Ancient Greek Athletic Festivals

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Ancient GreekAthletic Festivals

by Dr. John T. Powell *

If the Olympic Games were being held now...you would be able to see for yourself why weattach such great importance to athletics.No-one can describe in mere words the extraor-dinary pleasure derived from them and which youyourself would enjoy if you were seated amongthe spectators feasting your eyes on the prowessand stamina of the athletes, the beauty andpower of their bodies, their incredible dexterityand skill, their invincible strength, their courage,ambition, endurance and tenacity. YOU wouldnever stop applauding them.

Lucian (2nd Century A.D.)in Anacharsis 12

Introduction

What cannot be measured is the impact thatthe thinkers had upon athletes and upon theFestivals. The esteem in which philosophersand poets were held and the quali ty ofexpressed thought in the Palaestra, theLyceum and the Academy must have influen-ced society. It is known that, in the 5th Century

before Christ at least 137 Greek cities all heldathletics festivals: this shows how much apart of Greek life was devoted to prepared-ness, through contest and general physicalactivity.

Funeral Games

The description, by Homer in the 23rd Iliad 1

is the earliest description of funeral gamesknown. It is not known when Homer lived orwhether the poems he wrote described Gamesas he saw them or whether they were ofGames held two or three centuries previously.

* Professor of Human Kinetics School of Human Biology

University of Guelph, Ontario (CAN)

The blond Achaeans, described by Homer,were invaders from the North who laterbecame settlers ; they were war-like and tokeep them ready for war they exercised andexulted in victory. in the Iliad, Glaucus said :

My father bade me ever be far the best andfar excel all other men and not to put to shamemy fathers lineage. 2

Achilles prepared the funeral Games for hisbeloved hero friend Patroclus. The first contestwas the chariot race with a dual first prize ofa servant-woman and a tripod, the secondprize being a mare heavy with a mule, acauldron as third, gold pieces as fourth and ajug was fifth. Achilles judged fairly, argumentswere mediated with reason and each contes-tant received a prize.

Each of the riders presented himself andwhen Antilochus stood, his father, Nestor gavehim a long speech of advice insisting that skillin driving and use of tactics were far moreimportant than speedy steeds. He suggested

to his son that he hug the turning post withoutactually touching it - this, he said was thecrucial manoeuvre.

The combatants drew lots for lanes andAchilles placed Phoenix at the turning point. Awhip was cracked and the chariots moved.Then comes a thrilling description of the racewith Eumelus taking the lead, followed byDiomedes. but the God Apollo causes him tolose his whip, which the goddess Athenareturns to him and in turn she breaks the yokeof Eumelus chariot from which he is thrown tobe badly bruised. Antilochus rides neck-and-neck with Menelaus but Diomedes wins fol-lowed by Antilochus, Menelaus, Meriones andEumelus, last.

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Achilles took pity on Eumelus offering himsecond prize as consolation but Antilochusobjected. Argument ensued but all was amica-bly settled. Meriones took fourth prize and fifth,Achilles gave to old Nestor who accepted,making a speech recounting his victories whena youth, saying that, then in the funeral gamesfor King Amarymeus he won every prize butone the charioteers.

The boxing contest is next described whereEpeius claims the victors prize of a mule,having dropped Euryalus with a solid blow tothe cheek and then he helps him to his feet.Odysseus and Aias confront each other forthe wrestling title. The contest is even and longuntil, very skilfully, as Aias lifts him, Odysseushooks his leg behind Aias knee drops him andpins him. The second fal l also goes toOdysseus but before the bout continues (3falls were necessary to win) Achilles steppedin offering equal gifts to each competitor.

Some authorities write that the contest wasa draw (H. J. Rose in the Oxford ClassicalDictionary) but Walter Leafs translation

agrees with the above resolution of thecontest 3.

Then followed a foot race in which Aias (notthe wrestler but the son of Oileus), the youthAntilochus. and Odysseus compete. Odysseusis losing, prays to Pallas Athena who trips Aiasinto a dung heap nearing the races end, andOdysseus won. Then came the armour, shieldand sword contest. In this Aias (the wrestlerand son of Telamon) has the fight stopped infavour of his opponent Diomedes, who wins asword.

