Ancient Macedonians in Olympic games

[Ptolemy]

XXII. Now that these descendants of Perdiccas are Greeks, AS THEY THEMSELVES SAY, I MYSELF CHANCE TO KNOW AND WILL PROVE IT in the later part of my history. Furthermore, the Hellenodicae who manage the contest at Olympia determined that it is so, [2] for when Alexander chose to contend and entered the lists for that purpose, the Greeks who were to run against him wanted to bar him from the race, saying that the contest should be for Greeks and not for foreigners. Alexander, however, proving himself to be an Argive, was judged to be a Greek. He accordingly competed in the furlong race and tied step for first place. This, then, is approximately what happened.

Firstly, we should examine who exactly were the "Hellanodikae" and their responsibilities.

Hellanodikai had unlimited responsibilities that could be seperated in two parts, administrative and judicial. As Administrative tool, Hellanodikai had also first of all, the responsibility of applying the rules in reference to the athletes, among them to check if an athlete met all the necessary participation requirements like Alexander's Philhellene case.

"Distinctively dressed in puprple robes and allowed the priviledge of elevated seating (while others sat on the ground or stood), the Hellanodikai admitted or excluded competitors, assigned them to Age-classes,..."

[Sport in the Ancient World from A to Z] by Mark Golden

"the people who shared in the Greek ethnic identity were the people who perceived themselves to be Greeks, and whose self-perception was shared by those who had the dominant role in 'controlling" the boundaries of Greekness, such as, in the fifth century, the Hellanodikai who controlled participation in the Olympic games"

[Herodotus and his world, Essays from a conference in memory of George Forrest] By Robert Parker, Peter Derow

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Knowing by now exactly their responsibilities we will try and analyze the above quote of Herodotus.

1. First thing coming in mind is why didnt Hellanodikae, the ones having the dominant role in 'controlling" the boundaries of Greekness of an athlete, excluded Alexander in first place?? It is indicative that initialy ONLY the other athletes protested and NOT Hellanodikae. In reality, Hellanodikae - whose judgement was considered sacred - were the ones that should forbid in the first place, participation of Alexander I if they thought he was a Barbarian.

Evidently that was *not* the case!!! After the incident, Hellanodikae had to simply 'investigate' the claim of the other athletes - as its being done even in the modern athletics with judges - and Alexander proved to them he was a Greek and he was accepted by them as a bona fide competitor. So, the head of the games concluded that the lineage presented was reasonable and consistent with their Peloponnesian accounts.

2. To quote John Whitehorne: "In the race itself, Alexander came in equal first (Herodotus 5.22) making the entire issue even more suspect to the ground that the original protest by his rivals may well have a claim to be regarded as one of the earliest recorded examples of those "dirty tricks" which so beset modern sport."

3. Did Athletes in ancient Olympics used to employ "dirty tricks" in order to exclude an athlete's participation in olympic games??

Answer: Yes! There are a few examples. In one of these, Themistocles urges the exclusion of the tyrant Hieron of Syracuse in Olympic games, accusing him that he neglected to help militarily against Persians. (Lysias also urged the exclusion of Dionysious a century later). Noone can ignore the fact Hieron had the best horses at that time in Greek world and his chariots were the absolute favourite to win again Olympic games as they did 4 years earlier.

4. It is also indicative the moment Alexander I the Philhellene, announced his Temenid origin to all bystanders. Among Bystanders were certainly Argives and other Peloponessians. On the sound of the names "Temenos" and "Hercules" used by Alexander to trace his descent, they would strongly protest if it was not true. Noone did but contrary we find evidence of the same Alexander taking part in the Argive Heraea together with other Argives. Hence those Argives and Peloponessians were aware of a number of Temenids having indeed migrated to Macedonia and the Argive origin of Macedonian kings is beyond any doubt.

5. Macedonia at the time being, was isolated from the rest of Greece. Greeks generally regarded it as a primitive backwater, inhabited except from Macedonians, also by semi-savage barbarians, mostly of Thracian stock. These Barbarians were remnants of indigenous populations who had been incorporated into Macedonian kingdom during and after Macedonian expansions. Macedonian political institutions were tribal to say the least and their customs, social values were primitive, to the degree that city-state Greeks thought about isolated Macedonia at all from the perspective of snobbish contempt and not in ethnological sense.

