Aristocracy and Athletics in Archaic and Classical Greece

294 Pages·2005·3.774 MB·English

by  Nigel Nicholson

ARISTOCRACY AND ATHLETICS IN ARCHAIC AND
CLASSICAL GREECE
Athletics represented an important institution through which the Greek
aristocracies sought to maintain their privileged political position. Vic
tory, however, had always involved the use of others, such as charioteers,
jockeys, and trainers, and in the late archaic and early classical period, the
relationship between the victors and these helpers changed radically. This
threatened the political value of athletics and thus undermined the utility
of the institution for aristocrats. Nigel Nicholson examines how aristo
crats responded to these changes through a study of victory memorials.
New Historicist in method, the book draws on odes, dedications, vases,
and coins, as well as anecdotes about the victors. It asks how the vulgar
details of winning are represented by the memorials, and it assumes that
the value of athletics was always under threat, from groups both inside
and outside the elite. The result is a fascinating look at one area of social
struggle in ancient Greece.
Nigel James Nicholson is the Walter Mintz Associate Professor of Classics
at Reed College. He has contributed to ClassicalW orld,A rethusa, Phoenix,
Classical]ournala, nd Intertexts and was named Oregon Professor of the Year
for 2004 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

ARISTOCRACY AND
ATHLETICS IN ARCHAIC
AND CLASSICAL GREECE
NIGEL JAMES NICHOLSON
Reed College
..:., .. :. ..C AMBRIDGE
- ,:, UNIVERSITY PRESS
II
CAMBRIDGEU NIVERSITYP RESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sao Paulo
Cambridge University Press
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521845229
© NigelJames Nicholson 2005
This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without
the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 2005
Printed in the United States of America
A cataloi recorfdo r this publicationi s availablfer om the British Library.
Library of CongressC atalogingi n PublicationD ata
Nicholson, Nigel James.
Aristocracy and athletics in Archaic and Classical Greece/ Nigel James Nicholson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN0 -521-84522-x (hardback)
1. Sports - Greece - History - To 1500 - Sources. 2. Athletes in literature.
3. Athletes - Social conditions - Greece. 4. Greece - Social conditions - To
146 B.C. - Sources. I. Title.
GV2I.N53 2006
7961.0938 - dc22 2005000126
ISBN-13 978-0-521-84522-9 hardback
lSBN-10 0-521-84522-x hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for
the persistence or accuracy of URLsf or external or
third-party Internet Web sites referred to in this book
and does not guarantee that any content on such
Web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Magistris Wiccamicis

CONTENTS
Illustrations page 1x
Abbreviations
Xl
Acknowledgments
Xlll
Introduction
l
I: CHARIOTEERS, MULE-CART DRIVERS, AND JOCKEYS
Missing Persons
1
Carrhotus and Cnopiadas
2
3 Nicomachus
4 Phintis
5 Pherenicus and Lycus 95
II: ATHLETIC TRAINERS
6 More Missing Persons II9
7 Melesias 135
8 Menander 167
9 Chiron and Athena 191
Conclusion 2II
Notes 217
Works Cited 263
Index 275
.,
Jt
Vll

ILLUSTRATIONS
1 Alcmaeon as the charioteer in his chariot victory.
Black-figure neck amphora from South Italy, obverse,
ea. 480. page 29
2 Four-horse chariot with charioteer. Panathenaic prize
amphora from Orvieto, reverse, ea. 550. 30
3 Athena with victor in the chariot race. Panathenaic prize
amphora from Orvieto, obverse, ea. 550. 31
4 Victor with tripod. Black-figure amphora from Vulci,
reverse, ea. 550. 59
5 Four-horse chariot with charioteer and two warriors.
Black-figure amphora from Vulci, obverse, ea. 550. 61
6 Two four-horse chariots and charioteers, with names
Nikon and My1:1-non.P anathenaic amphora, reverse, ea. 525. 79
7 Mule cart and driver. Coin issued by mint at Messana,
after 480. 85
8 Racehorse, with jockey, herald, and man carrying tripod.
Panathenaic amphora from Vulci, reverse, ea. 550-525. 105
9 Hermes, Athena, and victor. Panathenaic amphora from
Vulci, obverse, ea. 550-525. 106
1 o Racehorse, with jockey, victor, and two men with sprays.
Panathenaic prize amphora, reverse, ea. 550-525. 107
II A trainer, a long jumper, two sprinters, and a discus.
Black-figure neck amphora from Vulci, obverse, ea. 500. 127
12 Javelin throwers with trainers Simon and Ptoiodorus.
Red-figure psykter from Orvieto, obverse, ea. 525-500. 161
IX