Greek athletic sports and festivals (1910) (14767014461)

Identifier: greekathleticspo00gard (find matches)
Title: Greek athletic sports and festivals
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Gardiner, E. Norman (Edward Norman), 1864-1930
Subjects: Athletics Sports Olympics Fasts and feasts
Publisher: London : Macmillan and Co.
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University



Text Appearing Before Image:
r.The reason seems to be that in all these statues the ideal Fig. 10.—Figure from E. pediment at Aegina. Munich.(Greek SculjJture, Fig. 41.) element is strong; there is a difference of build, but each buildis shown with the fullest all-round development of which it iscapable. Certainly there is not in this period a single figurethat represents a typical runner so clearly as does the Apolloof Tenea. Perhaps the nearest type to that of the runneris the Aeginetan; but unfortunately we know that the events 1 Cp. a fine archaic bronze diskobolos in tlie Metropolitan Museum of NewYork, published in the Museum Bulletin, iii. p. 33 ; vide infra Fig. 83. V THE ATHLETIC TYPES OF THE FIFTH CENTURY 93 in which Aegina won most distinction were wrestling andthe pankration, winners in which we should expect to findcharacterized by a heavier build. The fact is that the realspecialization of the athlete was only just beginning, and theuniversal athletic training had produced in the first half of the
Text Appearing After Image:
Fio. 11.—Bronze Statuette from Ligourio. Berlin. (Greek Sculptxire, Fig. 39.) fifth century so uniform a standard of development that,runners perhaps excepted, it must have been difficult todistinguish between the representatives of other events, in allof which strength was more important than pace. Hence theearlier sculptors, in order to indicate an athletes victory, wereforced to attach to his statue some special attribute, a diskos,or a pair of jumping weights for a pentathlete, a boxing thong 94 GREEK ATHLETIC SPORTS AND FESTIVALS chap. for a boxer.i ^g their technical skill increased they began torepresent the athlete in some characteristic position. Glauciasof Aegina showed the famous boxer Glaucus of Carystossparring with an imaginary opponent.^ At Athens Pausanias