Gaius Appuleius Diocles (104after 146 AD) was a Roman charioteer. His existence and career are attested by two highly detailed contemporary inscriptions, used by modern historians to help reconstruct the likely conduct and techniques of chariot racing. He has been described in some modern sources as the highest-paid athlete of all time. Early life and career in Rome Gaius Appuleius Diocles was born in 104 AD in the Roman province of Lusitania (now Portugal). He made his racing debut in Rome at the age of 18, in 122 AD with the racing stable known as the Whites, but did not win a race until two years later. Diocles usually raced four-horse chariots (quadrigae), probably at Rome's Circus Maximus. According to David Matz, the "great majority" of his wins were in the singles races, which may have been the most popular race-types both for drivers and spectators; drivers competed for themselves, rather than their team, making a win the result of their individual talent and luck; Diocles had 1,064 wins as a single. An honorific inscription made in Rome during his lifetime ( = ILS 5287) and another in Praeneste after his retirement there () are the sole records of his existence and career. They show that in his 24 years of racing, he won 1,462 of his 4,257 four-horse races, and was placed in 1,438 more (mostly in second place). He broke several records. He won the most prestigious race, held immediately after the ceremonial opening procession (Pompa circensis), 110 times. He won 815 times by leading from the starting gate; one of his strategies involved his hanging back until the last minute, then pulling ahead of the competition for a clear win. His publicity and very detailed track record remain an essential source for reconstruction of the conduct and techniques of Roman chariot racing. Diocles had an unusually long career for a charioteer, racing for 24 years and representing three of the four most famous chariot racing stables (factiones) in Rome, which were known by their racing colours (Reds, Whites, Blues, and Greens). He began with the Whites at the age of 18; after six years, he switched to the Greens, during which time he sustained some kind of injury on the race-track; Diocles' track record with the Greens was poor. David Metz suggests that Diocles might have somehow offended the Green team management, who punished him by restricting