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The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of the Liberal Arts ATHLETES, HEROES, AND THE QUEST FOR IMMORTALITY IN ANCIENT GREECE A Dissertation in History by David J. Lunt © 2010 David J. Lunt Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2010 The dissertation of David J. Lunt was reviewed and approved* by the following: Mark Munn Professor of Ancient Greek History and Greek Archaeology Dissertation Advisor Chair of Committee Paul B. Harvey Associate Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, History, Religious Studies, and Jewish Studies Stephen Wheeler Associate Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies Mark Dyreson Associate Professor of Kinesiology Carol Reardon Director of Graduate Studies in History Professor of Military History *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School ii ABSTRACT Victory in an athletic contest in ancient Greece, especially in a prestigious panhellenic festival, brought great status and acclaim to the athlete. Moreover, extraordinary victories by exceptional athletes brought superhuman status, a condition comparable to that of the mythic heroes. Ancient Greek myth emphasized the athletic nature of many heroic figures, imparting to them excellence in contests as well as achievements in battle or other endeavors. This athletic component of a hero’s identity allowed for ready comparisons between the accomplishments of the ancient heroes and the achievements of historical athletes. Consequently, a few extremely successful athletes during Greece’s Archaic and Classical periods received posthumous heroic cults. The accoutrements of victory, such as the victory crown, the epinician ode, and the victory statue likened the victor to the immortal heroes. In addition, the spatial organization of the panhellenic sanctuaries, as well as other athletic fields, closely connected the world of the living athletes with the accomplishments of the deceased heroes. Finally, the importance of founding and sponsoring athletic competitions, especially significant for the tyrants of the Archaic period, provided a means for powerful and wealthy rulers to associate themselves with the victory of athletic contests with no risk of defeat. The athletic heroes are generally limited to a period in the late Archaic and early Classical periods, when large portions of ancient Greece were struggling with social and political upheaval. As glorified individuals, athletic victors embodied the ideals of the aristocratic elite but also could impart their kudos and kleos to communities as civic iii heroes. The power of victory and its ability to justify and legitimize political power was not lost on the aristocratic and non-aristocratic forces in ancient Greece, and each side vied to capitalize on the immense power of prestigious kleos. Despite these social and political rivalries, powerful and successful athletes sought their own heroic honors through their individual quests for kleos and immortality. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................. ix PREFACE ................................................................................................................................ x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1 Athletes, Heroes, and Immortality ......................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 The Research Questions ............................................................................................. 3 1.3 Organization ............................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2 The Athletic Hero: the paradigms for seeking immortality .................................... 14 2.1. Ancient Greek Heroes and Hero Cults ...................................................................... 14 2.1.1 Ancient Conceptions of the Hero .................................................................... 16 2.1.2 Modern Treatments of the Greek Hero ........................................................... 18 2.2 Heroes, Victory, and Athletics ................................................................................... 23 2.3 Athletic Competition and the Homeric Heroes .......................................................... 25 2.4 Theseus....................................................................................................................... 28 2.5 The Dioscuri ............................................................................................................... 32 2.6 Heracles the athlete .................................................................................................... 35 2.6.1 The “athletic” labors of Heracles .................................................................... 39 2.7 Completion of Labors to Win Immortality ................................................................ 41 2.7.1 Cupid and Psyche: a model for females .......................................................... 47 2.7.2 Going too far: the myth of Bellerophon .......................................................... 49 2.8 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 53 Chapter 3 The Heroic Athletes ............................................................................................... 55 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 55 3.2 Modern Discussion of the Hero-athletes .................................................................... 56 3.3 Victory, Kudos, and the Heroic Paradigm ................................................................. 64 3.4 The Heroic Athletes ................................................................................................... 66 3.4.1 Milo of Croton and the athlete in battle .......................................................... 68 3.4.2 Dioxippus of Athens ........................................................................................ 70 3.4.3 Polydamas of Scotussa .................................................................................... 72 3.4.4 Euthymos of Western Locri ............................................................................ 73 3.4.5 Theagenes of Thasos ....................................................................................... 76 3.4.6 Cleomedes of Astypalaea ................................................................................ 80 3.5 Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 82 v Chapter 4 The Tokens of Athletic Victory .............................................................................. 86 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 86 4.2 The Importance of Kleos ............................................................................................ 87 4.3 Commemoration in Verse .......................................................................................... 89 4.4 The Victory Statue ..................................................................................................... 100 4.5 The Victory Crown .................................................................................................... 111 4.6 Prizes at Athens: Panathenaic Amphoras ................................................................... 114 4.7 Tripods ....................................................................................................................... 120 4.8 The Victory Palm ....................................................................................................... 121 4.9 Other Tokens of Athletic Victory .............................................................................. 122 4.10 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 123 Chapter 5 Games for the Living and Games for the Dead: Tombs, Hero Cult, and the Competitive Sites ............................................................................................................. 125 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 125 5.2 The Homeric Model ................................................................................................... 127 5.3 The Panhellenic Festival Sites: Olympia, Isthmia, Nemea, Delphi ........................... 129 5.3.1 Olympia ........................................................................................................... 129 5.3.2 Isthmia ............................................................................................................. 142 5.3.3 Nemea ............................................................................................................. 152 5.3.4 Delphi .............................................................................................................