Painting of Greek Sprinters on Amphora
source: Wikimedia Commons
author: Jastrow
Description
A black painting on a Greek terracotta amphora depicts three nude Greek runners. One man is ahead of the other two and is looking back at them. Their limb positioning suggests they are sprinting, though it is possible they are competing in a race of longer distance.
Date
Artifact: c. 500 BC
Photo: 2007
Information
This Greek amphora painting, dated to approximately 500 BC, depicts three sprinting athletes. They were likely competing in either the stadion or diaulos races, as these were both sprints of one and two laps on the stadium track, respectively. (The dolichos, in contrast, was a long-distance endurance race.) The sprinters are nude, as was common practice for athletes competing in Panhellenic games such as the Olympic Games, as well as during training in the gymnasium.
At the time of photograph, this amphora was housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Related Articles
Greek Stadion (Race) | Greek Diaulos (Race) | Greek Dolichos (Race) | Greek Stadium | Greek Gymnasium | Ancient Olympic Games | Panhellenic Games
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Miller, S. G. (2006). Ancient Greek athletics. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Findling, J. E., & Pelle, K. D. (2004). Encyclopedia of the modern Olympic movement. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
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