Ancient Greek myth and athletics

Myth had a central role in ancient Greek athletics. Athletic competitions were big events in the life of ancient Greek communities and were often taking place in the context of religious festivals or funeral games. Some of them were of local character, while others of panhellenic importance, that is, with delegations participating from all over the Greek world. The Olympic Games, perhaps the most well-known panhellenic athletic event in antiquity and our time, were thought to have been founded by the mythical hero Heracles, or to commemorate Agamemnon’s grandfather, Pelops. Mythical heroes and stories provided the models and the means of praise and commemoration of real-life athletes and their achievements, by poets of the stature of Pindar and Bacchylides. Victorious athletes were cast in a larger-than-life light, acquiring status and honours comparable to those of mythical heroes. In this lecture, we will discuss key sources on the topic, exploring different types of athletic events in ancient Greece and myth’s role in the celebration and commemoration of athletic victors, as members of distinguished families and whole communities. The mythological background and associations of Greek athletics will also help us illuminate the role of athletics in interstate politics and ethnic identity, and aspects of social history, such as hero cult and the role of women in ancient Greece.