Greek
Horses were important to the ancient Greek society in means of transportation, war, and leisure sports. Chariots were a primary part of the army, and large cavalries were a necessity to Alexander the Great and his ambitions. “It was not until Alexander the Great (356 - 323 B.C.) that the Greeks finally learned the advantages of a cavalry, for this was the only way that the great general could unite the eastern and western parts of the known world into one great, powerful world empire.” Driving and racing were dangerous and popular sporting events in the ancient Olympics. Winners instantly became famous, and feasts were held for the horses as well as their driver or rider.
The majority of ancient Greek’s horses are depicted with “short, powerful necks, small heads, compact bodies and fine legs . . . [with] incredibly petite pasterns and hooves.” Horses decorating hydrias, jars, and other pots are sometimes disproportionate in other ways, perhaps to balance the form on the rounded surface of the pot.
Funeral plaque, ca. 520–510 B.C.