Olympic Victor Monuments and Greek Athletic Art — John Shaqi
Olympic Victor Monuments and Greek Athletic ArtHyde, Walter Woodburn
History
Olympic Victor Monuments and Greek Athletic Art
Hyde, Walter Woodburn
Olympics; Sculpture, Greek; Sports -- Greece
The periodical celebration of the three other national festivals was
not dated—except in legend—before the early years of the sixth century
B. C., though local festivals must have existed also on these sites
long before.[89] The old music festival at Delphi, which finally was
held every eight years,[90] was changed in 586 B. C., in consequence of
the Sacred War,[91] into a Panhellenic festival celebrated thereafter
every four years (_pentaëteris_). It was under the presidency of the
Amphiktyonic League, which introduced athletic and equestrian events
copied from those at Olympia[92] and replaced the older money prizes
with the simple bay wreath. About the same time the Nemean and Isthmian
games were instituted. The local games at Nemea, said to have been
founded by Adrastos in honor of a child, were reorganized some time
before 573 B. C., the first Nemead.[93] Thereafter they were celebrated
every two years, in the second and fourth of the corresponding
Olympiads.[94] They were administered in honor of Zeus by the small
town of Kleonai under Argive influence. The games were transferred to
Argos some time between 460 B. C. and the close of the third century B.
C. Centuries later, Hadrian revived the prestige of the games at Argos.
The games held on the Isthmus also originated as an old local festival,
which was revived in 586 or 582 B. C. We are not sure whether they
were refounded in Poseidon’s honor by Periandros or after the death of
Psammetichos in commemoration of the ending of the tyranny at Corinth.
The geographical location of Corinth, the meeting-place of East and
West, involved it in many wars, and therefore the Isthmian games never
attained the prestige of the other national festivals; they were held
every two years in the spring of the second and fourth years of the
corresponding Olympiads and were administered by Corinth.[95]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account