Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.8.1 Class: Mythic

τούτων δὲ ὕστερον Κλύμενον τὸν Κάρδυος, πεντηκοστῷ μάλιστα ἔτει μετὰ τὴν συμβᾶσαν ἐπὶ Δευκαλίωνος ἐν Ἕλλησιν ἐπομβρίαν ἐλθόντα ἐκ Κρήτης, γένος ἀπὸ Ἡρακλέους ὄντα τοῦ Ἰδαίου, τόν τε ἀγῶνα ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ θεῖναι καὶ Κούρησι τοῖς τε ἄλλοις καὶ Ἡρακλεῖ τῷ προγόνῳ λέγουσιν ἱδρύσασθαι βωμόν, Παραστάτην ἐπωνυμίαν τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ θέμενον. Ἐνδυμίων δὲ ὁ Ἀεθλίου Κλύμενόν τε ἔπαυσε τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ δρόμου τοῖς υἱοῖς ἆθλα ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ τὴν βασιλείαν ἔθηκε.

Proper Nouns:

Δευκαλίων Κάρδυς Κλύμενος Κοῦρες Κρήτη Παραστάτης Ἀεθλίος Ἐνδυμίων Ἡρακλῆς Ἡρακλῆς Ἰδαῖος Ὀλυμπία

After these events, about fifty years after the great flood that befell the Greeks during Deucalion's time, it is said that Clymenus, son of Cardys, came from Crete—he who traced his lineage back to Heracles of Ida. They say he established the contest at Olympia, and built an altar there for the Curetes and for Heracles, his own ancestor, giving Heracles the surname "Parastates" (the Helper). Endymion, son of Aethlius, however, deposed Clymenus from power and established royal authority at Olympia as the prize in a footrace among his own sons.

Passage 5.8.2 Class: Mythic

Πέλοψ δὲ ὕστερον γενεᾷ μάλιστα μετὰ Ἐνδυμίωνα τὸν ἀγῶνα τῷ Ὀλυμπίῳ Διὶ ἐποίησεν ἀξιολογώτατα ἀνθρώπων τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ. Πέλοπος δὲ τῶν παίδων σκεδασθέντων ἐξ Ἤλιδος ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ἄλλην Πελοπόννησον, Ἀμυθάων ὁ Κρηθέως Ἐνδυμίωνι ἀνεψιὸς πρὸς πατρός---εἶναι γάρ φασι καὶ Ἀέθλιον Αἰόλου, Διὸς δὲ ἐπίκλησιν---, ἔθηκεν ὁ Ἀμυθάων τὰ Ὀλύμπια, μετὰ δὲ αὐτὸν Πελίας τε καὶ Νηλεὺς ἐν κοινῷ.

Proper Nouns:

Αἴολος Ζεύς Κρηθεύς Νηλεύς Πέλοψ Πέλοψ Πελίας Πελοπόννησος Ἀέθλιος Ἀμυθάων Ἐνδυμίων Ἐνδυμίων Ἦλις Ὀλύμπια Ὀλύμπιος Ζεύς

After Endymion, it was Pelops who later established the contest for Olympian Zeus in a manner most distinguished among all who preceded him. When the sons of Pelops became scattered from Elis throughout the rest of the Peloponnese, Amythaon, son of Cretheus and cousin to Endymion on his father's side—for they say that Aethlius too was a son of Aeolus, though called a son of Zeus—Amythaon established the Olympic games, and after him Pelias and Neleus jointly maintained them.

Passage 5.8.3 Class: Mythic

ἔθηκε δὲ καὶ Αὐγέας καὶ Ἡρακλῆς ὁ Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἑλὼν Ἦλιν· ὁπόσους δὲ ἐστεφάνωσεν οὗτος νικῶντας, ἔστιν Ἰόλαος ταῖς Ἡρακλέους δραμὼν ἵπποις. ἦν δὲ ἄρα ἐκ παλαιοῦ καθεστηκὸς ἀγωνίζεσθαι καὶ ἀλλοτρίαις ἵπποις· Ὅμηρος γοῦν ἐν ἄθλοις τεθεῖσιν ἐπὶ Πατρόκλῳ πεποίηκεν ὡς Μενέλαος Αἴθῃ τῇ Ἀγαμέμνονος, τῷ δὲ ἑτέρῳ χρήσαιτο τῶν ἵππων οἰκείῳ.

