Panhellenic Games

1
Panhellenic Games
2
Some Greek Terms

• Pan all
• Hellas Greece
• Panhellenic all-Greek Games international
  games
• Periodos circuit of 4 games

3
review

• Olympic games (the oldest), at Olympia
• In honour of Zeus
• Pythian games, at Delphi
• In honour of Apollo
• Isthmian games, at Corinth
• in honour of Poseidon
• Nemean games, at Nemea
• In honour of Zeus

4
Pan-Hellenic Sites
http//ca.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back
http3A2F2Fca.search.yahoo.com2Fsearch2Fimage
s3Fp3DMap2Bof2BAncient2BGreece26ei3DUTF-82
6fr3Drogers-web26fl3D026x3Dwrtw570h443im
gurlwww.sikyon.com2FKorinth2Fimages2Fmap2_ella
s.jpgrurlhttp3A2F2Fwww.sikyon.com2FSicyon2F
smapold_eg.htmlsize69.8kBnamemap2_ellas.jpgp
MapofAncientGreecetypejpegno3tt591oid91
d84ebe0ad37b90eiUTF-8
5
Religious context of Panhellenic Games

• All games took place in religious context
• In honour of gods
• Athletes were under religious supervision
• Included religious processions, sacrifices,
  sporting competitions in which athletes offer
  their skills and physical power to the gods.

6

• Originally local festivals in honour of one god
  or another
• Some outgrew local purpose and became
  international like the Panhellenic Games
• Contests included poetic and musical contests,
  recitations.
• Term agon used for all forms of contests

7
The Mythical Origins of the Panhellenic Games

• Origins in myths races organized at religious
  festivals were decided by gods.
• gods and heroes were the first privileged
  performers

8
The Pythian Games

• Games held at Dephi during the Pythian festival
  in honor of the god Apollo
• Associated with the cult center The Oracle at
  Delphi
• Held every four years

9
The Cult Center at Delphi

• Cult center for the worship of Apollo Pythios
  (Apollo who slew Python)
• Evidence for cult activity starting from c. 1000
  BCE
• Evidence of habitation from ca. 860 BCE
• Seat of an oracle Eclipsed the oracle of Zeus
  at Olympia
• Pan-Hellenic oracle particularly important for
  colonization

10
Temple of Apollo at Delphi
http//www.students.sbc.edu/hart06/Apollo20Temple
20Images/Delphi20Temple20of20Apollo20from20a
bove,20tb051303076.jpg
11
The Pan-Hellenic CultHymn to Pythian Apollo,
286-299

• In this place I am minded to build a glorious
  temple to be an oracle for men, and here they
  will always bring perfect hecatombs, 290 both
  they who dwell in rich Peloponnesus and the men
  of Europe and from all the wave-washed isles,
  coming to question me. And I will deliver to them
  all counsel that cannot fail, answering them in
  my rich temple. When he had said this, Phoebus
  Apollo laid out all the foundations 295
  throughout, wide and very long and upon these
  the sons of Erginus, Trophonius and Agamedes,
  dear to the deathless gods, laid a footing of
  stone. And the countless tribes of men built the
  whole temple of wrought stones, to be sung of for
  ever. (H.G. Evelyn-White, 1914)

12
The Foundation Tale For The SanctuaryHymn to
Pythian Apollo, 300-358

• 300 But near by was a sweet flowing spring,
  and there with his strong bow the lord, the son
  of Zeus, killed the bloated, great she-dragon, a
  fierce monster wont to do great mischief to men
  upon earth, to men themselves and to their
  thin-shanked sheep for she was a very bloody
  plague. Whosoever met the dragoness, the day of
  doom would sweep him away, until the lord Apollo,
  who deals death from afar, shot a strong arrow at
  her. (A.D. Godley, 1920)

13
Foundation of Athletic Events at DelphiOvid,
Metamorphoses, 1.416-451

• Lest in a dark oblivion time should hidethe
  fame of this achievement, sacred sportshe
  instituted, from the Python calledThe Pythian
  Games. In these the happy youthwho proved
  victorious in the chariot race,running and
  boxing, with an honoured crownof oak leaves was
  enwreathed. The laurel thenwas not created,
  wherefore Phoebus, brightand godlike, beauteous
  with his flowing hair,was wont to wreathe his
  brows with various leaves. (B. More, 1922)

14
The Historical Games at Delphi

• Delphi develops as an independent polis in 590
  BCE
• The sanctuary placed under the control of a
  league of Greek cities (Amphictyony) by the
  tyrant Cleisthenes of Sikyon
• First contests were probably in music/poetry in
  keeping with the worship of ApolloThe Earliest
  Contests at Delphi
• Hand-out(Paus. 10.2-7. W.H.S. Jones, 1918
• 586 BCE Athletic contests added modeled on
  Olympic Games

15
Stadium at Delphi 4th century BCE
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageDelphi_stadium_
DSC06305.jpg
16
The Isthmian Games
http//ca.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back
http3A2F2Fca.search.yahoo.com2Fsearch2Fimage
s3Fp3DMap2Bof2BAncient2BGreece26ei3DUTF-82
6fr3Drogers-web26fl3D026x3Dwrtw570h443im
gurlwww.sikyon.com2FKorinth2Fimages2Fmap2_ella
s.jpgrurlhttp3A2F2Fwww.sikyon.com2FSicyon2F
smapold_eg.htmlsize69.8kBnamemap2_ellas.jpgp
MapofAncientGreecetypejpegno3tt591oid91
d84ebe0ad37b90eiUTF-8
17
Legendary OriginsMelikertes Sisyphus

