Gaius Appuleius Diocles

Who is Gaius Appuleius Diocles?

Gaius Appuleius Diocles was an illiterate ancient Hispano-Roman, a Lusitanian of the 2nd century AD, notable for racing chariots. At age 18, he began driving for the White team. After six years, at the age of 24, he switched to the Green team. After three years there, at age 27, he finally began driving for the Red team until his retirement at age 42. Diocles’ career was unusually long—many a charioteer died quite young.

He most commonly raced four-horse chariots, and most of his races he came from behind to win. Diocles is also notable for owning an extremely rare ducenarius, or a horse that had won at least 200 races. Records show that he won 1,462 out of the 4,257 four-horse races he competed in. His winnings reportedly totaled 35 863 120 sesterces, an amount which could provide a year's supply of grain to the entire city of Rome, or pay the Roman army at its height for a fifth of a year. Classics professor Peter Struck describes him as "the best paid athlete of all time". Adjusted for inflation, as of 2014 his fortune was equivalent to about $15 billion USD.