Proper Nouns:

Αἴθη Αὐγείας Μενέλαος Πάτροκλος Ἀγαμέμνων Ἀμφιτρύων Ἡρακλῆς Ἡρακλῆς Ἦλις Ἰόλαος Ὅμηρος

Augeas also established competitions, as did Heracles, son of Amphitryon, after conquering Elis. Among the victors crowned by him was Iolaus, who raced driving the horses belonging to Heracles. From ancient times indeed, it was an established practice to compete even with horses belonging to another. Homer, for example, in describing the games organized in honor of Patroclus, relates how Menelaus competed with Agamemnon's mare Aethe, while the other horse yoked with her was his own.

Passage 5.8.4 Class: Mythic

ἡνιόχει δὲ καὶ ἄλλως ὁ Ἰόλαος Ἡρακλεῖ τὰς ἵππους· αὐτός τε οὖν ἅρματι καὶ Ἰάσιος ἀνὴρ Ἀρκὰς κέλητος ἐνίκησεν ἵππου δρόμῳ, Τυνδάρεω δὲ οἱ παῖδες ὁ μὲν δρόμῳ, Πολυδεύκης δὲ πυκτεύων. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἐς αὐτὸν Ἡρακλέα ὡς πάλης τε ἀνέλοιτο καὶ παγκρατίου νίκας.

Proper Nouns:

Πολυδεύκης Τυνδάρεως Ἀρκάς Ἡρακλῆς Ἡρακλῆς Ἰάσιος Ἰόλαος

Iolaus also served otherwise as a charioteer, driving horses for Heracles. Hence, he personally won with his chariot, while Iasius, an Arcadian man, won the mounted horse-race. Among the sons of Tyndareus, one was victorious in the foot-race, while Polydeuces prevailed in boxing. It is also said that Heracles himself won victories in both wrestling and the pankration.

Passage 5.8.5 Class: Mythic

μετὰ δὲ Ὄξυλον---διέθηκε γὰρ τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ Ὄξυλος---, μετὰ τοῦτον βασιλεύσαντα ἐξέλιπεν ἄχρι Ἰφίτου τὰ Ὀλύμπια. Ἰφίτου δὲ τὸν ἀγῶνα ἀνανεωσαμένου κατὰ τὰ ἤδη μοι λελεγμένα, τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἔτι ὑπῆρχε τῶν ἀρχαίων λήθη· καὶ κατʼ ὀλίγον ἐς ὑπόμνησιν ἤρχοντο αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁπότε τι ἀναμνησθεῖεν, ἐποιοῦντο τῷ ἀγῶνι προσθήκην.

Proper Nouns:

Ἰφῖτος Ὀλύμπια Ὄξυλος

After Oxylus—for Oxylus had indeed settled the contest—the Olympic games died out following his reign until the time of Iphitus. But when Iphitus renewed the festival according to the manner that I have already described, men still remained forgetful of ancient customs; only gradually did they begin to recollect these traditions, and whenever they recalled something of the past, they added it to the contest.

Passage 5.8.6 Class: Historical

δῆλον δέ· ἐξ οὗ γὰρ τὸ συνεχὲς ταῖς μνήμαις ἐπὶ ταῖς Ὀλυμπιάσιν ἐστί, δρόμου μὲν ἆθλα ἐτέθη πρῶτον, καὶ Ἠλεῖος Κόροιβος ἐνίκα· εἰκὼν μὲν δὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ τοῦ Κοροίβου, τάφος δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς πέρασι τῆς Ἠλείας. Ὀλυμπιάδι δὲ ὕστερον τετάρτῃ καὶ δεκάτῃ προσετέθη σφίσι δίαυλος· Ὕπηνος δὲ ἀνὴρ Πισαῖος ἀνείλετο ἐπὶ τῷ διαύλῳ τὸν κότινον, τῇ δὲ ἑξῆς ἐπὶ τῷ δολίχῳ Ἄκανθος Λακεδαιμόνιος .

