Greek & Roman Athletics Terms

N/A

Ageneios

beardless youth

Agon

contest, struggle

Agonothetes

manager of games

Agora

marketplace

Akon

javelin

Akoniti

"dustless" ; used to designate a victor who has won without a contest

Aleimma

literally, anything used for anointing such as an unguent or oil, but technically a fund which provided oil for young athletes

Aleiptes

those who rubbed athletes with oil in ancient Greek gymnasia

Altis

sacred grove at olympia

Anabates

one who mounts a rider

Andres

men

Ankyle

a thong used in throwing the javelin

Apene

mule cart race

Aphesis

letting go, start

Apobates

dismounter- a chariot race in which the rider would dismount and remount his chariot

Apodyterion

undressing room

Arete

excellence

Auletes

flute player

Aulos

flute player

Balbis

starting blocks

Diaulos

double flute

Hysplex

starting gate

Pentathlon

an athletic contest consisting of


1. running
2. javelin throwing
3. discus
4. long jump


1. wrestling

Stadion

foot race

Hoplites

heavily armed foot soldiers

Hellanodikai

judges of the greeks (officials)

Epheboi

young adult (18-20)

Bater

stroke, batter, flip, bang, flipping, beating

Bibasis

running jumps

Boule

council of 500

Caestus

bands of feather that were tied around the hands of boxers

Choregos

a wealthy citizen who financed the productions at the festival

Circus

an arena in ancient Rome or the show held there

Demos

people

Didakalos

teacher

Diskos

discus

Dolichos

long distance running

Dromos

running

Eiselasis

triumphal entrance or return

Ekklesia

church

Episkyros

spartan football

Follis

a greek/roman coin

Gymnsiarchos

leader of gymnasion

Gymnasion

gymnasium

Gymnates

trainer

Gymnikos

nude competitions

Halma

long jump

Halter

Leap, spring

Hemerodromos

messenger, runner

Heraia

female olympic games

Hippikos

chariot race

Hubris

arrogance

Kalpe

mares’ race

Kampe

turning point in a stadium or hippodrome

Kampter

turning post

Kanon

rod, rule standard

Keles

horseback race

Keryx

herald that announced events and victors

Kithara

harp or lyre

Kitharistes

music teacher

Prytaneion

place where officials hung out

Lampadedromia

torch relay race

Marathon

A place full of fennels

Meta

beyond, change

Neaniskos

young man

Obsonion

things eaten with bread

Paidagogos

a slave in charge of the children of a household

Paidotribes

physical trainer

Pais

child

Pakaistra

wrestling school

Pale

wrestling

Pankration

an olympic event that combined wrestling and boxing

Proedria

front row seats for special persons

Prytaneis

executives of the boule

Pyx

The word "pyx" comes from the Greek word **πυξίς**, "pyxis" meaning box or receptacle. The plural is pyxides.

Salpinktes

trumpeter

Skamma

wrestling pit

Sphaira

ball, globe

Spondophoros

true bearer

Stele

stone slab used to mark a grave or commemorate a historical moment

Stephanitic

crown awarded as a prize

Synoris

2 horse chariot race

Taraxippos

horse frighener

Tethrippon

4 horse chariot race

Theoria

contemplation

“He spoke and sprang to his feet still clothed and seized a diskos which was \n bigger and heavier than those the Phaeacians had been hurling among \n themselves. Whirling, he hurled it from his mighty hand, and the stone whistled \n through the air. Those Phaeacians of the long oars, those master mariners, hit the \n dirt beneath the hurtling stone which soared so freely from the hero's hand that it \n overpassed the marks of every other. And Athena, now disguised as a Phaeacian, \n set the terma and called out.” (Miller, Arete 2) Who is the author of this passage?

Homer

“He spoke and sprang to his feet still clothed and seized a diskos which was bigger and heavier than those the Phaeacians had been hurling among themselves. Whirling, he hurled it from his mighty hand, and the stone whistled through the air. Those Phaeacians of the long oars, those master mariners, hit the dirt beneath the hurtling stone which soared so freely from the hero's hand that it overpassed the marks of every other. And Athena, now disguised as a Phaeacian, \n set the terma and called out.” (Miller, Arete 2) Who is the individual seizing the \n diskos / discus?

