Sexual life in ancient Greece : with thirty-two full-page plates

NATIONAL FESTIVALS

only a simple crown from branches of the olivetree, which—characteristic of the sentiment of the Greeks—a handsome boy, whose parents were still living, for whom the Greek invented the beautiful word “blooming on both sides” (adcfadyjs), was obliged to cut with a golden knife from the sacred tree of the garland of fame. Men fought simply for honour and fame, and ‘an Olympian victor”, in the words of Cicero, ‘““was honoured amongst the Greeks almost more than a triumphant general at Rome.” ‘“ The crowns were exhibited on a table made of gold and ivory in the temple of Zeus before the image of the god. Here, at the feet of the god who bestowed victory, also stood the seats of the MHellanodike, who distributed the prizes. The victors appeared, accompanied by friends, relatives, and a crowd of people, which, so far as space permitted, pressed into the halls and galleries of the temple. Then the name and birth-place of every victor was again called out by the herald, a woollen bandage (tenia) was wound round his head by one of the Hellanodikee and the crown of victory placed upon it.

Sacred hymns, says Pindar (Olympia, iii, 10), are wafted over the world in honour of any man for whom the strict Aitolian umpire, in accordance with the olden ordinances of Heracles, ‘ flingeth o'er his brow and on his hair the grey-hued adornment of the olive-spray.’ After this, those who had been crowned proceeded with their friends to offer sacrifice there: at the same time songs of victory burst forth from the choirs that accompanied them; these were sometimes prepared by a friendly poet for the particular occasion, but, in the absence of such, an old song of Archilochus in celebration of the victorious Heracles and his companion Jolaus was usually sung :—

Hail to thee in the garland of victory, mighty Heracles, Hail, Iclaus, hail to the noble pair of fighters, Tra-la-la, hail to the victor.

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