Proper Nouns:

Κόροιβος Κόροιβος Λακεδαιμόνιος Πισαῖος Ἄκανθος Ἠλεία Ἠλεῖος Ὀλυμπία Ὀλυμπιάς Ὕπηνος

The evidence for this is quite clear. For from the time when the continuous records of the Olympiads began, the first competitions held were those in running, and the Elean Coroebus was victorious. There is indeed no statue of Coroebus at Olympia, but his tomb is at the boundaries of Elis. At the fourteenth Olympiad after this, the double-stadion race was added, and Hypenos of Pisa won the olive wreath in the double-stadion. In the Olympiad immediately thereafter, Acanthus of Sparta won the dolichos race.

Passage 5.8.7 Class: Historical

ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ὀγδόης καὶ δεκάτης Ὀλυμπιάδος πεντάθλου καὶ πάλης ἀφίκοντο ἐς μνήμην· καὶ τοῦ μὲν Λάμπιδι ὑπῆρξεν, Εὐρυβάτῳ δὲ ἡ νίκη τῆς πάλης, Λακεδαιμονίοις καὶ τούτοις. τρίτῃ δὲ Ὀλυμπιάδι καὶ εἰκοστῇ πυγμῆς ἆθλα ἀπέδοσαν· Ὀνόμαστος δὲ ἐνίκησεν ἐκ Σμύρνης συντελούσης ἤδη τηνικαῦτα ἐς Ἴωνας. πέμπτῃ δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς εἴκοσι κατεδέξαντο ἵππων τελείων δρόμον, καὶ ἀνηγορεύθη Θηβαῖος Παγώνδας κρατῶν ἅρματι.

Proper Nouns:

Εὐρύβατος Θηβαῖος Λάμπις Λακεδαιμόνιοι Παγώνδας Σμύρνη Ἴωνες Ὀλυμπιάς Ὀνόμαστος

In the eighteenth Olympiad, the pentathlon and wrestling events were introduced into memory; Lampis won the pentathlon, and Eurybatus was victorious in wrestling, both men Spartans. In the twenty-third Olympiad, they awarded prizes for boxing, and Onomastus of Smyrna, which by then already belonged to the Ionians, won. In the twenty-fifth Olympiad, they included a race for full-grown horses, and Pagondas of Thebes was declared victorious with his chariot.

Passage 5.8.8 Class: Historical

ὀγδόῃ δὲ ἀπὸ ταύτης Ὀλυμπιάδι ἐδέξαντο παγκρατιαστήν τε ἄνδρα καὶ ἵππον κέλητα· ἵππος μὲν δὴ Κραννωνίου Κραυξίδα παρέφθη, τοὺς δὲ ἐσελθόντας ἐπὶ τὸ παγκράτιον ὁ Λύγδαμις κατειργάσατο Συρακούσιος. τούτῳ πρὸς ταῖς λιθοτομίαις ἐστὶν ἐν Συρακούσαις μνῆμα· εἰ δὲ καὶ Ἡρακλεῖ τῷ Θηβαίῳ μέγεθος παρισοῦτο ὁ Λύγδαμις, ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶδα, λεγόμενον δὲ ὑπὸ Συρακουσίων ἐστί.

Proper Nouns:

Θῆβαι Κραννών Κραυξίδας Λύγδαμις Συρακούσιος Συρακοῦσαι Συρακοῦσαι Ἡρακλῆς Ὀλυμπιάς

In the eighth Olympiad after this one, they admitted a man for the pankration and a horse for the riding race. The horse, in fact, was entered by Krauxidas from Krannon, and Lygdamis of Syracuse overcame those who competed in the pankration. There is a monument to this man beside the stone quarries at Syracuse; whether indeed Lygdamis equaled the stature of Heracles of Thebes, I cannot say, but this is what the Syracusans report.

Passage 5.8.9 Class: Historical

τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς παισὶν ἐς μὲν τῶν παλαιοτέρων οὐδεμίαν ἥκει μνήμην, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀρέσαν σφίσι κατεστήσαντο Ἠλεῖοι. δρόμου μὲν δὴ καὶ πάλης ἐτέθη παισὶν ἆθλα ἐπὶ τῆς ἑβδόμης καὶ τριακοστῆς Ὀλυμπιάδος, καὶ Ἱπποσθένης Λακεδαιμόνιος πάλην, Πολυνείκης δὲ τὸν δρόμον ἐνίκησεν Ἠλεῖος. πρώτῃ δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς τεσσαράκοντα Ὀλυμπιάδι πύκτας ἐσεκάλεσαν παῖδας, καὶ περιῆν τῶν ἐσελθόντων Συβαρίτης Φιλύτας.

