Key Terms and Definitions in Ancient Greek Athletics

Achilles

Mythical Greek warrior and protagonist of the Ilias, known for hosting funeral games for his friend Patroclus.

Agamemnon

King of Mycenae and leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War, famously feuded with Achilles.

Agon

Greek term meaning 'struggle' or 'fight', related to contests and athletics.

Agonal age

Refers to the Greeks' strong commitment to competition as the highest end in human existence.

Akoniti

Means 'without dust' or 'quickly', used in ancient combat sports when opponents would forfeit against formidable athletes.

Alcibiades

Athenian figure known for the Treaty of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition, trained in the gymnasion.

Altis

Sacred grove of Zeus in Olympia, Greece.

Amateur

One who engages in a pursuit for the love of it rather than as a profession.

Amphora

Ancient Greek jar used to store olive oil, often given as a prize.

Apoxyomenos

Greek sculpture representing an athlete scraping sweat and dust off their body off their body using a strigil

Archaeology

Study of human history through material remains like artifacts and fossils.

Archaic

Era marked by the founding of major games, spread of Homeric poems, and settlement of athletic events.

Arete

Concept of honor and excellence demonstrated through strengths and contest victories.

Argos

City known for the Heraia and Nemean Games.

Arkteia

Ancient Greek ritual involving young girls serving Artemis and preparing for puberty.

Artemis

Goddess of the hunt, the moon, and wild animals in Greek mythology.

Askesis

Training and commitment to realizing full athletic potential.

Asklepia

God of medicine and healing in Greek mythology.

Atalanta

Skilled huntress and athlete in Greek mythology, symbolizing female beauty and choice of lifestyles.

Athens

City named after Athena, emphasizing forensic training, bureaucracy, and fine arts.

Athlon

Greek term for prize, contest, and arena activities related to prizes.

Athletes

Individuals who partake in contests and seek prizes.

Black-figure

Style of ancient Greek pottery depicting mythological scenes in black silhouettes on a red-orange background.

Boat races

Events in ancient Greek games where teams of rowers competed.

Bourdieu

a theorist proposing ideas on bodily discipline and sport.

Brauron

Site in ancient Greece associated with the worship of Artemis.

Diskobolos

Greek for 'discus thrower'; the sculptor froze the action of discus throwing and arranged the nude athlete's body and limbs in two interesting arcs

Dolichos

Long-distance running race in the ancient Olympic Games, introduced in 720 BCE

Dromos

A race or race track, sometimes used as a synonym for the stadion

Eleutheria

Games in Thessaly with special events like rodeo-style competitions, similar to those seen in Bronze-age Greece

Elis

Region in the Peloponnesus, home of the Olympic Games and Olympia

Emic

Approach of studying a culture's behavior from the perspective of an insider

Endonym

The native name for the Greeks used internally by the group to identify themselves

Epidaurus

Name of a hero and eponym of the polis Epidaurus, a major healing center in ancient times

Epigraphy

The study of inscriptions in Greek letters engraved on stone or metal

Epinikian

A type of lyric poem celebrating a victor in a major Hellenic game or war

Etiology

The explanation of origins and causes, often in myths set in a different mytho-historical period

Etymology

The study of word origins; for example, aphrodite → aphros → sea foam

Euandria

Ancient Greek Strength and Beauty Contest for Men with age classes

Foucault

Proposed ideas on askesis, discipline, and power relationships in ancient Greece

Funeral games

Athletic competitions in ancient Greece held to honor a deceased person

Gamification

Application of game elements to other areas to encourage engagement

Gloios

The sweat and olive oil accumulated on an athlete's body after competition

Gymnasion

A place for athlete training and nude exercises, consisting of covered and uncovered practice tracks

Hellanodikai

Elean officials who served as judges of the Olympic Games

Hellas

Region of Thessaly; the name of the people living there were the Hellenes

Hellenes

The name of the Greek people

Hellenistic

Peak of Greek cultural influence characterized by prosperity and progress in various fields

Heraia

Ancient Greek festival where young girls competed in footraces

Herakles

Hero with superhuman strength, patron of the gymnasium, and performer of twelve Labors

Herodotus

Greek historian known as the 'Father of History' for documenting real historical events

Hero cult

Worshiping heroes considered a class between gods and men

Hippikos agon

Horse games or races involving horses and mounted riders

Hippodrome

Track for horse and chariot races in ancient Greek and Roman stadiums

Homer

Author of the Iliad and Odyssey, influential in Western literature

Honorand

Central idea determining a person's worth and value to the community

Hoplitodromos

Ancient Greek foot race part of the Olympic and Panhellenic Games where athletes wore armor

Inscription

Short dedication written or engraved on something like a coin or monument

Iron/Dark Age

Period after the Bronze Age collapse, marked by economic and cultural discontinuity

Isthmus

Location of the Isthmian Games, a sanctuary for athletic and musical competitions

Kalos/kalon

Noun referring to the ideal of physical and moral beauty

Kalokagathia

Ancient Greek concept describing a person who is physically beautiful and morally good

