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Il Pugilato Nell'antichità Tra Storia, Letteratura E Arte

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Il Pugilato Nell'antichità Tra Storia, Letteratura E Arte Quaderni della Società Italiana di Storia dello Sport IL PUGILATO NELL’ANTICHITÀ TRA STORIA, LETTERATURA E ARTE Livio Toschi [email protected] Nell’Iliade Omero descrive così mirabilmente i giochi funebri voluti da Achille in onore di Patroclo, da giustificare l’affermazione di Friedrich Schiller: «Non ha vissuto invano chi ha potuto leggere il XXIII canto dell’Iliade»1. È questa la prima “cronaca” di un agone sportivo. Dopo aver arso il corpo dell’amico su una pira innalzata con il legname di «aeree querce» del monte Ida, Achille bandisce i giochi funebri (agones epitaphioi), che dota di ricchi premi (agones chrematitai). I testi antichi sono pieni di agones epitaphioi, disputati con modalità più o meno simili in ogni tempo e luogo del mondo greco: dagli athla epi Pelia sulla spiaggia di Iolco2, cantati da Stesicoro, ai giochi in onore di Ettore e di Achille a Troia, descritti dagli autori postomerici. 1. Letteratura Gli agones dell’Iliade hanno luogo nella pianura di Troia presso il fiume Scamandro e vicino alla spiaggia dove sorge l’accampamento dei Greci. Le gare sono otto (cinque delle quali ritroveremo nelle antiche Olimpiadi): la corsa dei cocchi, il pugilato, la lotta, la corsa a piedi, il duello in armi (con elmo, lancia e scudo), il lancio del disco, la gara di tiro con l’arco alla colomba, una non meglio definita «prova delle lance». Nella gara di pugilato (pyx, pygme o pygmachia), i cui premi sono una mula per il vincitore e una coppa per lo sconfitto, Epeo batte facilmente Eurialo3. I due indossano una sorta di cintura intorno ai reni (zoma) e fasciano le mani con strisce di cuoio (himantes)4. Non è trascurabile la baldanza che traspare dalle parole di Epeo, certo di essere il migliore (aristos) tra gli Achei, che fa pensare alle dichiarazioni pre-gara dei moderni pugili per impressionare l’avversario. Leggiamo nella traduzione di Vincenzo Monti la viva descrizione che Omero fa del duro combattimento: Odesi orrendo / sotto i colpi il crosciar delle mascelle, / e da tutte le membra il sudor piove. / Il terribile Epeo con improvvisa / furia si scaglia all’avversario, e mentre / questi bada a mirar dove ferire, / Epeo la guancia gli tempesta in guisa, / che il meschin più non regge, e balenando / con tutto il corpo si rovescia in terra (XXIII, 868-876). Epeo cavallerescamente solleva da terra l’avversario frastornato e sanguinante. Stese al terreno / il suo rivale, e tosto generosa / la man gli porse, e il rialzò. Pietosi / accorsero del vinto i fidi amici / che fuor del circo lo menâr gittante / atro sangue, e i ginocchi egri traente / col capo spenzolato, ed in disparte / condottolo, il posâr de’ sensi uscito (XXIII, 879-886). Lo stesso Omero nel libro VIII dell’Odissea narra, seppur meno dettagliatamente, i giochi organizzati dai Feaci alla presenza di Ulisse. Questa volta gli agoni, non più epitaphioi Qds 8 QUADERNO_SISS_11_04_2017.indd 8 13/04/17 11:23 Storia e sviluppi della disciplina del pugilato in Italia ma disputati gioiosamente in onore dell’ospite, sono cinque e tutti destinati a far parte delle Olimpiadi: la corsa, la lotta, il salto in lungo, il lancio del disco e il pugilato, vinto da Laodamante, figlio del re Alcinoo5. Insomma, è un pentathlon con il pugilato al posto del giavellotto. Ancora nell’Odissea (libro XVIII) è narrato il violento incontro a pugni nudi6 tra Ulisse e Iro sotto lo sguardo divertito dei Proci. Ovviamente prevale il re di Itaca e il mendicante finisce malconcio, come racconta Omero (traduzione di Ippolito Pindemonte) Iro la destra spalla / ad Ulisse colpì; ma Ulisse in guisa / sotto l’orecchia l’investì nel collo, / che l’ossa fracassògli: uscìagli il rosso / sangue fuor per la bocca; ed ei mugghiando / cascò, digrignò i denti, e il pavimento / calcitrando batté (XVIII, 114-120). Nel V libro dell’Eneide (I secolo a.C.) Virgilio descrive i giochi organizzati dal pio Enea sulla spiaggia di Pizzolungo sotto il monte Erice, presso Trapani, per l’anniversario della morte del padre Anchise. Cinque le competizioni: le regate, la corsa a piedi, il pugilato, il tiro con l’arco alla colomba, il Ludus Troiae. Nella gara di pugilato, i cui premi sono un toro per il vincitore, un elmo e una spada per lo sconfitto, il siculo Entello batte il frigio Darete. Anche Virgilio offre una descrizione cruenta: Indarno tra lor si avventan colpi, / ne addensan molti al cavo fianco, i petti / si fanno risonar, spessa la mano / guizza agli orecchi ed a le tempie intorno / crosciano a le percosse le mascelle (V, 556-560 – Traduzione di Giuseppe Albini). Va sottolineato che all’inizio del combattimento i due avversari «stettero eretti su le punte entrambi / subitamente, sollevando al cielo / impavidi le braccia, e le teste alte / molto indietro ritrassero dal colpo». Questo atteggiamento ricorda i versi di Quinto Smirneo7 e di Papinio Stazio8. Nel VI