Archery is next and Teucer unleashes anarrow without first praying to Apollo. Hemisses the dove (the target) tied to a shipsmast but severs the cord tying it. SuddenlyMeriones grasps a bow, fits an arrow andbrings down the flying bird thus receiving hisfirst prize of ten double-bladed axes.

Four contestants vie for throwing a lump ofprecious iron furthest. Polypoetes easily winsthe contest and the missile, which is theaward. And so to the final event - the spear

throw which is not contested as, in deferenceto Agamemnon. Achilles gives him the prizeand Meriones accepts, with grace, the conso-lation award.

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Note the power of the gods, their constantpresence and how they are called upon in allphases of decision. Note also the spirit in theGames and the awarding of prizes to all.

No-one wishes to upset the gods andgoddesses, neither to disturb by discord thedead, yet they contest, which was a normalphase of life indulged in naturally and enjoyed.

Feast Games

In Homers Odyssey

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a graphic poeticinterpretation of athletic events is given.Odysseus - of the seed of Zeus - had landedin the country of the Phaecians (wherever thatwas, some, today consider it to be the islandof Corfu) and landed at the court of KingAlcinous. After a feast and music the King saidLet us go forth anon, and make trial of diversgames, that the stranger may tell his friends,when home he returneth, how greatly we excelall men in boxing, and wrestling and leaping,and speed of foot. 5

First, there was sprinting, then wrestling,long jumping, weight throwing, and boxing.Then Odysseus was asked did he excel insport, by Laodamas, Alcinous son.

Noting a reluctance in Odysseus, Euryalusrebuked him, No, truly, stranger, nor do I thinkthee at all like one that is skilled in games... 6

Odysseus responded, in no uncertainterms: Yet, thou hast stirred my spirit in mybreast, by speaking thus amiss, and ... forall my affliction, I will essay the games, for thyword has bitten to the quick, and thou hast

roused me with thy saying.7

He then lifted a weight larger than anypreviously used in the contest and heaved itwith one hand further than any other cast.Then he challenged any in boxing, in wrestlingand even the foot race.

He told them of his supremacy in archeryand of his only defeat by Philoctetes of Troyand of his excellence with the javelin. 8 OnlyAlcinous answered changing the tense situa-tion to one of pleasure again calling for thedance.

Once again is seen the cathartic effect ofhuman physical prowess and that no excusewas necessary for competition to reign.


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Hesiod

Hesiod, a poet, lived in an age innocent ofphilosophy. Mythology and mythological think-ing pervaded his time and the people of thatera were accustomed to think of the problemsof the day and the process of life in mysticallydetermined ways. He was born in Ascra,Boeotia. In his Works and Days

9 Hesiod

writes that he belonged to the period imme-diately following the Trojan War (1194-1184)yet most scholars date him after Homer (850B.C.).

Hesiods work also allows man to take thecentre of the stage but his approach is quitedifferent to Homers approach. Hesiod dealswith man in his relationship to gods, to socialorder and to the necessities of life. Althoughnot a philosopher he influenced both Greekphilosophy and philosophers.

He recounts how he competed at Chalcis atthe funeral Games of Amphidamas and won afair handled tripod which he dedicated to theMuses of Helicon. A later legend asserted thathis beaten rival was non other than Homer.

10

Pindar

This most illustrious of the Greek lyric poetswas born in 518 B.C. Most of his works haveperished although 45 of his odes are intactcommemorating victories by strength, dexte-rity in running, speed of horses and mules, skillin music, in wrestling, boxing, and pentathlon.He wrote hymns, paeans in honour of gods,

songs in praise of Apollo, dithyrambic versesto Dionysus, drinking songs, dirges and odeson Olympia

14, Nemean

11, lsthmian

8and

Pythian Games 12.