• There are legends about the rocks, which rise
  especially at the narrow part of the road. As to
  the Molurian, it is said that from it Ino flung
  her self into the sea with Melicertes, the
  younger of her children. Learchus, the elder of
  them, had been killed by his father. One account
  is that Athamas did this in a fit of madness
  another is that he vented on Ino and her children
  unbridled rage when he learned that the famine
  which befell the Orchomenians and the supposed
  death of Phrixus were not accidents from heaven,
  but that Ino, the step-mother, had intrigued for
  all these things. Then it was that she fled to
  the sea and cast herself and her son from the
  Molurian Rock. The son, they say, was landed on
  the Corinthian Isthmus by a dolphin, and honors
  were offered to Melicertes, then renamed
  Palaemon, including the celebration of the
  Isthmian games. (Paus. 1.7-8. W.H.S. Jones,
  1918)

18
Historical Games

• Evidence for cultic activity from ca. 1050 BCE
• Cult sanctuary dedicated to Poseidon, god of the
  Sea, Horses, Earthquakes
• 582/0 BCE Cult reorganized by Kypselus Tyrant
  of Corinth Controlled by Corinth until 146 BCE
• Programme of events same as Olympic games every
  2 years
• Equestrian events far more prominent
• Contests in music, poetry, drama, art, and boat
  races

19
Competition and Controversy

• A native of Lepreus, Antiochus won once at
  Olympia the pancratium for men, and the
  pentathlum twice at the Isthmian games and twice
  at the Nemean. For the Lepreans are not afraid of
  the Isthmian games as the Eleans themselves are.
  For example, Hysmon of Elis, whose statue stands
  near that of Antiochus, competed successfully in
  the pentathlum both at Olympia and at Nemea, but
  clearly kept away, just like other Eleans, from
  the Isthmian games. (Paus. 6.3.9, W.H.S. Jones,
  1918)
• Timon won victories for the pentathlum at all
  the Greek games except the Isthmian, at which he,
  like other Eleans, abstained from competing.
  (Paus. 6.16.2, W.H.S. Jones, 1918)

20
Myth and PropagandaHeracles and the Murder of
the Elean Ambassadors

• When the Argives refused them satisfaction, the
  Eleans as an alternative pressed the Corinthians
  entirely to exclude the Argive people from the
  Isthmian games. When they failed in this also,
  Moline is said to have laid curses on her
  countrymen, should they refuse to boycott the
  Isthmian festival. The curses of Moline are
  respected right down to the present day, and no
  athlete of Elis is wont to compete in the
  Isthmian games. (Paus. 5.2.2. W.H.S. Jones, 1918)

21
The Nemean Games
http//ca.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back
http3A2F2Fca.search.yahoo.com2Fsearch2Fimage
s3Fp3DMap2Bof2BAncient2BGreece26ei3DUTF-82
6fr3Drogers-web26fl3D026x3Dwrtw570h443im
gurlwww.sikyon.com2FKorinth2Fimages2Fmap2_ella
s.jpgrurlhttp3A2F2Fwww.sikyon.com2FSicyon2F
smapold_eg.htmlsize69.8kBnamemap2_ellas.jpgp
MapofAncientGreecetypejpegno3tt591oid91
d84ebe0ad37b90eiUTF-8
22
The Mythic Origins of the Nemean GamesFuneral
Games for Opheltes

• Nemea associated with Heracles slaying of the
  Nemean Lion
• Funeral games
• Hand out 3

23
The Historical Nemean Games

• Inaugurated in 573 BCE at Nemea by the city of
  Argos
• Games held every two years at a sanctuary to Zeus
  and modeled on the Olympic Games
• Programme consisted of same events as Olympics
  (Chariot races?)
• 3 Categories Men, Youths, Boys
• Rather artificial creation

24
Nemean Stadium
25
How Pan-Hellenic Were the Games?Concluding
Observations

• Games are Pan-Hellenic because they draw
  competitors from all over the Greek world
• All are only open to Greeks
• All are legitimized by reference to Hero Cult
  (i.e. Pelops _at_ Olympia, Melikertes _at_ Isthmia,
  Opheltes _at_ Nemea, Apollo (?) _at_ Delphi)
• 3 of 4 under the control of specific cities (i.e.
  Olympia Elis, Nemea Argos, Isthmus Corinth)
  Pythian Games alone seem truly Pan-Hellenic
• Origins, Control, and Attendance of games
  periodically contested
• Bring honor and prosperity to organizers

26
Sacred Truce (Arete 87-89)

• Truce period on either side of festival
• Athletes and visitors granted safe passage to and
  from Olympia (or other Panhellenic events)
• Armistice (ekecheiria)
• Not a peace (eirene)
• Infractions Battle fought in sanctuary 364 B.C.
  Xenophon Hellenica 7.4.28-32

27
Nature of competition

• Homeric (Patroclus funeral games) competition
  among equals (aristocrats) good-natured, fun,
  characterized by good sportsmanship and fairness
  competition for aristocratic arete
• Panhellenic many participants from
  non-aristocratic backgrounds competed for
  excellence and recognition

28
Nature of competition

• Formation of polis in archaic age undermined
  aristocratic predominance
• Most aristocrats no longer in public life
• physical culture became traditional and important
  signs of breeding, wealth and social status
• Skills no longer proved in battle found place in
  sporting events, especially in exclusive
  disciplines like chariot racing.
• Love for individual competition and excellence
  common to all Greeks