Greek athletic sports and festivals (1910) (14790050323)

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:
e dropped his loin-cloth in the race. The advantagewhich he gained thereby produced such an impression thatfrom this date all runners discarded the loin-cloth. Thisstory was commemorated by an epigram, written possibly bySimonides, which was inscribed on his tomb. The practicedoes not seem to have been adopted by all athletes till a; later date, for Thucydides states that the abandonment of they loin-cloth even at Olympia dated from shortly before his own^\^>ime.^ The prizes were originally tripods and other objects of value.It was in 01. 7 that the crown of wild olive was firstintroduced on the advice of the Delphic oracle. The branchesof which the crowns were made were cut from the sacred olive-trees with a golden sickle, by a boy whose parents were bothliving. This was henceforth the only prize given at Olympia.Of the rewards and honours bestowed by the victors country-men, and of other details connected with the games, we shall1 Paus. i. 44 ; A7ith. Pal. App. 272 ; Tliuc. i. 6.
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 6.—Statue of Girl Runner. Vatican. Copy of fifth-century original.(From a photograph by Alinari). 49 E 50 GREEK ATHLETIC SPORTS AND FESTIVALS chap. speak in another chapter. Our knowledge is not sufficient fora description of the festival at this early period. The athletic records of Olympia date from the year 776 B.C.,the 28th Olympiad from the organization of the games by Iphitus.This Olympiad, in which Coroebus of Elis won the foot-race, iscounted as the first Olympiad in the Olympic register,^ andfrom this date we have a complete list of winners in this racecopied by Eusebius from the work of Julius Africanus, whobrought the register down to the year 217 A.D. The registerwas originally compiled by Hippias of Elis at the close of thefifth century. It was revised and brought up to date byvarious writers from Aristotle and Philochorus down to Phlegonof Tralles in the time of Hadrian and Julius Africanus in thethird century A.D. A list of victors was set up at Olympia byParabal