1. The chariots must be moved forwards, never backwards or sideways. They can change lanes at every dashed line by moving diagonally forwards to the next lane.

   
   
   

2. Each player must play a race card and move on his turn even if it is to his disadvantage. A chariot must move exactly the number of spaces shown on the card. If a chariot cannot do so, the player doesn't play a card, and misses his turn.

   
   
   

3. Each space can be occupied by only one chariot.

   
   
   

4. The leading chariot(s)may not play a 6, except at the start of the race. If the leader cannot move (i.e., his hand is all sixes), then he misses turns until someone overtakes him. Exception: if the leader cannot be passed (e.g., a narrow lane) and has only sixes in his hand, he may play a 6.

   
   
   

5. A chariot may not jump another. The only way to overtake is in another lane.

   
   
   

6. A chariot may never cross a wall.

   
   
   

The Imperial Alley

Every chariot has to stop in the Imperial Alley once in a race, on the first or second laps.

The player shouts "Ave Caesar!", and throws his tribute (coin) to Caesar. (The Imperial Alley is the narrow track between Caesar and the wall).

If a player is blocked from going into the Imperial Alley on his second lap, and still has his coin, he must wait (miss turns) until the alley becomes free.

End of the Race

The first chariot past the finish line, after completing 3 laps and visiting the Imperial Alley once, is the winner. Score as follows:

• 1st: 6 points - congratulations!
• 2nd: 4 points
• 3rd: 3 points
• 4th: 2 points
• 5th: 1 point
• 6th: honor, and hope for the next race

If a chariot runs out of movement cards before reaching the finish line, it gets 0 points. Non-player chariots do not receive points, but they still occupy a slot.

The Next Race

We recommend these courses for the remaining races:

Race	3-4 players	5-6 players
1	Side A, white course, clockwise	Side B, yellow course, clockwise
2	Side A, blue course, clockwise	Side B, red course, clockwise
3	Side A, white course, anticlockwise	Side B, yellow course, anticlockwise
4	Side A, blue course, anticlockwise	Side B, red course, anticlockwise

The player who lost the last race gets the first position in the next race, the others follow clockwise. The overall winner is the player gaining the most points after 4 races.

Tips and Tricks

1. Inner parts of corners are shorter than the outer ones. To save points use them.

2. Don't waste too much points using outer lanes, or you will run out of race points.

3. The game is most fun if you play mean. Try to force your opponents to the outer lanes.

4. Use narrow passes to block your opponents if possible.

5. Try to block your opponents at the beginning of the Imperial Alley.

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