DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0403
OF THE RELIGION OF GREECE, 381
men of courage and ability to defend it. At Sparta, they had an honoura-
ble post in the army, being placed near the king's person. At some pla-
ces, they had presents made to them by their native city, were honoured
with the first places at all shows and games, and ever after maintained at
the public charge, (1). Cicero (2) reports, that a victory in the Olympic
games was not much less honourable than a triumph at Rome. Happy
was that man thought that could but obtain a sii gle victory ; if any person
merited repeated rewards, he was thought to have attained to the utmost
felicity that human nature is capable of; but if he came off conqueror in
all the exercises, he was elevated above the condition of men. and his ac-
tions styled wonderful victories (3). Nor did their honours terminate in
themselves, but were extended to all about them ; the city that gave
them birth and education was esteemed more honourable and august;
happy were their relations, and thrice happy their parents. It is "a re-
markable story, which Plutarch (4) relates of a Spartan, who, meeting
Diagoras, that had himself been crowned in the Olympian games, and
seen his sons and grandchildren victors, embraced him, and said, ' die, Di-
agoras, for thou canst not be a god.' By the laws of Solon, a hundred
drachms were allowed from the public treasury to every Athe ian who ob-
tained a prize in the Isthmian games ; and five hundred drachms to such
as were victors in the Olympian (5). Afterwards the latter of these had
their maintenance in the prytaneum, or public hall of Athens. At the
same place, it was forbidden by the laws to give slaves or harlots their
names from any of these games, which was accounted a dishonour to the
solemnities, as hath been elsewhere observed (6). Hence there is a dis-
pute in Athenaeus (7), how it came to pass that Nemea, the minstrel,
was so called from the Netnean games.
There were certain persons appointed to take care that all things were
performed according to custom, to decide controversies that happened
amongst the antagonists, and adjudge the prizes to those that merited
them : these were called aitfuf/.vjjTou, /3£<*§eura}, uyaiap%xi, uymofixai,
ecywo&Tou, «0Xo0s<ra.i, though betwixt these two Phavorinus makes a distinc-
tion, for «0Ao*)trai, he tells us, was peculiar to gymnical exercises : where-
as the former was sometimes applied to musical contentions. They were
likewise called paC^ax01' andp*§<Wf/.«i. from puSdog. i. e. a rod or sceptre,
which these judges, and in general all kings and great magistrates, carri-
ed in their hands.
After the judges had passed sentence, a public herald proclaimed the
name of the victor, whence xvgua-cstv in Greek, and pradicare in Latin,
signify to commend or proclaim any man's praises. The token of victory
was in most places, a palm branch, which was presented to the conquer-
ors, and carried by them in their hands ; which custom was first introduc-
ed by Theseus, at the institution of the Delian games (8) though others
will have it to be much more ancient: hence palmum dare, to yield the
victory ; and plurium palmarum homo, in Tully, a man that has won a
great many prizes.
Before I proceed to give a particular description of the Grecian games,
it will be necessary to present you with a brief account of the principal
exercises used in them, which were as follow :
0) Xenoph. Coloph. in Epigram.
(2) Orat pro Flacco.
(3) Plut. Lucullo. • 4 Pelopida.
(5) Plut. Solone.
(6) Lib. i. cap. 10. Lib iv. cap. 12.
(7) Lib. xiii. (8) Piut. Theseo.
men of courage and ability to defend it. At Sparta, they had an honoura-
ble post in the army, being placed near the king's person. At some pla-
ces, they had presents made to them by their native city, were honoured
with the first places at all shows and games, and ever after maintained at
the public charge, (1). Cicero (2) reports, that a victory in the Olympic
games was not much less honourable than a triumph at Rome. Happy
was that man thought that could but obtain a sii gle victory ; if any person
merited repeated rewards, he was thought to have attained to the utmost
felicity that human nature is capable of; but if he came off conqueror in
all the exercises, he was elevated above the condition of men. and his ac-
tions styled wonderful victories (3). Nor did their honours terminate in
themselves, but were extended to all about them ; the city that gave
them birth and education was esteemed more honourable and august;
happy were their relations, and thrice happy their parents. It is "a re-
markable story, which Plutarch (4) relates of a Spartan, who, meeting
Diagoras, that had himself been crowned in the Olympian games, and
seen his sons and grandchildren victors, embraced him, and said, ' die, Di-
agoras, for thou canst not be a god.' By the laws of Solon, a hundred
drachms were allowed from the public treasury to every Athe ian who ob-
tained a prize in the Isthmian games ; and five hundred drachms to such
as were victors in the Olympian (5). Afterwards the latter of these had
their maintenance in the prytaneum, or public hall of Athens. At the
same place, it was forbidden by the laws to give slaves or harlots their
names from any of these games, which was accounted a dishonour to the
solemnities, as hath been elsewhere observed (6). Hence there is a dis-
pute in Athenaeus (7), how it came to pass that Nemea, the minstrel,
was so called from the Netnean games.
There were certain persons appointed to take care that all things were
performed according to custom, to decide controversies that happened
amongst the antagonists, and adjudge the prizes to those that merited
them : these were called aitfuf/.vjjTou, /3£<*§eura}, uyaiap%xi, uymofixai,
ecywo&Tou, «0Xo0s<ra.i, though betwixt these two Phavorinus makes a distinc-
tion, for «0Ao*)trai, he tells us, was peculiar to gymnical exercises : where-
as the former was sometimes applied to musical contentions. They were
likewise called paC^ax01' andp*§<Wf/.«i. from puSdog. i. e. a rod or sceptre,
which these judges, and in general all kings and great magistrates, carri-
ed in their hands.
After the judges had passed sentence, a public herald proclaimed the
name of the victor, whence xvgua-cstv in Greek, and pradicare in Latin,
signify to commend or proclaim any man's praises. The token of victory
was in most places, a palm branch, which was presented to the conquer-
ors, and carried by them in their hands ; which custom was first introduc-
ed by Theseus, at the institution of the Delian games (8) though others
will have it to be much more ancient: hence palmum dare, to yield the
victory ; and plurium palmarum homo, in Tully, a man that has won a
great many prizes.
Before I proceed to give a particular description of the Grecian games,
it will be necessary to present you with a brief account of the principal
exercises used in them, which were as follow :
0) Xenoph. Coloph. in Epigram.
(2) Orat pro Flacco.
(3) Plut. Lucullo. • 4 Pelopida.
(5) Plut. Solone.
(6) Lib. i. cap. 10. Lib iv. cap. 12.
(7) Lib. xiii. (8) Piut. Theseo.