Sometimes his hymns were said as atOlympia in the evening, by the moons lightafter the termination of an event and at othertimes on the return of a victor to his native citywhen the protecting wall had been broken toallow his entrance. This would have been asacred time, yet a joyous homecoming. Thepoet would have trained a chorus to recite the

triumphal ode usually followed by a banquet.An explanation is necessary before reading

Pindars odes. Mythology, idealogy, commun- A philosopher (250 B.C.).

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ity, social and family genealogical symbolswere all enwrapped and enmeshed. His wordswere enhanced by flute or lyre music, cymbals,or solo and chorus chanting. His hymns wereall commissioned, and were ceremonial, flittingbetween gods and men, infinite and finite andmaking assumptions difficult for us but nodoubt commonplace to those who heard theoriginal praises.

As an example, Olympian VII, written forDiagoras of Rhodes may explain.

The island of Rhodes, in Greek legend,derived its name from one of Aphroditesdaughters who married Helios the god of Sunwho, when Zeus divided the earth between thegods, was absent.

Helios was not angry for as he returned hehad seen within the sea, an island about torise, which he requested. This was Rhodes.

Diagoras had been a successful local ath-lete as well as at the four major athleticcentres in Greece. In Delphi he won but hadbeen guilty of some inadvertent transgression

yet had, in 464 BC won the boxing title atOlympia.

Pindars Ode is compared to a loving cupgiven to the bridegroom by the brides fatherwho is recognized by name. The cup servestwo purposes, the pledge of wedlock and thepoets paean of fame. Zeus is asked for hisblessing on ode and victor, that his clan beprosperous so that the State benefits ; the odefinishes listing Diagorass victories.

Here is an extract 11 from Olympian VII 7p. 19.

,.. and to both strains I keep company withDiagoras, singing the seas child, daughter ofAphrodite and bride of Helios, Rhodes and givepraise, spoil of his boxing, to the onslaught ofaman gigantic, wreathed in victory besideAlpheos water and Kastalia ; and to Damagetoshis father...

In his Vlllth Olympian is a firm indication thata typical subject for enquiry at Olympiasoracle were the prospects of Olympic ath-letes :

Olympia, Mother of contests for golden wreaths,Lady of truth, where men of prophecy divine theword of Zeus, white lightnings source, in

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sacrificial fires and learn what plans he had formen...

12

The event was boys wrestling, Alcimedon ofAegina was the winner.

Strabo (63 BC - 21 AD)

About 400 years later than Pindar, Strabo 13,in his book Geography named Oxylus as thefounder of the Olympic Games and that it wasat the end of the 12th Century B.C. that anyOlympic Games, as such, were established.

His great work on geography, in 17 books,has been preserved in its entirety except foraspects of the seventh volume. The LoebEdition (1925-26) has published the work in 8volumes. Strabo was well educated, welltravelled and adopted a stoical philosophyamply shown in the translation of his work.Here again is evidenced the influence of theGods for, on the re-establishment of theGames is noted that "... a sworn agreementwas promptly made by all, that Eleia should besacred to Zeus. 14 It goes on to say thatanyone who invaded that country would be

under a curse, those who failed to defend thecountry would also be cursed and that thosewho later built the city did so without aprotecting wall, for those who went through thearea, with an army, were to surrender theirarms to receive them again when leaving. Itthen suggests that lphitus celebrated theOlympic Games and the Eleians becamesacred people.

However, Farnell 15 deals with the foundingof the Games very contemptuously and RachelRobinson 16 also expresses her concern about

both omissions and the tenor of Strabosaccount, prior to Oxylus.

Phlegon (about 138 A.D.)

In his philosophical work Historical Introduc-tion 17 Phlegon gives more evidence of theoracular power concerning Games :

Zeus is angry at you for sacred rites which herevealed by oracles because you fail to honour

the Olympic Games of all-ruling Zeus...Furthermore he also outlined events at

Olympia before the 12th Century B.C. and


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dwells about the length of time the Gameswere neglected up to the time of the recordingof Coroebus victory (776 B.C) telling of theirrevival more than 100 years previously.

