DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15098#0103
79
PLATE IX.
With the crowd of persons just mentioned terminates the long
line of pedestrians, and they are immediately succeeded by a train
of chariots, which, from the drawings of Carrey and the frag-
ments of marble which still exist, we are justified in saying could
not have been less than ten.
These chariots are probably such as had contended in the races
which took place at an early period of the festival. Meursius,
notwithstanding the extent of his researches in illustrating the
ceremonies and exhibitions of the occasion, does not make men-
tion of chariot races ; but Visconti has directed his readers to
passages1 which leave no doubt that contests of this description
were amongst the solemnities of high festivals at Athens, and
it is not probable that so interesting and splendid an exhibition
would be omitted upon this alone, the highest of all, if it formed
a part of the inferior ones. If any doubts were entertained upon
this subject, they would, we think, be removed by an examination
of some of the Panathenaic vases, which the excavations of
modern times have brought to light, and which, filled with oil
from the sacred olives which grew in the grove of Minerva near
the Academy, were presented as prizes to the victors at the
various games celebrated during the Panathenaic festival. On
one side is a figure of Minerva, the virgin goddess in whose
honour the festival was held, standing between two columns,
emblematical of the Stadium where the games were celebrated ;
on the other is a representation of the particular contest, for suc-
cess in which the vase was presented ; upon some we have foot
races by naked figures, on others by figures in armour; we have
1 Memoire, p. 73. Aristophanes, Pax, v. 899 et seq. Nubes, v. 15, 25 et seq. 122.
Diogenes of Babylon, in Atheneeus, vol. ii. p. 154, ed. Schweighauser.
PLATE IX.
With the crowd of persons just mentioned terminates the long
line of pedestrians, and they are immediately succeeded by a train
of chariots, which, from the drawings of Carrey and the frag-
ments of marble which still exist, we are justified in saying could
not have been less than ten.
These chariots are probably such as had contended in the races
which took place at an early period of the festival. Meursius,
notwithstanding the extent of his researches in illustrating the
ceremonies and exhibitions of the occasion, does not make men-
tion of chariot races ; but Visconti has directed his readers to
passages1 which leave no doubt that contests of this description
were amongst the solemnities of high festivals at Athens, and
it is not probable that so interesting and splendid an exhibition
would be omitted upon this alone, the highest of all, if it formed
a part of the inferior ones. If any doubts were entertained upon
this subject, they would, we think, be removed by an examination
of some of the Panathenaic vases, which the excavations of
modern times have brought to light, and which, filled with oil
from the sacred olives which grew in the grove of Minerva near
the Academy, were presented as prizes to the victors at the
various games celebrated during the Panathenaic festival. On
one side is a figure of Minerva, the virgin goddess in whose
honour the festival was held, standing between two columns,
emblematical of the Stadium where the games were celebrated ;
on the other is a representation of the particular contest, for suc-
cess in which the vase was presented ; upon some we have foot
races by naked figures, on others by figures in armour; we have
1 Memoire, p. 73. Aristophanes, Pax, v. 899 et seq. Nubes, v. 15, 25 et seq. 122.
Diogenes of Babylon, in Atheneeus, vol. ii. p. 154, ed. Schweighauser.