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The Pentathlon of the Greeks
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 August 2012
Extract
Tisamenus having been told by the priestess at Delphi that he should win five most illustrious contests, began at once, as Herodotus tells us, to train for the Olympian pentathlon, supposing that to that alone she could refer. From this we may judge that the pentathlon was in high favour among the Greeks. And not without reason, for whereas, as Socrates complained, ‘running long distances makes the legs thick and the shoulders meagre, and boxing makes the shoulders sturdy and the legs feeble,’ the practice of the pentathlon, on the contrary, developed all parts of the body in fair proportion. Hence it was in high honour among the Spartans, who set their faces against dishonouring and disfiguring contests, such as boxing and the pancration. Hence the pentathli were in all Greek states the models of physical beauty and vigour. And the great physician Galen remarks that the pentathlon is the most perfect of exercises, and also called κατασκευή, the training par excellence.
Among German archaeologists the pentathlon has aroused considerable interest. Böckh and Hermann devoted much attention to its explanation, and each of them, as well as Dissen and several other writers, drew up a scheme of the contest. In more recent times Dr. Pinder has published a work of more than a hundred pages in length on the subject.
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- Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1880
References
page 210 note 1 Herod, ix. 33, cf. Pansan. iii. 11.6.
page 210 note 2 Xenoph, . Sympos. 2, 17.Google Scholar
page 210 note 3 De Sanitate tuenda, iii. 2.
page 210 note 4 Der Fünfkampf der Hellenen, Berlin, 1867. Although I do not accept all Dr. Pinder's opinions, his work is one of much ability, and I am greatly indebted to it throughout this paper. In particular, my references to classical writers are frequently due to his research.
page 211 note 1 Ad Isth. i. 35.
page 211 note 2 Ad Electr. 691.
page 211 note 3 Ad Il. ψ 621.
page 211 note 4 θ 120—30.
page 212 note 1 Philostr. De Gymn. 55.
page 212 note 2 Ad Somn. s. Gall. 6.
page 213 note 1 Nem. v. 34.
page 213 note 2 These are spoken of below, p. 215.
page 214 note 1 Hell. vii. 4.
page 215 note 1 So Hysmo, Paus. vi. 3, 10, and a nameless Pentathlos, Paus. v. 27, 12.
page 215 note 2 L. c
page 215 note 3 Engraved in the Gazette Archéologique for 1877.
page 215 note 4 Plate VIII. A very diminutive representation of this vase, which comes from Vulci, will be found in Gerhard's Etruskische und Campan. Vasenbilder, Plate A, No. 6. The other side of the vase, representing Athene, will be found in the same work, Pl. A, No. 5.
page 215 note 5 Page 45.
page 216 note 1 De, Gymn. 3.
page 217 note 1 Onom. iii. 151.
page 217 note 2 Sympos. Prob. ix. 2.
page 217 note 3 Page 112. Ed. Frommel.
page 218 note 1 It is of course not impossible that even in this case the rest of the contests would be proceeded with, but most unlikely. We can scarcely imagine a man after being defeated in wrestling being then declared victor in consequence of his prowess in previous stages. But this might have happened unless the competition was closed as soon as one competitor had succeeded thrice.
page 219 note 1 ix. 223.
page 219 note 2 Gymn. und Agoa. der Hell. Hermotimus, 40. But perhaps this phrase, which has a poetic turn, should not be pressed.
page 220 note 1 Pausan, iii. 11, 6.