CHAPTER TWO ATHENIAN CIVIC ATHLETICS

Famous for its varied and numerous festivals, 1 ancient Athens was proud of its reputation for having more festivals than other states,2 and many of the agonistic aspects of these celebrations were athletic. State festivals were reli­ gious holidays dedicated to deities; and athletic competitions, like sacrifices, processions and feasts, were an appropriate act of worship and an element of religious ceremony of festivals. 3 The Panathenaea and the Athenian festival program with its athletic aspects grew with the city and became more splendid with the Empire in the fifth century. Some festivals were established or fostered by various persons for specific reasons, and certain events at times were introduced or became more or less popular. The following examines the evidence for the athletic components of the Panathenaea and other state festivals. It also surveys the evidence for various individual events. By outlining the Athenian athletic program, and by suggesting significant stages and historical factors in that program from ca. 566 to 322, this investigation demonstrates the involvement of athletics with Athenian civic life. Before turning to the Panathenaea as the most famous Athenian athletic gathering, it is important to clarify this study's approach to Attic vase­ paintings as a valuable source for the history of Athenian athletics. While black-figure Panathenaic prize amphorae testify to the establishment and operation of civic athletics in the Panathenaea,4 other non-Panathenaic vases

1 On the exceptional number and expense of Athenian sacrifices and processions : Ps.Xen. Ath. Pol. 3.2,8; Ar. Nub. 306-13, Eq. 582, 1037, Pax 1.24.3; Ps.Pl. Ale. II 148e. 2 In the Funeral Oration (Thuc. 2.38) Pericles praises Athenian games and festivals held throughout the year as civilized recreational diversions. Likewise Isoc. Paneg. 50.45-46. 3 On Athenian festivals the basic work is August Mommsen's Feste der Stadt Athen im Altertum, 2nd ed. (Leipzig, 1898), which was brought up to date by Ludwig Deubner, Attische Feste (Berlin, 1932; reprint ed., Hildesheim, 1959). H. W. Parke, Festivals of the Athenians (London, 1977), is more recent but aims at a broader audience and concentrates on the fifth and fourth centuries. Like Deubner, his focus is on cult, ritual and the festival year. E. Simon, Festivals of Attica (Madison, 1982), integrates recent archaeological evidence and discusses the origins of festivals. For an outdated treatment from an athletic viewpoint, see Gardiner, GASF, 227-50. For testimonia and discussion of the dates of various festivals, see Jon D. Mikalson, The Sacred and Civil Calendar of the Athenian Year (Princeton, 1975). 4 On the Panathenaics: the standard reference collection is J. D. Beazley, Attic Black­ Figure Vase-Painters (Oxford, 1928, reprint ed., New York, 1978), to which Beazley makes additions in his Paralipomena: Additions to Attic Black-Figure Vase-Painters and to Attic Red­ Figure Vase-Painters (Oxford, 1971). Beazley's The Development of Attic Black-Figure (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1951), especially chap. 8, "Panathenaic Amphorae," is an excellent introduc­ tion, to be supplemented by John Boardman, Athenian Black Figure Vases (New York, 1974), especially chap. 7 "Panathenaic Vases." J. Frei, Panathenaic Prize Amphoras, Kerameikos 2 (Athens, 1973), is a brief introduction with special attention to finds from the Kerameikos. ATHENIAN CIVIC ATHLETICS 33 overall also reflect the nature and development of athletics at Athens. Together the general ceramic evidence and the Panathenaic prize vases can indicate the introduction, history and popularity of individual gymnastic and equestrian events. However, some cautionary remarks are in order. Except for the Panathenaic prize amphorae, Athenian pottery with athletic scenes usually can provide only general impressions of the athletic inclinations and activities of the Athenians. Discovered over a vast territory, Attic works with athletic scenes may have been painted for foreign markets; the scenes themselves may be generalized, non-Athenian, or even imaginary. 5 Such evidence does show Athenian familiarity with athletics, but only in combination with literary and other testimonia does it verify the existence of civic athletics. Although the corpus is limited, the Panathenaic prize amphorae by their special nature are sound evidence for civic athletics. Only a representation on a Panathenaic prize vase is ceramic proof of the event's inclusion in the state-supervised Panathenaic program; scenes on non-prize vases can only suggest Athenian familiarity with-and probable activity in-specific events. A final caution is that dates based stylistically on ceramic evidence obviously are very approximate in most cases.

PANATHENAEA

Since they constitute a major source for the Panathenaic Games, the classification of vases as "Panathenaic prize amphorae" in this study must be explained. Vases so described hereafter are all black-figure, inscribed amphorae (or fragments) with distinctive decorations and with a discernible athletic activity on the reverse. 6 Numerous vases (pseudo-Panathenaics or Panathenaic-type amphorae) are similar to the prize vases in shape and decoration, but these lack the official inscription and were not definitely Panathenaic prizes. Perhaps they were souvenirs, imitations or market items. 7 Although some reference to the Panathenaea is apparent, these Panathenaic-

Earlier and more specialized treatments include : G. von Brauchitsch, Die panatheniiischen Preisamphoren (Leipzig, 1910); K. Peters, "Studien zu den panatheniiischen Preisamphoren," (Ph.D. dissertation, Koln, 1941); J.D. Beazley, "Panathenaica," AJArch. 47 (1943): 441-65. 5 Harris, GAA, 29, reminds us that, 'The Greek painter was an artist .... With him aesthetic considerations always came first." 6 Such a limitation excludes imitations and overly fragmentary works of questionable reliability. Beazley and Boardman distinguish between prize and non-prize vases and are the main sources for this section; cf. Webster, Potter and Patron, and Gardiner, GASF, who tend to lump Panathenaic-type vases and uninscribed works as prize amphorae. 7 M.A. Tiberius, "Oava0rivmKa," Deltion 29A (1974): 142-51, argues (from Arist. Ath. Pol. 49.3 and 60.1) that the pseudo-Panathenaics were models offered by various workshops competing in a state contest in which the victorious workshop was awarded the contract for the manufacture of the prizes. The hypothesis is interesting but Tiberius himself admits the uncertainty and lack of sound evidence on the purpose or manufacture of the pseudo-Panathenaics.