Participation of ancient Macedonians in Pan-Hellenic games

[Ptolemy]

Quite characteristical for the greekness of ancient Macedonians is their participation on other pan-hellenic games except Olympics, namely Isthmia, Pythia, Amfiaraa and Lycaia. For example, its quite typical the case of Arhon (Άρχων), son of Kleinos. As it is proved from a inscription in Delphi, Arhon took part both in Isthmia and Pythia, where he won. Arhon was an officer of Alexander the Great, took part in all the battles during the campaign in Asia and according to another inscription he was one of the distinguished Macedonians on the battles. Furthermore he was appointed Satrap of Caria.

In a consular resolution originated again from Delphi, Arhon along with his brothers(one of them is called Isocrates) and his mother Sinesis, are honoured as colsulars of the city. Without doubt, both Arhon and his family considered it of great importance his victories in Pan-Hellenic games to be immortalized, something that explains their intense showing off in the most famous Pan-Hellenic place. His victories to Pan-Hellenic games appear to be also an honour for his city Pella, thats why it is said that Pella has "αείμναστον κλέος" because of the victories of Arhon.

Σόν κατά, άναξ| ιερόν τέμ[εν]ος κλυτότοξε σνωρίς | |έστεφεν
Άρχ|ωνος Δελφίδι κράτα δάφναι, |[ός Βαβυλώ]να ιεράν κραίνεν χθόνα, πολλά δε διωι | [σύμποτε] Αλεδάνδρωι στάσε τρόπαια δορός || [τούνε]κα οι μορφάς γονέων κτίσεν ηδέ συναίμων | [τα]σδε, κλέος δ' αρετάς Πέλλα σύνοιδε πατρίς

[Ω] μάκαρ ευκλείας Άρχων στέ|φανον δις εδέξω | Ίσθμια νικήσας Πύθια τε ιππ[οσύναι ]| ζηλούται δε πατήρ Κλείνος κ[αι πότνια μήτηρ] Πέλλα τε αείμναστον πατρίς έ|χουσα κλέος]|

It is easy to conclude that:

- Eminent Macedonians, and more importantly those who were from the Macedonian capital Pella, considered as a great honour to be victors in Pan-Hellenic games. This pressuposes that they were considering themselves Greeks and they wanted to set it off like all the rest of Greeks did in similar cases.

- To say that Pella, the macedonian capital, has "αείμναστον κλέος" because of the one of her citizens victories in Pan-Hellenic games, at the same era where the Macedonian king had abolish the mightly Persian empire, shows the existence of a collective Hellenic national consciouness in Macedonian citizens.

What we must not forget is that in Pan-Hellenic games participated and in earlier years Macedonians. We know for example, that in races (stadion) who were in Amfiaraa of Oropos, the Macedonian Malakos was the victor, an event taken place before 366 and 338 BC.

This participation of Macedonian athletes in Pan-Hellenic games happen both based on the wish of Macedonians to take part and their simultaneous acceptance of the rest of Greeks, independently of political coincidences or of economical character purposeful acts.

[akritas]

Very interesting thread Perseas, and I read some historical information’s that I never heard before. :clapping: :clapping:

You provide sources, difficult with someone not familiar with ancient Greek linquistic because is known that except the known ancient Greek writers there are more that you can read plenty of historical events and not only. Macedonia, with its precipitous and abrupt mountains, forming natural barriers and making communication with the rest of 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.

Olympic Games also was one from the Pan-Hellenic Games. 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 Hellenic History.

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 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.


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.


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”.

[admin]

great thread! :clapping:

Any references specific to their participation?

[Ptolemy]

I edited$ the initial post and now we have references.

[Ptolemy]

The Lykaian Victor List and Three Lists from Oropos.