Odysseus

The custom of awarding crowns at the great international games gave rise to which term below to describe these games as a category?

stephanitic

“I hope that I shall not throw the bronze-tipped javelin which I shake down with my hand outside the limits of the contest, but shall conquer my opponent with \n long throws.” (Pindar Pythian 1 = Miller 63) How best might we describe Pindar, the author of this passage?

an author of the genre known as “epinician” or “epinikian” poetry

“I hope that I shall not throw the bronze-tipped javelin which I shake down with my hand outside the limits of the contest, but shall conquer my opponent with \n long throws.” (Pindar Pythian 1 = Miller 63) The occasion of this quotation is the event known as the “Pythian Games”. Where would one expect to find these Games?

Delphi

Which god was especially honored at the Pythian Games, since they took place at the site of his sanctuary?

Apollo

Lucian, Anacharsis 1-8 and 28-29 \[written ca. A.D. 170; imaginary conversation ca. 590 BC; the Scythian Anacharsis is speaking\] “Others, upright and covered \n with dust, are hitting and kicking each other. This one looks like he is going to spit out his teeth, poor fellow, with his mouth so full of blood and sand. As you see, he \n got a belt on the jaw. And the official—I take him to be one of the officials from his purple cloak—does not separate them and stop the fight; rather, he incites them and cheers the man who landed the punch.” (Miller, Arete 35) What sport \n do you think is being described here, with hitting and kicking?

pankration

Lucian, Anacharsis 1-8 and 28-29 \[written ca. A.D. 170; imaginary conversation ca. 590 BC; the Scythian Anacharsis is speaking\] “Others, upright and covered \n with dust, are hitting and kicking each other. This one looks like he is going to spit out his teeth, poor fellow, with his mouth so full of blood and sand. As you see, he \n got a belt on the jaw. And the official—I take him to be one of the officials from his purple cloak—does not separate them and stop the fight; rather, he incites them and cheers the man who landed the punch.” (Miller, Arete 35) What is the \n best Greek term for “official”?

Hellanodikes

Lucian, Anacharsis 1-8 and 28-29 \[written ca. A.D. 170; imaginary conversation ca. 590 BC; the Scythian Anacharsis is speaking\] “Others, upright and covered \n with dust, are hitting and kicking each other. This one looks like he is going to spit out his teeth, poor fellow, with his mouth so full of blood and sand. As you see, he \n got a belt on the jaw. And the official—I take him to be one of the officials from his purple cloak—does not separate them and stop the fight; rather, he incites them and cheers the man who landed the punch.” (Miller, Arete 35) In addition to \n the purple cloak, how might you identify an athletic official in antiquity?

staff or forked rod

Pausanias 6.20.10-19 \[written ca. A.D. 170\] “One side...is longer than the other. The longer side is a bank of earth and, by the passageway exit through the bank, there is Taraxippos, the terror of horses. It has the shape of a circular altar, and \n as the horses run by it a great fear with no apparent cause seizes them. From the fear comes confusion, and in general the chariots crash and the charioteers are injured. For this reason the charioteers make sacrifices and pray that Taraxippos be kind to them. The Greeks have different views about Taraxippos....” (Miller, \n Arete 69) What type of athletic facility is being described here?

hippodrome

Pausanias 6.20.10-19 \[written ca. A.D. 170\] “One side...is longer than the other. The longer side is a bank of earth and, by the passageway exit through the bank, there is Taraxippos, the terror of horses. It has the shape of a circular altar, and \n as the horses run by it a great fear with no apparent cause seizes them. From the fear comes confusion, and in general the chariots crash and the charioteers are injured. For this reason the charioteers make sacrifices and pray that Taraxippos be kind to them. The Greeks have different views about Taraxippos....” (Miller, \n Arete 69) How would you best describe the author of this passage, Pausanias?

travel writer

Which ONE of the following sporting events was NOT part of the ancient pentathlon?

pole vault

What specialized equipment would you expect to see in the ancient long jump?

halteres

Which ONE of the following was NOT associated with an ancient foot race?

skamma

Which ONE of the following sports would you not see at an ancient Panhellenic game?

marathon