Today, December 11th, 2009, the Pan-Hellenic equestrian games in Athens were canceled due to ‘bad weather’…This article taken from the book OLYMPICA HIPPICA [Euandros editions, 2004] is intended to demonstrate how our modern ‘archons’ and ‘presidents’ of Greek equitation have taken a giant step backwards…
Enjoy. And have a nice holiday.
T. G. Antikas, DVM, PhD
There is an old ‘myth’, according to which no woman was allowed to cross the Alpheios River and enter into Olympia, and that only one woman, named Kallipateira [or Pherenike] broke that rule in ancient Greece, by disguising herself as a man-trainer [paidotribes]. This ‘no woman rule’ of the Eleans is a false myth, since it only applied to married women but not to girls [virgins], who held their own festival honoring goddess Hera, called ‘Heraia’ that took place every four years, either before or after the ‘men only’ Olympic festival.
In addition to the Heraia, there have been at least 12 women victors at the hippodrome of Olympia and elsewhere, all in the HIPPIKA, ie, the equestrian contests, at which the olive wreaths were awarded to the owners/breeders of the horses but not to the jockeys or charioteers. This very ancient habit applies until today of course. Simply, many intelligent women discovered the ‘flaw in the law’, and brought home the crown.
It is hoped that this article, taken from OLYMPICA HIPPICA [Antikas TG, Euandros editions 2004] will help belie the old ‘myth’ that was unfortunately ‘revived’ in Athens-2004 due to misinformed sportscasters and journalists, Greek or foreign…
T.G. Antikas, PhD
FEI veterinarian
This article, taken from OLYMPICA HIPPICA [Antikas TG, Euandros editions, Athens 2004], has the purpose of clarifying some enigmas re. the coronation of victors in the equestrian contests at Olympia, the so-called ‘amateurism’, the time and site where ceremonies were held, etc. Enjoy!
T. G. Antikas, PhD
FEI Veterinarian
This article taken from the book OLYMPICA HIPPICA [Antikas TG, Euandros editions, Athens 2004], refers to the ‘horse-terrorizer mechanism’ [a.k.a Taraxippos] found at Olympia’s hippodrome according to Pausanias, who visited Elis around 173 CE. Such ‘frightening’ mechanisms were also found in other racetracks [e.g at Nemea] but the Taraxippos at Olympia was the most scary of all.
I hypothesize that the smart Elians had placed the mechanism on purpose, in order to ‘diagnose’ which stallions, mares, colts and fillies–and which charioteers or anabatai–were ‘fearless’, thus deserving a victory.
I may be wrong of course.
T. G. Antikas, PhD
FEI veterinarian
This article taken from OLYMPICA HIPPICA [Antikas TG, Euandros editions, Athens 2004] describes interesting details o the ‘nauagia’ [shipwrecks], i.e. the chariot accidents at Olympia and elsewhere. Ancient authors used this nautical term because they claimed that driving a chariot was equivalent to ‘piloting’ a ship [see Iliad 23, where King Nestor advises his son Telemachos on how to race his chariot at the athla for Patroklos. Telemachos came second, but he…cheated!]
Enjoy.
T.G. Antikas, PhD
FEI Veterinarian
Taken from T. G. Antikas, ‘OLYMPICA HIPPICA’, Euandros editions, Athens 2004.
Enjoy.