libro della Tebaide (I secolo d.C.) Stazio narra lo scontro violento nel pugilato tra l’agile spartano Alcidamante, addestrato da Polluce, e il possente argivo Capaneo durante i giochi funebri in onore del piccolo Archemoro Ofelte. Le gare disputate sono nell’ordine: la corsa dei cocchi, la corsa a piedi, il lancio del disco, il pugilato e la lotta: Come l’onda si abbatte con la sua mole sugli scogli minacciosi, vi si frange e ritorna indietro, così Alcidamante aggira il nemico furibondo, nel tentativo di abbatterlo. Ecco, alza le mani e mira costantemente ora ai fianchi, ora agli occhi; mentre l’altro bada a evitare l’impatto tremendo dei cesti, lo distrae e con abilità supera la sua guardia e gli piazza un colpo inatteso in mezzo alla fronte, marchiandolo con una ferita: subito sgorga il sangue e scorre tiepido lungo le tempie (VI, 777-783). Nel IV libro de Il seguito dell’Iliade (o Posthomerica), databile nel III secolo d.C., Quinto di Smirne descrive i giochi funebri organizzati da Teti in onore di Achille. Sono dieci e cioè: corsa a piedi, lotta, pugilato, tiro con l’arco, lancio del disco, salto, lancio del giavellotto, pancrazio, corsa con i carri e corsa con i cavalli. La gara di pugilato (lungamente descritta ai versi 284-404) si disputa tra Epeo (già vincitore ai giochi in onore di Patroclo) e Acamante, figlio di Teseo. Qds 9 QUADERNO_SISS_11_04_2017.indd 9 13/04/17 11:23 Quaderni della Società Italiana di Storia dello Sport Infine vennero l’un contro l’altro, simili a nubi veloci, / che per le furie dei venti scontrandosi a vicenda / mandano lampi […]. / Così risuonavano le mascelle dei due per l’effetto / delle pelli secche, il sangue molto scorreva, dalle fronti / il sudore misto a sangue arrossiva le guance in fiore. / Ma loro furiosamente si battevano bramosi (IV, 349-356). Facendosi troppo aspro il combattimento, Epeo e Acamante vengono convinti a interromperlo e Teti dona a ciascuno un tripode d’argento. Nonno di Panopoli (V secolo d.C.) nel canto XXXVII delle Dionisiache si sofferma sull’incontro tra Melisseo ed Eurimedonte, figlio di Efesto. I due indossano himantes, perizoma e cintura. Il combattimento è, come sempre, molto duro: «Le guance si graffiano / e i cesti s’arrossano di rivoli di sangue. / Scricchiolano le mascelle [...], / gli occhi s’infossano». Un pugno di Melisseo colpisce all’improvviso la guancia sotto l’occhio e l’altro accusa il colpo, / rotola e piomba supino con la schiena nella polvere, / senza conoscenza, simile a un ubriaco. La testa / reclinata da un lato, sputa schiuma e sangue / che lentamente s’aggruma (XXXVII, 538-542). Ricordo, inoltre, che pugilato, lotta, corsa di cavalli e di carri sono raffigurati sullo scudo di Ercole, come si narra nell’omonimo poemetto che s’ispira a Omero ed Esiodo. Pindaro dedica l’Olimpica VII a Diagoras di Rodi (vincitore nel 464 a.C.), la X e l’XI ad Hagesidamos di Locri Epizefiri (vincitore tra i giovani nel 476 a.C.). Bacchilide scrive gli Epinici I e II per celebrare il successo a Istmia del giovane pugile Argeios di Ceo, suo concittadino. Nel programma delle Thanatusie, i giochi disputati dai defunti che soggiornano nell’Isola dei Beati, figura anche il pugilato e il greco Epeio pareggia con l’egiziano Areio. Ai vincitori, ci dice ironicamente Luciano di Samosata, gli agonoteti Achille e Teseo dispensano corone intrecciate con penne di pavone (Storia vera, II, 22). 2. Arte pre-olimpica Troviamo le più antiche tracce di pugili nell’arte in due bassorilievi: uno sumero di 5000 anni fa, conservato al Museo di Bagdad, e uno babilonese al British Museum di Londra (II millennio a.C.). L’arte minoica ci offre scene di pugilato in unrhyton di steatite alto 50 cm e proveniente da Haghia Triada (1600-1500 a.C.), esposto al Museo Archeologico di Heraklion a Creta. Tutti i pugili indossano guantoni, gambaletti, cintura e sospensorio. Alcuni anche un elmo. In un celebre affresco anteriore al 1500 a.C., proveniente dall’isola di Thera (Santorini), ora al Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Atene, sono raffigurati due giovani pugili che indossano guantoni e cintura. Wolfgang Decker segnala un rilievo con sei coppie di pugili in varie posizioni nella tomba di Kheruef a Luxor (XVIII dinastia)9. Un kantharos con disegno di stile geometrico alla Staatliche Kunstsammlungen di Dresda (seconda metà dell’VIII secolo a.C.) mostra due pugili al centro della scena e di fianco a loro due personaggi armati. Qds 10 QUADERNO_SISS_11_04_2017.indd 10 13/04/17 11:23 Storia e sviluppi della disciplina del pugilato in Italia 3. Le origini Il mito attribuisce l’invenzione del pugilato a Teseo (Pindaro, Nemea V, 89), a Ercole10, che «per primo sui campi di Pisa gareggiò in onore di Pelope, vincendo queste gare» (Stazio, VI, 5-7), ad Apollo (Plutarco, Questioni conviviali, VIII, 4, 4), che ricevette l’appellativo di pyktes e a Olimpia sconfisse Ermes nella corsa e Ares nel pugilato (Pausania, V, 7, 10), o a Polluce, figlio di Zeus e di Leda, nonché fratello di Castore e di Elena.
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