Ancient Olympic pentathlon
The five-event contest that tested balance, speed, and strength in ancient Greece.
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The Ancient Olympic pentathlon was an athletic contest at the Ancient Olympic Games and other Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece.[1] Five events were contested over one day, starting with the stadion foot race and ending with wrestling.[1]
Making and release
The javelin had two sections: the "ekebolon" won by distance and the "stochastikon" based on accuracy.[2] The discus was also thrown for length.[2] Around 708 BC, during the 18th Ancient Olympiad, the pentathlon made its debut.[3] By the time of the 77th Ancient Olympiad, the pentathlon's typical order had three segments: the triagmos (consisting of long jump, javelin throw, and discus throw), followed by the stadion foot race, and concluding with wrestling.[4]
The initial three events—long jump, javelin, and discus—were typically contested only within the pentathlon, not as separate competitions.[5] Compared to a spear used in warfare, the javelin was both longer and lighter.[2] No one knows for sure how the overall victor was determined.[1] According to one theory, wrestling served as the final event to rank those who had qualified through the other four, making the wrestling winner the pentathlon champion.[1]
What the cited sources add
The Olympic Academy notes that ancient sources mention a jump of 52 Olympic feet by Chionis, which is 16.64 metres.[6] The Academy explains that the most convincing explanation for such a distance is a multiple jump, perhaps three or five jumps.[6] The Academy also records that statues for pentathlon winners were erected at Delphi and on the Acropolis in Athens.[6] Aristotle held pentathletes in high esteem as physical specimens, remarking in the Rhetoric that "Beauty varies with each age"[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Ancient Olympic pentathlon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gardiner, "Athletics in the Ancient World", Dove Publications INC, 11 June 2012 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ancient Olympic pentathlon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Ancient Sports: Pentathlon", www.perseus.tufts.edu (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ancient Olympic pentathlon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Notations on the 1920 discus stamps at the Olympic Museum. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved on 2009-08-03. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ancient Olympic pentathlon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Articles of the Olympic Academy", www.ioa.org.gr (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ancient Olympic pentathlon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Waldo E. Sweet, Erich Segal (1987). Sport and recreation in ancient Greece. Oxford University Press. (p37). Retrieved on 2009-08-03. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Articles of the Olympic Academy", www.ioa.org.gr. facts only, no text reused. ioa.org.gr
- Wikipedia, "Ancient Olympic pentathlon" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ancient Olympic Events; Pentathlon. Perseus digital library. Retrieved on 2009-08-03. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Ancient Olympic pentathlon (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ancient Olympic pentathlon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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