Are you not entertained by this LEGO Roman chariot?

Straight from the Circus Maximus, let me present this exquisite LEGO chariot built by Dicken Liu. And, given the subject matter, I think this is a good time to learn some Latin. Our first vocab word is volare: to fly or move quickly. And, by golly, those horses are doing exactly that! This build evokes such motion with its flying manes and tails, I can almost hear their galloping hooves when I look at it! It’s truly a brilliant use of curved slopes and arches.

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The next Latin words we should tackle are aurum and candidum, the adjectives for gold and white, respectively. I love how this build manages color, consisting almost entirely of white for the horses and the chariot. By relying on one color so heavily throughout, Dicken Liu is able to play with empty space quite well. This highlights the shapes formed in the chariot’s trim, or by all eight horse legs in full gallop. The pearl gold then comes in on top of the white, emphasizing the intricate bridles and ceremonial armor on the horses. And instead of coming off as monochromatic, the use of color makes the chariot feel even more dynamic.

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Finally, we can wrap up this Latin lesson with the word pars, or piece. While this chariot is made of many of the LEGO variety, there are those of note that are particularly well applied. For instance, the giant shield piece at the front of the chariot, the palm fronds in the horse armor, and the quarter circle parts making up the horses’ tails. I also like that there are an additional two “parts” to this build: a pair of ferocious-looking gladiators to ride in the chariot. Just one more extra touch on a truly stunning model! Bene factum!

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