Attic black-figure kylix depicting athletes
Both exterior sides of the kylix feature similar palaestra scenes. Young athletes are standing still or gesticulating among youths dressed in himatia. One of the athletes is holding a discus, another one is preparing to execute the long jump with the help of the halteres (jumping-weights), while a third one is binding his hands with leather thongs, in order to box.
Discus-throwing and long jump, along with dromos (foot-race), javelin and wrestling had been included since 708 BC (18th Olympiad) in the pentathlon, the oldest composite event of the Olympic Games. Boxing, which belonged to the heavy events, was introduced a little later, in 688 BC (23rd Olympiad).
- Athens, National Archaeological Museum, inv. n. A 445
- Ca 550 – 540 BC
- H. 0.137 m. Diam. 0.24 m.
- Clay
- Provenance: Exarchos in Locris
Bibliography
- Callipolitis-Feytmans, D. (1986). Les coupes attiques à figures noires du VIe siècle Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum. Grèce, fasc. 3, Athènes, Musée National.
- Kaltsas, N. (Ed.), (2004). Agon. National Archaeological Museum 15 July – 31 October 2004, 188, no. 77, (in St. Fritzilas), Athens: Ministry of Culture.
- Tzachou-Alexandri, O. (Ed.), (1989). Mind and Body. Athletic Contests in ancient Greece, 154, no. 42, (in R. Proskynitopoulou), Athens: Ministry of Culture.
