The Olympian Games, where the most and foremost important religious festivals in the ancient world. It was an essential element in the ancient Greek religiosity the praxis which the Games translated it to “virtues antagonism” and “honorary triumph”. It was a credit not just for the athlete who was appointed by his city-state to be one of the contestants but also for the city-state which had the prospect to honour the Gods and its reputation.
The small referent article is about the Spartan attitude towards the Pan-Hellenic games with facts found in the records of the Olympian Games.
Sparta was familiar with its victories at Olympia. From the very early days of the festival, 720 and beyond – down to 552 – there were twenty-seven Spartan athletes who won in athletic competitions, such as the stadion, diaulos, dolichos, pentathlon and wrestling (de Ste. Croix, 1972: 354-5). However, no Spartan victories have been reported for chariot races at that period. According to Moretti (1970), the situation altered dramatically at the middle of the sixth century, starting from c. 548. According to Aristotle’s Politics (viii 4, 1338b 24-38) Spartans were defeated by other city-states athletes in the athletic contests, although, according to Moretti’s catalogue (nos 110-113-117,157,195,305-11, 315, 324, 327, 332, 339, 373-81) Spartans – especially the years from the 468 to 316 – starting to have considerable victories in the chariot races.
The questions which can be raised are the following: a) Why Spartans stopped to have victories in the athletic contests and b) For what reason they started to be eminent victors in chariot races? The answers seem to be more complicated than simple.
According to Plutarchus Moralia (224f, 233e, 234de and 236e), and more clearly in the Apophthegmata Laconica
A story from Pausanias (vi. vii. 4-5 and 6-7) can illustrate clearly the altered Spartan attitude towards the Pan-Hellenic Games. At the Ionian war, when Athens captured the reputed Rhodian athlete, Dorieus the Diagorid, with credits in the Pan-Hellenic games, they could not harmed him and released him without demanding ransoms. On the contrary, when Spartans capture him was executed.
As far as the chariot races, in Isocrates (vi. 55) we find a comment for the ‘rich Spartans’ who had a passion for chariot horses and of course chariot race victories! Additionally, in Xenophon Hiero (xi. 5) for the Spartan in late fifth century, victories in chariot and horse races were magnificent and great achievement.
- References:
- Moretti, L., (1957), Olympiionikai, i vincitori negli antichi agoni olympici, Rome.
- G.E.M. de Ste. Croix, (1972), The Origins of the Peloponnesian War, Duckworth : London.