6. Herodotos who visited them (5th century) said both Macedonian kings and population were Greeks and particularly of Dorian stock.

Source: Lysimachos Articles

[akritas]

The Participation of Ancient Macedonians in the Olympiads and their Contribution to the Greek Cultural Heritage

by Nicholas Martis

Macedonia, with its precipitous and abrupt mountains, forming natural barriers and making communication with the rest of Greece difficult, could not participate very actively in the political, cultural and social life of the other Greeks. For this reason the Greeks in the south, did not very well mix with the Greeks in the north, i.e. with those in Macedonia. Up until King Philip II’s era, there were no significant contacts and conflicts between Macedonian Greeks and the rest of the Greek City-States in the south. The endeavor of King Alexander I to protect the Greek City-States from the eminent Persian danger, obtained him the title of “Philhellene” by the southern Greeks. “Philhellene” at that time had the connotation of “Philopatris” (he who loves his fatherland) and was bestowed to those Greeks, who were not just concerned with their own City-State’s welfare, but they displayed Pan-Hellenic anxieties. It should be remembered that, in spite geographic accessibility problems, which restrained intermingling of Macedonians and the rest of the Greeks in the south:

· Macedonians had the same language, as all other Greeks
· Macedonians had the same religion, as all other Greeks
· Macedonians used the same architecture, as all other Greeks
· Macedonians served the same arts, as all other Greeks
· Macedonians used the same names, as all other Greeks
· Macedonians had the same traditions, as all other Greeks
· Macedonians had the same myths, as all other Greeks
· Macedonians had the same heroes, as all other Greeks
· Macedonians had the same rituals, as all other Greeks
· Macedonians had the same customs, as all other Greeks
· Macedonians were Greeks.

Macedonians, through their agrarian and bucolic lives, their mountainous terrain, their continuous struggles to keep at bay barbarians from raiding the Greek peninsula and their intermittent internal struggles for succession to the Throne of Macedonia, ended up being rather isolated from the rest of the Greeks. They held on to their traditions, but their cultural development was not very significant. The cultural distance between the southern Greek City-States and Macedonia was quite substantial, because Athens did not have to play the protecting role of keeping the northern raiders off the Greek land. Macedonians bore that responsibility. Dr. Apostolos Daskalakis in his book The Greeks of Ancient Macedonia states: “If the Macedonians had not become the shield, protecting the lands beyond Mount Olympus by the continuous barbarian attacks, the Greek element would not be preserved uninterrupted for so many centuries. Had the Greek City-States in the south not remained for centuries undisturbed by invaders, Hellenism could had never reached the elevated thought about freedom, arts, philosophy and sciences, which were universally inherited by humanity.

The without doubt culturally more advanced academic and artistic world of southern Greece, did not stay indifferent to this new venue towards the land of Macedonian. Thus a multitude of men of letters, arts and sciences found fertile ground amongst Macedonians. By the 4th century BCE this assimilation was complete. The enormous economic prosperity of the Macedonian State and able leadership of its Kings, became contributing factors towards collective changes, with innovative creations in all aspects of artistic endeavors; especially in metallurgy, painting and architecture. Such Arts became the archetype later on for the Romans, as it is evident even today in the city of Pompey, Italy.

This wide move of the center of Hellenism from the southern to the northern part of the Greek peninsula, began with the emergence of the Macedonian King Philip II. His conquests and at the same time the decline of the Greek City-States in the south, caused a sensation of envy and dissatisfaction to the other Greeks, especially to the citizens of Athens, which formed the hub of public opinion at the time, against the, in some ways, “uncultivated” Greeks of Macedonia. All the insults about “barbarian” Macedonians did not originate by philosophers, poets or other authors, but by political Athenian orators.

