Kylix Painting of a Greek Pentathlete
source: Wikimedia Commons
author: Jastrow
Description
A kylix (Greek drinking cup) bears a painting of a nude pentathlete posing within a circle. He holds a javelin in his left hand and stands near several items used in the pentathlon, including a pair of halteres and a discus bag. A mattock, used to soften the skamma pit for the long jump and palé (wrestling), sits near his feet.
Date
Artifact: c. 490 BC
Photo: 2006
Information
This painting depicts an ancient Greek pentathlete, as indicated by several symbols of the pentathlon in the same illustration. A javelin, discus bag, and a pair of halteres can be seen here, used for the javelin throw, discus toss, and long jump, respectively. A mattock used to soften the skamma pit (used for the long jump and wrestling) is pictured as well. The stadion sprint is not represented here. The pentathlon itself was featured in the ancient Olympic Games and other Panhellenic festivals.
At the time of photograph, this artifact was housed in the Petit Palais, an art Museum in Paris, France.
Related Articles
Greek Pentathlon | Greek Discus | Greek Javelin | Greek Halteres | Greek Stadion | Greek Palé (Wreslting) | Ancient Olympic Games | Panhellenic Games
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Zarnowski, F. (2013). The pentathlon of the ancient world. McFarland.
Miller, S. G. (2006). Ancient Greek athletics. New Haven: Yale University Press.
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