A rare inscription found in Lycaea in Asia Minor [Syll3.314] contains a record of 52 winners in equestrian and other contests at the quadrennial Lykaian festival, from 320 to 304 BCE. Thirteen winners of hippic contests were in chronological order (Table 1). On the other hand, clay tablets οf the 4th and 1st centuries BCE unearthed at Oropos bear inscriptions with the names of more than 64 victorious athletes in athletic contests including hippic events. Eleven victorious horsemen were included in three inscribed lists


Table 1: Victors on the Lycaean list Table 2: Victors on the lists of Oropos*

Year Name-Origin of Victor Contest Won
320 Dameas of Lycaea synoris
Thasyaner of Colophon horse race-boys
Eupolemos of Arcadia colt tethrippon
Mnesarchides of Athens horse race-men
Chionidas of Arcadia tethrippon
Nikokles of Sparta tethrippon
Philonikos of Argos keles flat race
316 Amphinetos of Arcadia synoris
Nikokles of Sparta horse race-boys
Pasikles of Sparta keles flat race
Asopechos of Thebae horse race-men

308 Dagos of Macedonia synoris
Praxias (not extant) colt tethrippon
Damolytos of Lycaea colt tethrippon
Distamenos (not extant) colt synoris
Onomantos of Argos keles flat race
Plutades (not extant) colt keles
Epinetos of Macedonia tethrippon
Apollonios (not extant) synoris
304 Nikagoras of Rhodos synoris
Habris of Cyme keles flat race
Thearidas of Arcadia colt tethrippon
Amyntas of Aeolia Zeugoi diavlon
Boubalos of Cassandria keles flat race


* David Matz, Greek and Roman Sport, McFarland, 1991. The Oropos inscriptions also contained flute and lyre players followed by the name of a sophistes [master musician]. They evoke interest, because they do not follow the Olympic program, contain a greater variety of equestrian events, as well as rules which apparently allowed boys to compete in the mens division

http://www.musesnet.gr/~antikas/chapter9.htm

*Note Lykaian was a festival of Zeus held in Arkadia. It was held mainly from Arkadians and other Greeks. Thus we see Macedonian Athletes participating among other Greeks in games in honour of Zeus.

[Ptolemy]

Another indicative proof is the participation of Macedonians in Soteria which were taken place in the end of every summer (from 272 BC and after) in Delphi, in remembrance of the victory over Galatians (in 278 BC) and the salvation of Hellinism. These games had pan-Hellenic character, too many visitors were coming from every corner of Greek world and were organized by Aetolians. This last indication, makes the participation of Macedonians extremely interesting. The fact that by 265-254/3 BC are taking part one macedonian citizen from Pella (in the inscription survive the four last letters of his name "αιος" while its visible his father name, Leukaros) and citizens from Cassandreia such as Erginos Similou, Oikiades Nikandrou, Moiragenes Anaksilou or someone Dorotheos son of Kallistratos from Philipi together with citizens from the rest of Greece such as Athens, Argos, Ermione, etc. This shows without doubt that Greeks considered Macedonians as Greeks.

[chicagogeorge]

Centered around the Delphi, this Pan Hellenic sanctuary, hosted a conglomerate of cultural activities, ranging from poetry reading and theatrical plays, to athletic events similar to the Olympics, called the Pythian Games.
A bit of background about the Pythian Games, they took place every four years to honor Apollo, and hosted poetry and music competitions besides the staple of athletic events. It is believed that the games were first organized sometime in the 11th c. BCE, and included only musical contests, but by the 6th c. BCE, the games grew to include athletic events. The games ceased to take place in the 4th c. CE. Delphi

Here is a selection for the book 'Mysteries of the Oracles' by Perer Vanderberg (circa 2007):

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4010/mysteriesoftheoraclesvk0.jpg

Notice, Ptolemy the Macedonia participated in a GREEK ONLY EVENT. NO Illyrian, NO Thracian, NO Latin, NO Babylonian, NO Persian, NO Eygptian, NO what ever other ancient group was allowed to participate. ONLY GREEKS, and the Macedonians were Greeks!