Eusebius of Caesarea (about 260 AD to 340AD)

Philosopher, a man of many notebooksand, in 314 A.D. chosen Bishop of Caesarea.

lived five generations after the great authorPausanias. Eusebius was a noted researcherand in his Chronology is recorded the OlympicRegister of Victors from 776 B.C. to 217 A.D.

18

The chronology follows Phlegons accountconcerning the matter of dating the renewal ofthe Games to the early ninth century B.C.

It is now generally agreed that from thefounding of the Elean Games by Herakles tothe first officially recorded victory was 419

19

years. According to the modern scholarCleanthis Palaelogos

2 2, 10 generations

elapsed until lphitus renewed the Games.lphetus was of Elis, and, wishing to stopnational warring sent a deputation from thePeloponnesus to the Delphic Oracle. Thegods reply to the Peloponnesians was :

O, inhabitants of Peloponnesus go to the altarsacrifice and hearken to what the priestsenjoin

21

The god then spoke to the Eleans :

Citizens of Elis keep straight to the laws ofyour fathers, defend your own country and

refrain from war. Leading the Greeks in impartialfriendship whenever the genial year returns. 22

Eusebius continues :

Because of this lphetus announced thetruce... and ordained the Games. At this time thefoot race was the only contest but later the othercontests were added.

23

Herod the Great (born about 62 B.C. died 4

B.C)The first contact the people of Israel had

with Hellenistic culture was in the time of the

Macedonian, Alexander the Great who, con-quering country after country arrived in Jeru-salem. Herod had, in 25 B.C., built a stadiumnear Jerusalem and, in 12 B.C. Herod not onlybui l t the city of Caesarea but also hadconstructed another magnificent stadium inwhich he inaugurated a festival according tothe Olympic Games programme. It was in thissame year (the 193rd Olympiad) that he notonly acted as President of the QuadrennialFestival, when he stopped at Elis on his wayto Rome, but endowed them for all time withan income big enough to ensure that hispresidency should never be forgotten. 24

Lucian (125 - 180 A.D.)

A contemporary of Pausanias was bothphilosopher and researcher who spent 20years in Athens, although a Mesopotamian. Hewrote ANACHARSIS

25 which is really a con-

versation about Greek athletics betweenSolon the Athenian lawgiver and the Scythian

Anacharsis who came to Greece in his questto find wisdom. The conversation took place inthe Lyceum in Athens. From the discourse islearned much of athletic practices of the fifthcentury B.C. and proof that ... they competein throwing the javelin for distance,

26and,

when talking about discus throwing "... theythrow that high into the air and also to adistance, vying to see who can go the farthestand throw beyond the rest.

27Many authori-

ties have suggested that the Greeks threwjavelins and slung disci at a target; theseassumptions have been based upon no refer-ences being found giving times or distances.Further evidence comes in the 8th Ode ofBacchylides wherein he celebrates the victoryof Automedes of Phlius in the Nemean pen-tathlon.

28Automedes won both javelin throw

and discus as well as the last event, wrestling.

He shone among the other pentathletes as thebright moon in the middle of the month dims theradiance of the stars ; even thus he showed hislovely body to the great ring of watching Greeks,as he threw the round discus and hurled theshaft of black-leaved elder from his grasp to the

steep heights of heaven, and roused the cheersof the spectators by his lithe movements in thewrestling at the end.

29

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Again, it must be reflected upon the era inwhich these athletic contests were held andthe lack of sophistication in organisation. Itwas necessary only to give a winner, exceptin funeral or feast games.

What did the three great PhilosophersSocrates, Plato and Aristotle, note in theiranalyses of Greek athletic practices ?

Socrates (469-399 B.C.)

No written word has come directly fromSocrates. In MEMORABlLlA 30 I, II, and Ill arewhat Xenophon (430-354 B.C.) nick-namedthe Attic Bee, has written in dialogue form,being the words of his noted teacher Socrates.