Kallipateira

Ancient Greek athlete trainer and member of a famous athletic family who was caught attending the Olympic Games disguised as a man in 388 BCE in order to train her son to win

Kampter

Small column marking the turning point in a race longer than a stadium

Karneia

Nine-day festival celebrating Apollo and the warrior culture of Sparta

Keles

Type of horse race introduced to the Olympic Games in 648 BC

Keryx

Messenger or herald serving the gods, announcing events and victors

Kithara

Stringed instrument associated with gods Apollo and Hermes in ancient games

Kotinos

Olive wreath given to winners of the ancient Olympic Games

Kyniska

Spartan princess and first woman to win an Olympic event

Larissa

the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece where the Eleutharian games were held

Lexicography

the study and compilation of Greek dictionaries, which includes ancient, medieval, and modern Greek language forms and is helpful for understanding interactions between language and culture at any given moment- Sansone's approach

Ludic

game play; recognizing games as a certain category of life showing spontaneous and undirected playfulness; sport in terms of 'play'

McGonigal

created theory of gamification; pro-games, active engagement and argues that games can make a better world: 'If we want to solve problems.... we need to aspire to play games online for at least 21 billion hours a week by the end of the next decade'

Milo

a legendary ancient Greek wrestler and athlete who is associated with a story about gaining strength by carrying a calf and known for his strength

Minoan

Prosperous civilization on the Aegean island of Crete in 2500-1500 B.C.E. Exerted powerful cultural influences on the early Greeks. A sea-power, or thalassocracy, with extensive trade networks across the eastern mediterranean. Athletics evidence: bull-jumping, boxing Were eradicated when Santorini erupted

Mousikos agon

a musical competition that took place at the Pythian Games in Delphi, a panhellenic sanctuary where athletes from all over Greece competed

Mycenaean

A civilization north of Crete that replaced the Minoans and were part of the trade network of the Late Bronze Age; at war with others around them They were homeric warriors; there was potentially athletics.During the bronze age collapse, sea people and the sons of Herakles came from the north and wreaked havoc on the other towns. This was the end of the mycenaeans

Mythology

a collection of ancient Greek stories about the gods, heroes, and other mythological figures in their world

Nike

the goddess of victory in war, athletics, art, and music. Athletes who wanted to win worshiped her

Omphalos

a sacred stone that represented the navel of the earth and marked the center of the universe- associated with delphi

Opheltes

the infant son of Lycurgus of Nemea, killed by a serpent and whose death is honored by the Nemean Games

Oracle

a person or priestess who was believed to be a divine representative, speaking on behalf of the gods

Palaimon

a child sea-god who, with his mother Leukothea (Leucothea), came to the aid of sailors in distress and death was commemorated by the Isthmian Games

Palaistra

the wrestling place, Mixed-use spaces: training of the mind and body; clearly demarcated: space for (welcomed) men only; an 'open floor-plan' with athletic spectacle at its center

Pale

Heavy event; 708 BCE first appeared; wrestling- In the palaistra, Wrestling, both the event and the exercise

Panathenaia

a festival in ancient Greece that happened every 4 years which was the largest and best known of the chrematistic festivals in Greece

Pankration

a fighting mode an unarmed combat sport as a combination of boxing and wrestling with barely any restrictions, No holds barred; 648 BCE; 'all-power' basically do whatever Tho, no gouging eyes or biting hands

Pausanias

A Greek geographer/ traveler known for his description of Greece; Avid tourist who visited Greece in the middle of the second century and wrote a guidebook to Greece based on his observations and research. His descriptions of statues at Olympia make him the single most important ancient source for the names and careers of various athletes

Pelops

a figure who played a significant role in both the human world and on Olympus; Wanted to marry Hippodameia. If he beats her father, he gets to marry her. If the father beats him, the father kills him

Peribolos

a walled court or colonnade that surrounded a sacred area, such as a temple, shrine, or altar

Pierre de Coubertin

founder of the modern olympic games

poda para poda... apite!

three ancient Greek words shouted by the aphetes, or starter, at the beginning of the Nemean Games. These words were roughly equivalent to the English 'ready! set! GO!'

primary evidence

The earliest known written versions of Greek myths are from the 8th century BCE and appear in the works of Homer and Hesiod and are first-hand information; 'eyewitness', personally/directly involved

Pyx

Greek word pyxis, which means 'box' or 'receptacle'. In Greek mythology, a pyxis was a boxwood receptacle. Boxing; 1st in 688 BCE Violent, bloody. Wore himantes: leather thongs as hand wraps; characteristic; strengthens blow; but rules with type of leather allowed

Pindar

an ancient Greek poet who is known for his victory odes praising winning athletes

Pythian

Games held to honor Apollo. Hosted music and poetry competitions in addition to athletics. Held in Delphi every 4 years on the side of a mountain. Reflected the nature of the divinity honored. Delphi was culturally centered, but geographically remote.

Relief (sculptural)

a type of art that involves carving figures that protrude from a background surface, such as a wall or tomb in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material

Sanctuary

a sacred place where people could connect with the gods through rituals

Secondary evidence

a document or recording that analyzes, interprets, or discusses prior events, documents, or physical object