THE PANATHENAIC STADIUM
Over 600 feet long, and able to seat over 50,000 people, the Panathenaic Stadium is a marvel of Greek architecture. The stadium was built for the ancient Panathenaic games, a part of the most important Athenian festival, the Panatheneia. In 338 BC, a valley between the Hill of Agra and the Hill of Ardettos was chosen as the spot to build the stadium, and eight years later, the grand opening was held. The horseshoe-shaped stadium is the only stadium to be made entirely out of marble.
THE PANATHENAIC GAMES
The Panathenaic Games were a major part of the Athenian Panatheneia, and the athletic portion was held in the Panathenaic Stadium. Other events included poetry competitions and a recitation of Homer.
THE IMPORTANCE OF AGON
Agon is an ancient Greek word meaning "struggle," "conflict," and "contest." It is the root of the common English words "agony" and "antagonistic." I think it's interesting how the Athenians incorporated agon into their games. Agon was first attributed to war, where soldiers would certainly find struggle, conflict, and contest, but games such as the Panathenaic Games were created to embody a sense of agon outside of war. But why would the Athenians intentionally put themselves through stuggle, conflict, and contest? According to my professor, "you learn who you are by pushing yourself and finding your boundaries." So, by experiencing agon, the Athenians could push themselves to the limit and find out what they were capable of. It is particularly interesting to me that the Panathenaic Games were a time of testing one's limits, both physically and mentally. Not only did the games determine the competitors' strength, speed, and wit, they were a chance to build virtue and character without the pain and suffering of war.
I would like to compare the concept of agon with a concept from Alain de Botton's The Art of Travel. De Botton holds that, when we are on our own, "certain sides of us [may emerge]" that may be inhibited by the company of others (150). However, to truly experience "agon," it seems we need to be in the presence of others, because we can't "compete" with ourselves to push our boundaries (besides trying to beat personal records). There needs to be others present so that we have a standard to hold ourselves to and to attempt to challenge. So maybe we need a combination of being alone and being with others to truly find ourselves? On the one hand, de Botton says "our responses to the world are crucially molded by the company we keep," which in his eyes means we are kept from discovering things about ourselves when we are influenced by others (150). On the other hand, "the company we keep" may encourage us to push ourselves and find our boundaries. Therefore, it seems to me like we need time on our own and with others to find out who we are and what we are capable of.
POETRY, TOO?
A unique aspect of the Panathenaic Games that is not as prevalent today is the presence of poetry competitions. Held in the Odeon of Pericles, the poetry competitions were introduced later than the athletic events* but were important nonetheless. I think that modern-day athletic competitions should take inspiration from the Panathenaic Games. The biggest and most similar event is the modern Olympics, a revival of the ancient Panhellenic Games in Olympia. The Olympics have a variety of athletic events, but there are no poetry competitions or anything similar. I think that the modern Olympics should pay tribute to their ancient counterpart and add a literary element to the competition. The athletic contest could be expanded to include literary competitions such as poetry, writing, music, art, and drama. Even though poetry was the only one of these present in ancient contests, I am certain that the ancient Olympics did not have snowboarding or table tennis either. The Panathenaic Games included listening to a recitation of Homer, as well, which would be a nice addition during a break from the events. After all, listening to Homeric epics is proven to release endorphins.
HOW WOULD I FEEL?
I feel like I would have enjoyed the Panathenaic Games. Watching them would be fun, but I would particularly enjoy paricipating in them. Supposedly, the athletes were naked, which, from a modern perspective, would make me a little uncomfortable, but it would probably be less awkward from a Classical Athenian point of view. I would like participating in the athletic events to experience agon, especially if I were young at the time, so that I had the opportunity to find my boundaries and grow in character without having to do so in war. I would like participating in the poetry events, as well, so that I could test and develop my artistic skills alongside my athletic ones.
THE PANHELLENIC GAMES
The Panhellenic Games were a chance for all of the Greek speaking people of the world to come together. Similar to the Panathenaic Games, in which all of Athens came to participate, the Panhellenic Games united all of the Greek colonies in competition.
The Panhellenic Games were held in four locations:
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The Olympic Games were held every four years in Olympia. They were dedicated to Zeus, and the prize was an olive wreath.
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The Pythian Games were held every four years in Delphi. They were dedicated to Apollo, and the prize was a laurel wreath.
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The Nemean Games were held every two years in Nemea. They were dedicated to Zeus and Heracles, and the prize was a wild celery wreath.
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The Isthmian Games were held every two years in Isthmia. They were dedicated to Poseidon, and the prize was a pine wreath.
A Trip to the Museum
From the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York
Title: Terracotta Panathenaic prize amphora
When: ca. 530 B.C.
Where: Vulci, Italy (though originally from Greece)
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I really liked that this vase is two-sided, with runners pictured on one side and Athena pictured on the other. These runners seem very relaxed, not running off to battle (no armor, no weapons) but running for pleasure. It was a tradition for the amphora to picture Athena on one side and the event for which the amphora was won on the other.
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This amphora was received as a prize for winning the Panathenaic Games, and inside would be forty-two quarts of olive oil, which was worth a lot in ancient Greece. I was wondering what happens to the amphora after the olive oil is used? Once it is empty, is it just a display piece, or do the owners continue to use it to store oil or other materials?