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FAMED ATHLETES OF ANCIENT GREECE
By
CLEANTHIS PALAEOLOGOS
Honorary Director of the Greek National Academy of Physical Education
"What greater glory can man have in life than that
which is born to him by the deeds of his hands and feet."
(Odyssey IX. 147)
Many are the historic questions and problems which still remain
unsolved regarding ancient athletics. The present day student will
ever face with incertitude the many problems which are confronted by
the great difficulties of research, until such time as new excavations,
new finds, new discoveries and vases, or inscriptions help the contemporary
world in casting light upon the athletics of ancient days. The
results and achievements of the ancient competitors in the various
events are almost unknown and this creates a great difficulty in the
study of the methods and the comparison with present day achievements
of athletes. It would not seem that the ancients measured the
distances obtained or recorded the time in the racing events. In recent
years contemporary philosophy has discovered a direct testimony. This
refers to the distinguished philologist Mr. Costa Georgoulis (Greek
Conduct Vol. I. p. 145) and which is as follows:
In the list which we have of the works of Democritos, one of these
has the title of "competitive klepsydras" (Klepsydra was the ancient
water clock). This title has been characterised as being incomprehensible.
Philological chirurgical operations have attempted to rectify the ailing
passage. Since, however, on most occasions such philological rectifications
of ancient passages are results of interpretive weaknesses, in
spite of all the interpretations which were attempted this passage could
not produce a proper meaning. Lately the philologist H. Philippson
(Philippson Demokritea-Hermes T. 64-1928 p. 183), was able to
explain the passage without distorting the tradition. In accordance
with his interpretation the expression "competitive klepsydra" would
mean "Games which are held in agreement with the water clock". He
has the opinion that Democritos had invented a kind of water worked
instrument which gave the opportunity to the competitor to time with
accuracy the completion of the courses of the chariot racers and unners.
His dissertation with the title "competitive klepsydra" would
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