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the participants brought. The culmination of this ceremony was the
slaughter of the victim at the edge of the pit and the total consumption
of its flesh by the fire. We have no record to show whether this nightly
celebration preceded the athletic performances or formed the gala celebration
at the end of the games. There would have been processions
by priest and other officials decked in the colorful garments of their
office and by the athletes themselves. If held at the end of the games,
the victors in the several events would be carrying palm branches in
in their hands, their heads wreathed with pine or celery. A hero's welcome,
sometimes enhanced by material rewards, awaited the winners
upon their return to their native cities. At the Isthmian, as at the Olympic
Games, no such prizes were offered; the victor's crown was the coveted
distinction.
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