in Roman Antiquity, gladiators who fought in a heavy kind of chariot called esseda or essedum. The esseda (which derived its name from the Celtic word ess, signifying a carriage) was a ponderous kind of chariot much used in war by the Gauls, the Belgae, and the Britons. It differed from the currus in being open before instead of behind; and in this way the owner was enabled to run along the pole, from the extremity of which, or even from the top of the yoke, he discharged his missiles with surprising dexterity. A large body of essedarii, by which name the British warriors who drove these chariots were distinguished by the Romans, were taken captive in battle, and occasionally exhibited in the gladiatorial shows at Rome, to the great delight of the people, who beheld with admiration the feats performed by these bold and skilful chario-teers. (Cass. Bell. Gall. iv. v.; Tacit. Agric. xii.; Suet. Calig. Claud.; Cic. Fam. vii.)

The Romans applied the same name to a light carriage of similar construction, which was drawn by a pair of horses, and adapted for convenience and luxury. It probably differed little from the covinus, except that the latter was closed overhead.