The Athenian politician-orator Demosthenes, King Philip’s main opponent, speaking to the Athenians, said: “…aren’t all our powerful locations placed in the hands of this man? Will we not suffer the most awful humiliation? Are we not already at war with him? Isn’t he our enemy? Isn’t he in possession of our lands? Isn’t he a barbarian? Doesn’t he deserve all this name-calling?” Demosthenes, in his speech, spoke with human anger against an opponent. When he called King Philip “barbarian”, he did not mean that Philip was “not Greek”. This was taken for granted, since in his Olympic II oration, Demosthenes praises the State of Macedonia. At the same time Demosthenes could not call anyone a “barbarian”, given that his own origin was “barbarian”. Aeschinus, in his oration against Ktisiphon, calls Demosthenes “libelous”, because he is “barbarian” by his Scythe mother and only a “Greek” by language.


Macedonian King Alexander I, lover of Arts and friend of poet Pindar, participated in the 80th Olympiad of 460 BCE. He competed in the “Stadion” field event and was placed close second to the first runner. His participation marked not only the beginning of the involvement of Macedonians in the Olympics, but it also constituted the foundation of future Macedonian interaction with the other Greeks and, furthermore, had very far reaching effects on the future of Hellenism.

Macedonians, who participated in the Olympics at Olympia, were as follows:

· King Alexander I, in the 80th Olympics, in 460 BCE. He run the “Stadion” and was placed very close second.
· King Arhelaos Perdikas, competed in the 93rd Olympics, in 408 BCE and won at Delphi the race of the four-horse chariot.
· King Philip II was an Olympic champion three times. In the 106th Olympics, in 356 BCE, he won the race, riding his horse. In the 107th Olympics, in 352 BCE, he won the four-horse chariot race. In the 108th Olympics, in 348 BCE, he was the winner of the two colt chariot.
· Cliton run the Stadion in the 113rd Olympics, in 328 BCE.
· Damasias from Amphipolis won in the Stadion in the 115th Olympics, in 320 BCE.
· Lampos from Philippi, was proclaimed a winner in the four-horse chariot race in the 119th Olympics, in 304 BCE.
· Antigonos won in the Stadion race, in the 122nd Olympics, in 292 BCE and in the 123rd Olympics in 288 BCE.
· Seleucos won in the field-sports competition in the 128th Olympics in 268 BCE.
· During the 128th Olympics, in 268 BCE and in the 129th Olympics, in 264 BCE, a woman from Macedonia won the competition. Pausanias mentions that: “…it is said that the race of the two-colt chariot was won by a woman, named Velestihi from the seashores of Macedonia”.

Pausanias mentions the Philippeion in Olympia: “In the grove there is the Records Building and an edifice called Phippeion…Philip built it after the battle at Chaeroneia…there are statues of Philip, of Alexander and Amyntas…there are pieces that were made of ivory and gold carved by Leoharus, just like the statues of Olympia and Euridice”. Also Pausanias points out that various statues were made by order as oblations and he mentions that: “representing the Macedonians, the inhabitants of Dion, a city by the Macedonian Pieria mountain range, had a statue made, which portrays Apollo holding a deer”.

During the Vergina excavation a tripod was found, which is kept at the Museum of Thessaloniki, and carries the inscription: “I come from the Argos athletic competitions, the Heraia”. According to Archeology Professor Andronikos, the tripod belonged to the Macedonian King Alexander I and it was a family heirloom.

King Arhelaos I (413-399 BC) established in Dion magnificent athletic competitions every two years “the Olympian Dion”, which lasted nine days, as it corresponded to the nine Pierian Muses, originating from the Macedonian mountain range Pieria. During these events ancient tragedies were presented. Arhelaos I organized the Macedonian Army, structured a transportation system and transferred the Capital from Aiges to Pella. In his court lived the tragic poet Agathon, the epic poet Horilos, the dithyramb writer Timotheos, the tragic poet Melanipidis and the doctor and son of Hippocrates Thessalos. Tragedian Euripides composed his tragedies Arhelaos and Bachae right in Arhelaos’s court. Euripides died and was buried in Macedonia.

