DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0407
of the religion of greece.
388
by pairs. Afterwards, Clisthenes the Sicyonian brought up a custom of
coupling the two middle horses ouly, which are for that reason called
y.ai, and governing the rest by reins, whence they are usually termed
tfsjfocfpafai, tfsitoAoi, Tra^actei^i, 3-af«opoi, <*a£7jj£ss, &c. Sometimes we find
mules used instead of horses, and the chariots drawn by them called «t>!-
vcu. The principal part of the charioteer's art and skill consisted in
avoiding the votftfcu, or goals ; in which, if he failed, the overturning of
his chariot, which was a necessary consequence of it, brought him into
great danger, as well as disgrace.
Besides the exercises already described, there were others of a quite
different nature : such were those wherein musicians, poets, and other
artists, contended for victory. Thus in the 91st Olympiad Euripides and
Xenocles contended who should be accounted the best tragedian (1).
Another time, Cleomenes recommended himself by repeating some col-
lections of Empedocles's verses, which he had compiled (2). Another time,
Georgias of Leontium, who was the first that invented the art of discours-
ing on any subject without premeditation, as we learn from Philostratus,
made a public offer to all the Greeks, who were present at the solemnity,
to discourse extempore upon whatever argument any of them should pro-
pound. Lastly, to mention only one example more, Herodotus is said to
have gained very great applause, and to have fired young Thucydides
with an early emulation of him, by repeating his history at the Olympian
games (3). * *
CHAP. XXII
of the olympic games •
The Olympian games were so called from Olympian Jupiter, to whom
they were dedicated, or from Olympia, a city in the territory of the Pi-
saeans ; or, according to Stephanos, the same with Pisa. The first insti-
tution of them is by some referred to Jupiter, after his victory over the
sous of Titan (4) ; at which time Mars is said to have been crowned for
boxing, and Apollo to have been superior to Mercury at running. Phle-
gon,the author of the Olympiades. reports, they were first instituted by
Pisus, from whom the city Pisae was named.
Others will have the first author of them to be one of the Dactyli,nam-
ed Hercules, not the son of Alcmena, but another of far greater antiqui-
ty, that with his four brethren, Pseoneus, Ida, Ja-ius, and Epimedes, left
their ancient seat in Ida. a mountain of Crete, and settled in Elis, where
he instituted this solemnity ; the original of which was only a race,
wherein the four younger brothers contending for diversion, the victor
was crowned by Hercules, with an olive garland, which was not composed of
the common olive branches, nor the natural product of that country (5,)
but brought by Hercules (so fables will have it), from the Hyperborean
Scythians, and planted in the Pantheum neat Olympia, where it flourish-
(1) iElianus Var. Hist. lib. ii. cap. 8. 4) Aristoph. ejusque Schol. in Plut.
(-) Atheaeeus, lib. xiii. (3) Suidas, &c. (5) Aristot, et ex eo Aristoph. Sch»l
43
388
by pairs. Afterwards, Clisthenes the Sicyonian brought up a custom of
coupling the two middle horses ouly, which are for that reason called
y.ai, and governing the rest by reins, whence they are usually termed
tfsjfocfpafai, tfsitoAoi, Tra^actei^i, 3-af«opoi, <*a£7jj£ss, &c. Sometimes we find
mules used instead of horses, and the chariots drawn by them called «t>!-
vcu. The principal part of the charioteer's art and skill consisted in
avoiding the votftfcu, or goals ; in which, if he failed, the overturning of
his chariot, which was a necessary consequence of it, brought him into
great danger, as well as disgrace.
Besides the exercises already described, there were others of a quite
different nature : such were those wherein musicians, poets, and other
artists, contended for victory. Thus in the 91st Olympiad Euripides and
Xenocles contended who should be accounted the best tragedian (1).
Another time, Cleomenes recommended himself by repeating some col-
lections of Empedocles's verses, which he had compiled (2). Another time,
Georgias of Leontium, who was the first that invented the art of discours-
ing on any subject without premeditation, as we learn from Philostratus,
made a public offer to all the Greeks, who were present at the solemnity,
to discourse extempore upon whatever argument any of them should pro-
pound. Lastly, to mention only one example more, Herodotus is said to
have gained very great applause, and to have fired young Thucydides
with an early emulation of him, by repeating his history at the Olympian
games (3). * *
CHAP. XXII
of the olympic games •
The Olympian games were so called from Olympian Jupiter, to whom
they were dedicated, or from Olympia, a city in the territory of the Pi-
saeans ; or, according to Stephanos, the same with Pisa. The first insti-
tution of them is by some referred to Jupiter, after his victory over the
sous of Titan (4) ; at which time Mars is said to have been crowned for
boxing, and Apollo to have been superior to Mercury at running. Phle-
gon,the author of the Olympiades. reports, they were first instituted by
Pisus, from whom the city Pisae was named.
Others will have the first author of them to be one of the Dactyli,nam-
ed Hercules, not the son of Alcmena, but another of far greater antiqui-
ty, that with his four brethren, Pseoneus, Ida, Ja-ius, and Epimedes, left
their ancient seat in Ida. a mountain of Crete, and settled in Elis, where
he instituted this solemnity ; the original of which was only a race,
wherein the four younger brothers contending for diversion, the victor
was crowned by Hercules, with an olive garland, which was not composed of
the common olive branches, nor the natural product of that country (5,)
but brought by Hercules (so fables will have it), from the Hyperborean
Scythians, and planted in the Pantheum neat Olympia, where it flourish-
(1) iElianus Var. Hist. lib. ii. cap. 8. 4) Aristoph. ejusque Schol. in Plut.
(-) Atheaeeus, lib. xiii. (3) Suidas, &c. (5) Aristot, et ex eo Aristoph. Sch»l
43