Roman Empire Fan loyalty was fierce and at times erupted into sports riots. Racing was perilous, but charioteers were among the most celebrated and well-compensated athletes. One star of the sport was Diocles, from Lusitania (present-day Portugal), who raced chariots for 24 years and had career earnings of 35 million sesterces. Horses had their fans too, and were commemorated in art and inscriptions, sometimes by name. The design of Roman circuses was developed to assure that no team had an unfair advantage and to minimize collisions ("naufragia," "shipwrecks"), which were nonetheless frequent and spectacularly satisfying to the crowd. The races retained a
Sinking of the RMS Lusitania "Lusitania", and on 22 April placed a warning advertisement in 50 American newspapers, including those in New York: ! Washington, D.C. 22 April 1915 This warning was printed adjacent to an advertisement for "Lusitania"s return voyage. The warning led to some agitation in the press and worried the ship's passengers and crew. While many British passenger ships had been called into duty for the war effort, "Lusitania" remained on her traditional route between Liverpool and New York. She departed Pier 54 in New York on 1 May 1915 on her return trip to Liverpool with 1,959 people aboard. In addition