Proper Nouns:

Λακεδαιμόνιος Πολυνείκης Συβαρίτης Φιλύτας Ἠλεῖος Ἠλεῖος Ἱπποσθένης Ὀλυμπιάς Ὀλυμπιάς

Regarding the contests for boys, no tradition reaches back into the more ancient times, but the Eleans themselves established them according to their preference. Prizes for running and wrestling for boys were first introduced during the thirty-seventh Olympiad; Hipposthenes of Sparta was victorious in wrestling, and Polyneikes of Elis in running. In the forty-first Olympiad, they first introduced boxing for the boys, and Philytas from Sybaris defeated the other contestants.

Passage 5.8.10 Class: Historical

τῶν δὲ ὁπλιτῶν ὁ δρόμος ἐδοκιμάσθη μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς πέμπτης Ὀλυμπιάδος καὶ ἑξηκοστῆς, μελέτης ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ἕνεκα τῆς ἐς τὰ πολεμικά· τοὺς δὲ δραμόντας ἀσπίσιν ὁμοῦ πρῶτος Δαμάρετος ἐκράτησεν Ἡραιεύς. δρόμος δὲ δύο ἵππων τελείων συνωρὶς κληθεῖσα τρίτῃ μὲν Ὀλυμπιάδι ἐτέθη πρὸς ταῖς ἐνενήκοντα, Εὐαγόρας δὲ ἐνίκησεν Ἠλεῖος. ἐνάτῃ δὲ ἤρεσεν Ὀλυμπιάδι καὶ ἐνενηκοστῇ καὶ πώλων ἅρμασιν ἀγωνίζεσθαι· Λακεδαιμόνιος δὲ Συβαριάδης τὸν στέφανον τῶν πώλων ἔσχε τοῦ ἅρματος.

Proper Nouns:

Δαμάρετος Εὐαγόρας Λακεδαιμόνιος Συβαριάδης Ἠλεῖος Ἡραιεύς Ὀλυμπιάς Ὀλυμπιάς

The race of armored infantry (hoplitodromos) was first introduced at the sixty-fifth Olympiad, in my opinion as training for warfare. Damaretus of Heraea was the first victor in this race, in which the contestants ran with shields. The contest of chariots drawn by a pair of fully grown horses was instituted at the ninety-third Olympiad, and Evagoras of Elis was victorious in it. At the ninety-ninth Olympiad, a chariot race drawn by foals was also adopted, and Sybariades the Lacedaemonian won the crown with the chariot of foals.

Passage 5.8.11 Class: Historical

προσέθεσαν δὲ ὕστερον καὶ συνωρίδα πώλων καὶ πῶλον κέλητα· ἐπὶ μὲν δὴ τῇ συνωρίδι Βελιστίχην ἐκ Μακεδονίας τῆς ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ γυναῖκα, Τληπόλεμον δὲ Λύκιον ἀναγορευθῆναι λέγουσιν ἐπὶ τῷ κέλητι, τοῦτον μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς πρώτης καὶ τριακοστῆς τε καὶ ἑκατοστῆς Ὀλυμπιάδος, τῆς δὲ Βελιστίχης τὴν συνωρίδα Ὀλυμπιάδι πρὸ ταύτης τρίτῃ. πέμπτῃ δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν ἆθλα ἐτέθη παγκρατίου παισί, καὶ ἐνίκα Φαίδιμος Αἰολεὺς ἐκ πόλεως Τρῳάδος.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰολεὺς Βελιστίχη Λύκιος Μακεδονία Τληπόλεμος Τρῳάς Φαίδιμος Ὀλυμπιάς Ὀλυμπιάς

Later on they added a two-horse chariot race for colts, as well as a riding race with colts. They say that Belistiche, a woman from maritime Macedonia, was proclaimed victor with the two-colt chariot, and Tlepolemus the Lycian won the riding race, he at the one hundred thirty-first Olympiad, and Belistiche's chariot three Olympiads earlier. At the one hundred forty-fifth Olympiad a boys' pankration contest was introduced, and Phaedimus, an Aeolian from a city in the Troad, was victorious.

Legend:

Chapter 5.8