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Within a short summary of 22 rhapsodies are described, so
that we are led to Patroclus' funeral and the games that are held
during it. An amount of boilers, tripods, horses, mules, strong
oxen, women with beautiful belts and white iron was brought
from the ships as prizes.
In the Homeric Funeral Competitions participated actively only
the Achaean leaders, who would take the prizes. The common
warriors were present and they were sitted in a circle, like spectators.
The persons who were in mourning did not take part, in
this case Achilles, who played the role of the referee and sponsor.
The first competition was the chariot race. Homer described it
with a lot of details, because this was the favourite sport of the
time aristocrats. Boxing, wrestling, running, armed fight, discus
throwing and archery were the disciplines of these games. The
javelin competition did not take place. The participation of King
Agamemnon, who was above everyone, presupposed his victory.
Every time, every story has an end, so I could not resist to
the temptation to tell what happened in the last rhapsody ù Iliad
ends with the words;
"Like that they buried Hector the excited horse fighter".
" Έτσι τον έθαψαν τον Έκτορα, τον γαύρο αλογοµάχο"
The characteristics of the games
An amount of athletical values concentrated in Homer's verses,
as sport had been of the most beautiful parts of the Ancient
Greek Culture. His grandeur is much more obvious, if we make
a comparison with the present situation in sport.
The spectators in the funeral competitions showed admiration
and admirable spirit during the whole games and they cheered
all the athletes without any exception.
The sponsor and organizator Achilles was mild, friendly, polite
and magnanimous with all the participants. For each one of them
he had a good word to say.
At the funeral competitions took part only the nobles, the representatives
of all the King Houses and Greek races. The athletes
in contrast with our time, or the classical time, did not represent
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