CLAS 0210 Sport in the Ancient Greek World

CLAS 0210 Sport in the Ancient Greek World Class 5 Friday 15 September 2017 Sport in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey

Bronze Age and Greek writing Linear A writing, 16 th century BC (not Greek) Linear B tablet, 13 th century BC (in Greek, but not alphabetic) Alphabetic Greek From 8 th century BC onwards

• Trojan War, Iliad • Iliad, Book 23: Funeral Games organized by Achilles for Patroclus • Odyssey, Book 8 • Phaeacians • Boxing match between Odysseus and Irus, in Odyssey, Book 18

Bronze tripods

Horse-race victor and his tripod prize • Attic black-figure vase, 6 th century BC

The victor at the games carries off his tripod prize Athenian black -figure vase, 6 th century BC

Cretan Double-axes Gold Bronze

Relative valuation of prizes Value § cauldrons more § tripods § horses 1 tripod = 12 oxen 1 woman = 4 oxen § mules § cattle § women § iron less

Chariot racer • Athenian black figure vase, 6 th century BC

Four-horse chariot racing • Athenian black-figure vases, 5 th century BC

Boxing • 8 th-century BC Geometric vase

Boxing match • Athenian red-figure vase, early 5 th century BC

Wrestling • Athenian black-figure vase, 6 th century BC

Foot race Athenian black-figure vase, 6 th century BC

Single combat (hoplomachia) Hoplitodromos Athenian red-figure vase, 5 th century BC

Throwing the weight Miniature bronze statuette

Discus thrower • Athenian red-figure vase, 5 th century BC

Javelin thrower Bronze mirror, 5 th century BC

Chariot races at the funeral games of Patroklos athla (the games of Patroklos) the symposium Sophilos me graphsen (Sophilos painted me [i. e. , the vase]) Black figure vase fragment, 600 -550 BC

The François vase krater (vase for mixing wine) by Kleitias, ca. 570– 560 BC

Questions: — What are the prizes that Achilles awards, and what is striking about them? — What is the relative valuation of these prizes? — What is the range of different sporting events? How many of them were also events at the later panhellenic games? Which? — What are the rules? What about cheating and fair play? — Are all these sporting events of equal prestige? — Who can compete in these Homeric games? Who are the participants? — Is sporting competition, as described by Homer, just pleasant relaxation, or is something more at stake?

Event Bronze age Homer Historical era footrace - x x 776 wrestling - x x 708 pentathlon - - x 708 javelin - x x diskos - x x jump - x x boxing x x x 688 chariot-race ? x x 680 archery x x - single combat x x - bull-leaping x - - acrobatics x - - [after S. G. Miller, Ancient Greek Athletics, p. 23]