Socrates meets a poorly developed youthand rebukes him for his underdeveloped body.Of course, I am not a professional repliesthe youth. Whereupon the philosopher giveshim a lecture pointing out that no citizen has

any right to be an amateur in the matter ofphysical training, that it is part of his profes-sion of simply being a citizen to keep himselfin excellent physical condition ready, at amoments notice, to serve his State. He thenberates the youth telling him that it is adisgrace for a man to grow old without everhaving seen the beauty and strength of whichhis body is capable and to go, develop hisbeauty and his strength to the utmost becauseit is his duty to do so in this way only will theyouth reach the Greek ideal.

(To be continued)

REFERENCES

1Homer. lliad, (New York Monarch Press. 1964) Translated

by David Sider and David Konstan, Book XXIII. pp. 81-85.2

Homer. lliad, (Cambridge, Harvard University Press ; TheLoeb Classical Library, 1960) Translated by A. T. Murray,Book VI. p. 271.3

Leaf, Walter. The lliad of Homer (London, MacMillan and Co.,1695) Vol. II, Book XXIII, p. 540.

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4Homer. The Odyssey of Homer. (New York, The ModernLibrary of the Worlds Best Books 1950) Translated by S. H.Butcher and A Lang. pp. 363.5

Ibid. p. 103.6

lbid p. 1047

Ibid. p 104.8

lbid p. 1059

Hesiod. Works and Days, (Cambridge, Harvard UniversityPress ; The Loeb Classical Library, 1914) Translated byEvelyn White, p. 655.10

Robinson. J. M. An introduction to Early Greek Philosophers,(Boston, Houghton Mifflin Coy, 1968) p. 311

Pindar. The Odes of Pindar, (Chicago, Phoenix Books,University of Chicago Press. 1947) Translated by RichardLattimore. 7. p. 19.12

Parke, H. W. The Oracles of Zeus (Oxford, Basil Blackwell,1967) p. 14313 Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, (Cambridge, HarvardUniversity Press,Translated by H. L. Jones, VIII, 3, p. 3014

Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, (H. G. Bohn, BohnsClassical Library 1656) Translated by H. C. Hamilton and W.Falconer, Vol II. p. 15.15

Farnell, L. R. Greek Hero Cults and Ideas of Immortality(Oxford, at the Clarendon Press ,921). pp. 125-127.16

Robinson, Rachel S. Sources for the History of GreekAthletics. (Printed by the author, revised and renewed 1955)p. 3617

bid. p 41.18

Eusebius. Chronology (Cambridge, Harvard UniversityPress, 1912) Translated by W Schoene. X. p. 192.19

Powell, John T. Ancient Greek Athletic Festivals, paperpresented at the first session of the National Olympic

Academy of the USA, University of Illinois, Chicago Circle,20th June 1977, p. 5.20

Palaeologos,Development of the Olympic Games (Athens, in Report ofthe Second Session of the lnternational Olympic Academy,July 1962) p. 132.21

Eusebius, Chronology, (Cincinnati, translated by R. S.Robinson, 1955), printed in Sources for the History of GreekAthletics, COl. 192, p. 54.22

Ibid. COl. 19423

Ibid. COI. 194.24

Yekutieli, Joseph Herod the King of Jerusalem, (Athens, inReport of the with session of the lnternatlonal OlympicAcademy, August 1966) p. 156.25

Lucianus Samosatensi. Lucian, (London, William Heine-mann Ltd, the Loeb Classical Library 1961) Anarchis, orAthletics, Book IV Translated by A. M. Harman, p. 4726

Ibid. p. 47.27 Ibid. p. 48.28

Jebb, Richard C. Bacchylides, the Poems and Fragments(Georg Olms. Verlagsbuchandlung, Hildesheim, 1967) pp.205 and 305.29

Harris, H. A. Greek Athletes and Athletics, (London, IndianaUniversity Press, 1964) p. 79.30

Xenophon, Memorabilia, (H. G. Bohns Classical Library1846). Translated by J. S. Watson, Book Ill, p. 13.

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