Three ancient Theaters were discovered in Macedonia; one is at Dion, dating back to the 5th century BCE; the second is at Vergina (Aegai) – 4th century BCE and the third at Philippi. Ancient plays used to be performed in these Theaters. At the Dion Theater, Euripides’ Bachae and Arhelaos were introduced for the first time. Some experts believe that Iphigeneia in Aulis was presented there. The theme of the play Arhelaos is associated with the migration of the Argive Timenidis, Prince of Macedonia and founder of the Royal House of Aegai. These tragedies, played in these Theaters, were written in the Greek language, since they were intended for Greek audience, the Macedonians.

Dion, the sacred place of Macedonians, is one of the largest (about 4 acres) and most archeologically significant districts of Greece, featuring multifarious bath areas, taking up about 1 acre, with tiled floors, marble bathtubs, complete plumbing system (led and clay pipes) and lavish colonnaded tiled halls. A fact that has been overlooked is that Dion was also the center of intellectual competitions and therefore the birth place of the cultural Olympics.

The “Hellenistic Era” is an enormous issue and it could be appropriately illuminated, only if Universities create chairs and research it fully. We could also become more knowledgeable of the influence King Alexander the Great had on Islam, which according to Dr. Constantine Romanos, is the missing link in the History of Civilization. All ancient authors refer to the impact of the Hellenistic cultural and intellectual thinking that was passed on by the Macedonians to the peoples of the Far East.

Plutarch mentions that: “All of Asia, civilized by Alexander the Great, was reading Homer and Euripides’ as well as Sophocles’ tragedies”. It is not by coincidence that the Koran refers to Alexander the Great as Prophet. Jews have adopted his name. Buddhists worshipped him as equal to God. Saint Vasileios the Great and Saint Nectarios promote Alexander and his deeds. Diodoros points out: “…the enemies were compelled by the victor to thrive”.

[akritas]

[MAKEDONELLHNAS]

Re paidia afinan gynaikes na sumetehoun stous Olympiakos agones ekeines tis epohes?

[Andrew]

At this point let's consider the participation of Alexander I in the Olympics. It is a point that has generated a large number of discusions between modern historians: When did Alexander partecipated ? Why did he went ? Why no Macedonian ever before had participated in the Olympics ? Since the Macedonian submission in the Persians have occured around 511 BC and Alexander I was present at the meal that his father Amyntas I offered to the Persians and was grown enough to take his father's position when Amyntas went to sleep , it means that Alexander was around 12 years old in 511 BC. Since he participated in the contest of running , that makes his participation age-range 15-30 ,which is translated in participation dates between 508 BC and 493 BC . So his most probable Olympics were those of 508 , 504 , 500 , 496 ,492 BC. To understand when did Alexander participated in the Olympics one must first answer why did he choose to participate , since he's the first known Macedonian to have done so. The answer is realy simple if someone considers the early years under the Temenids. The Olympics were happening every summer every 4 years from 776 BC and on. The Temenids took control of the Macedonians around 700 BC and from that moment until their submission to the Persians were in constant warfare in order to maintain and expand the borders of their kingdom. Constant warfare means that every summer -which was the most common period of warfare- every physically qualified man was more than indispensable back in Macedonia. It makes him even more indispensable if we consider that according to Polyaenus (Stratagems IV.1) , King Argaeus had to recourse to the Stratagem of the Mimallones due to the lack of male warriors against the Illyrian Taulantians of Galaurus. In addition , south Greeks had no non-Greek neighbors and so the «Ὀλυμπιακή ἐκεχειρία» ,that is the "Olympic ceasefire among Greeks" permitted the most physically qualified men to participate in the Olympics. The Macedonians on the other hand were in constant warfare with Paeonian , Illyrian and Thracian tribes who simply gave no dam about Olympic ceasefire. But when the Macedonians submissed themselves to the Persians they became part of the Persian Empire and that means that their borders were now protected by the Persian Imperial Army. For the first time , the males of the macedonian royal family and the king's "companions" -who generally were the most physically qualified individuals- were free to participate in distant events. That's why -in my personal opinion- Alexander I participated to the Olympics immediately after the Macedonian submission to the Persians , that is at the Olympiads of 504 or 500 BC , when he was respectively around 19 and 23 years old. I have excluded as improbable -but not as impossible- the option 508 BC because if my math is correct he was too young (around 15 years old).