APPENDIX A

ATHLETIC, EQUESTRIAN AND OTHER EVENTS

Since the Panathenaea had the largest program of contests and it is the best documented of the Athenian athletic festivals, most events are known primarily from the Panathenaea; but the existence of civic athletic events in other festivals also should be noted. A traditional approach has been to apply the athletic programs of fourth-century and Hellenistic Athens to the earlier ages, using the argument of conservatism in athletics as in religion. This approach, unfortunately, limits the investigation of historical develop­ ments within the athletic activity of the Athenians. Therefore this study collects and collates bits of evidence indicating a possible terminus a quo and the continuing history of individual events. 1 Panathenaic prize amphorae give approximate dates for the inclusion of specific events in the civic athletic program, and other literary and epi­ graphical testimonia indicate elements in civic athletics. The original program of the Panathenaea of 566 is uncertain, as are the dates of the introduction of particular events in this and other festivals. However, by establishing the earliest sound dates for the existence of various events in civic athletics, one can suggest changes or consistency in the athletic program. Comments on general trends in the history of the events as indicated by the corpus of non-Panathenaic Attic will be integrated when useful. The approach is historical rather than technical, seeking to discover influences on Athenian athletics and to establish the earliest known existence of events in one or more festivals as part of Athenian civic athletics.

GYMNASTIC EVENTS

Footraces (cmiotov, oiatJAO~, OOAlXO~) The footrace was an early and prominent event in Greek athletics, and Olympiads came to be dated by the victor in the or straight race. Among the earliest Panathenaic prize amphorae depicting gymnastic events is the Halle by a painter near Lydos of ca. 560 with a scene of the

1 For general and technical treatments of various events, see the appropriate sections of Jiithner-Brein, vol. 2; Gardiner, AA W, GASF; Harris, GAA; and Patrucco, . On the iconography of gymnastic events in Greek art, see Legakis, "Archaic Art." Equestrian events are less adequately treated, but see the discussions in Harris, SGR, 151-72; and Patrucco, Sport, 373-402. J. K. Anderson, Ancient Greek Horsemanship (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1961 ), only marginally covers equestrian competitions and does not treat -. APPENDIX A 179 men's stadion. 2 The stadion, (double stadion) and (long race) are all known from sixth-century amphorae, suggesting that these were early Panathenaic events; and these races continued to appear on prize vases in the fifth and fourth centuries. 3 Remarks in Plato's Laws suggest that all three races were held in the fourth century. 4 The stadion for boys appears on Panathenaics from the mid-fifth century onward, 5 and /G IF 2311.22 lists this event (but not a boys' diaulos or dolichos, which Olympia also lacked). The portion of /G 11 2 2311 listing men's events is missing but probably recorded these three men's footraces. In vase-paintings the footrace was a stock scene presumably popular with purchasers who were athletes or interested in athletics. Representations on non-prize vases are numerous since the scene was highly adaptable to different vase types and would be attractive to the export market. Early sound re­ presentations of the footrace in Greek art appear in the late seventh century, and the earliest Attic representations appear ca. 570-550. 6 The greatest number of Greek representations are found on Attic black-figure vases; and in -figure runners usually appear in palaestra scenes where they generally are depicted singly rather than in a race, perhaps for artistic reasons or because the context is one of practice. 7 Webster calls attention to a "re­ markable decline" in scenes of runners: 52 in black-figure, 14 in early, 7 in late archaic, one early classical, and one classical in red-figure. 8 The explana-

2 Beazley, ABV 120; close in time to this is a work by Lydos with a race, ABV 110 no. 34. 3 Famous examples include works by the Euphiletos Painter of ca. 520s, ABV 322 nos. 4, 6, 7; bv the Berlin Painter ofca. 470s, ABV408 nos. I, 4, II; and the Nikomachus series in the fourth century, ABV 414 no. I; 415 nos. 3, 5-8. For details on footraces on Panathenaics to 480, see Legakis, "Archaic Art," 66-79 and Catalogue I nos. 157-256. A fragment of a sixth­ century prize amphora bears an inscription declaring itself the prize for the diaulos, ABV 69 no. I; Legakis, Catalogue I no. 161. Similarly, a prize amphora of ca. 520 declares itself a prize for the men's stadion: Metropolitan Museum Accession 1978 11. 13 (signed by Nikias); Legakis, Catalogue I no. 163. Romano, "The Ancient Stadium," 9, dates this vase to the mid-sixth century and feels it may be the earliest appearance of the word stadion. Yet another Panathenaic amphora of the mid-sixth century depicts four runners and has a painted inscrip­ tion cr-moio av0piiiv viKll: Munich 498 (not in ABV); Brauchitsch, Die panathe,:uiischen Preisamphoren, 11; ill. in Gardiner, GASF, fig. 52. , 01. 13.38-39, may refer to the Panathenaic stadion or pentathlon. 4 Pl. Leg. 8.883a. A middle distance race of four stades, the hippios, was held at Athens as well as at Isthmia, Nemea, Argos and elsewhere, according to Paus. 6.16.4; Alkmeonides I may have won such a race at Athens ca. 550 (see A6) but the evidence is not conclusive. 5 Beazley, ABV 408 no. 3; 409 no. I; 322 no. 8. 6 Legakis, "Archaic Art," 24-66. 7 Webster, Potter and Patron, 197, points out that palaestra scenes including one or more runners first appear on non-prize vases by the late Amasis painter of the 550s (ABV 151 no. 21), on the Nicosthenic Cup by Painter N (ABV 223 no. 65), and then by the Perizoma Group (ABV 343-45) and the Leagros Group (ABV 362-86) of ca. 510. 8 Webster, Potter and Patron, 198. These exclude the Panathenaics, on which footrace scenes rival the chariot race for the largest numbers of survivals. Also see Legakis, "Archaic Art," 80-83.