a half coach, having only a seat behind, with a stool before. See Coach.

The chariots of the ancients, chiefly used in war, were called by the several names of biga, triga, &c., according to the number of horses applied to draw them. Every chariot carried two men, who were probably the warrior and the charioteer; and we read of several men of note and valour employed in driving the chariot. When the warriors came to encounter in close fight, they alighted out of the chariot, and fought on foot; but when they were weary, which often happened by reason of their armour, they retired into their chariot, and thence annoyed their enemies with darts and missile weapons. These chariots were made so strong, that they lasted for several generations.

Besides this sort, we find frequent mention of the currus falcati, or those chariots armed with hooks or scythes, with which whole ranks of soldiers were cut off together, if they had not the art of avoiding the danger; these were not only used by the Persians, Syrians, Egyptians, &c., but we find them among the ancient cient Britons; and notwithstanding the imperfect state of some of the most necessary arts among that nation before the invasion of the Romans, it is certain that they had war chariots in great abundance. By the Greek and Roman historians, these chariots are described by the six following names: viz. Benna, Petoritum, Currus or Carrus, Covinus, Efedum, and Rheda. The benna seems to have been a chariot designed rather for travelling than war. It contained two persons, who were called combennones, from their fitting together in the same machine. The petoritum seems to have been a larger kind of chariot than the benna; and is thought to have derived its name from the British word ped-war, signifying four; this kind of carriage having four wheels. The currus or currus was the common cart or waggon. This kind of chariot was used by the ancient Britons, in times of peace, for the purposes of agriculture and merchandise, and, in time of war, for carrying their baggage, and wives and children, who commonly followed the armies of all the Celtic nations. The covinus was a war chariot, and a very terrible instrument of destruction; being armed with sharp scythes and hooks for cutting and tearing all who were so unhappy as to come within its reach. This kind of chariot was made very light, and had few or no men in it besides the charioteer; being designed to drive with great force and rapidity, and to do execution chiefly with its hooks and scythes. The efedum and rheda were also war chariots, probably of a large size, and stronger made than the covinus, designed for containing a charioteer for driving it, and one or two warriors for fighting. The far greatest number of the British war chariots seem to have been of this kind. These chariots, as already observed, were to be found in great numbers among the Britons; insomuch that Caesar relates, that Cassibelanus, after dismissing all his other forces, retained no fewer than 4000 of these war chariots about his person. The same author relates, that, by continual experience, they had at last arrived at such perfection in the management of their chariots, that "in the most steep and difficult places they could stop their horses upon full stretch, turn them which way they pleased, run along the pole, rest on the harness, and throw themselves back into their chariots, with incredible dexterity."