Themis, a study of the social origins of Greek ... - Warburg Institute

234 The Origin of the Olympic Games [ch.
to the full moon 1 . The
festival was conducted by a college of
Karneatai, young, unmarried men, who were chosen, five from
each tribe (?), and held office for four years 2—a period which
seems to indicate that this annual festival was held with especial
splendour once in each penteteris.
The rite which specially concerns us is the race of the
were young men, chosen from among
Staphylodromoi 3 . These
the Karneatai ; their title was derived from the clustered vinebranches
which they carried in their hands. One of their number
decked himself with garlands and ran, ' praying for a blessing on
the city ' ; the rest pursued him. If he was overtaken, it was
supposed to bring good luck ; if not, the reverse.
The race here takes a different form from those we have been
concerned with— probably an older form 4 , which did not degenerate
into a mere athletic competition. The young man, decked with
garlands and perhaps also disguised with the skin of a beast so as
to be the ' mumming representative of a daimon 5 ,' embodies the
luck of the year, which will be captured or lost, according as
the youth is overtaken or escapes. His connection with the fruits
of the year is marked by the vine-clusters ; and it does not
surprise us to find that at Cyrene the festival of Apollo Karneios
was celebrated with the slaughter of many bulls, and that his
altars were decorated ' in spring with all the flowers the Horae
bring when the west wind blows laden with dew, and in winter
1 Eur. Alk. 448,
"LirapTq. kvk\os aviKa Kapvelov irepLvloceTaL upas
firjvbs, deipoLievas Travvvxov creXdvas.
For the Karneia see S. Wide, Lakonische Kulte, p. 73 ff., Nilsson, Gr. Feste,
p. 118 ff. •
2 Hesych. napvearaL' ot aya/xoi' KeKXrjpu/j.e'voL be ini rr)v tov Kapvelov Xeirovpyiav '
irevre be d(p' eKao~T7)s < eirl Terpaeriav eXeLrovpyovv.
3 Bekk. Anecd. I. p. 305 (TTav Kapvelwv eoprrpi ariiLfiaTd
tls Trepide'/Aevos rpexet. eTrevx6p-evos tl ttj 7ro\ei xprjaTov, eTridiwKovcri 8e avrbv v£oi,
0~Ta