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46-556: The Panathenaic festival was formed in order to honor the goddess Athena who had become the patron of Athens after having a competition with the god Poseidon where they were to win the favor of the Athenian people by offering the people gifts. The festival would also bring unity among the people of Athens. The attempted assassination of the tyrants Hippias and Hipparchus during the Panathenaea in 514 BC by Harmodius and Aristogeiton

92-406: A clear warning concerning his fate in a dream. Harmodius was killed on the spot by spearmen of Hipparchus' guards, while Aristogeiton was arrested shortly thereafter. Upon being told of the event, Hippias, feigning calm, ordered the marching Greeks to lay down their ceremonial weapons and to gather at an indicated spot. All those with concealed weapons or under suspicion were arrested, gaining Hippias

138-658: A respite from the uprising. Thucydides' identification of Hippias as the two's purported main target, rather than Hipparchus who was Aristogeiton's rival erastes , has been suggested as a possible indication of bias on his part. Aristotle in the Constitution of Athens preserves a tradition that Aristogeiton died only after being tortured in the hope that he would reveal the names of the other conspirators. During his ordeal, personally overseen by Hippias, he feigned willingness to betray his co-conspirators, claiming only Hippias' handshake as guarantee of safety. Upon receiving

184-428: Is a fragment that bears the name Hippodamas of 375/4 BC, however, which may also be a panathenaic, and Beazley suggests there may be a preceding one, Pythokles of 392/1. As the century progressed, the profile of the vases became elongated and the decoration more mannered. The last known dated vase is from 312/11, although production continues into the third and second centuries, the archons are no longer named, instead,

230-508: Is illustrative of attitudes to pederasty in ancient Greece . Both Thucydides and Herodotus describe the two as lovers, their love affair was styled as moderate (sophron) and legitimate (dikaios) . Further confirming the status of the two as paragons of pederastic ethics, a domain forbidden to slaves, a law was passed prohibiting slaves from being named after the two heroes. The story continued to be cited as an admirable example of heroism and devotion for many years. In 346 BC, for example,

276-568: Is the one which served as template for the group we possess today, which was found in the ruins of Hadrian's villa and is now in Naples . According to Arrian , when Alexander the Great conquered the Persian empire, in 330, he discovered the statue at Susa and had it shipped back to Athens. When the statue, on its journey back, arrived at Rhodes it was given divine honors. Several comments of

322-641: The History of the Peloponnesian War (VI, 56–59) by Thucydides , and The Constitution of the Athenians (XVIII) attributed to Aristotle or his school. However, their story is documented by a great many other ancient writers, including important sources such as Herodotus and Plutarch . Herodotus claimed that Harmodius and Aristogeiton presumably were "Gephyraeans" ( el ) i.e. Boeotians of Syrian or Phoenician origin. Plutarch, in his book On

368-587: The Spartan king Cleomenes I forced Hippias to go into exile, thereby opening the way to the subsequent democratic reforms of Cleisthenes . The Athenian democrats later celebrated Harmodius and Aristogeiton as national heroes, partially to conceal the role played by Sparta in the removal of the Athenian tyranny. Cleisthenes notably commissioned the famous statues of the Tyrannicides . The two principal historical sources covering Harmodius and Aristogeiton are

414-609: The Elder , it was erected in the Kerameikos in 509, as part of a cenotaph of the heroes. However, a far more probable location is in the Agora at Athens, and many later authors such as Pausanius and Timaeus attest to this. Annual offerings (enagismata) were presented there by the polemarch , the Athenian minister of war. There it stood alone as special laws prohibited the erection of any other statues in their vicinity. Upon its base

460-628: The Games included a reading of epic poetry by early poets such as Homer , Pindar and Hesiod . The athletic events were staged at the Panathenaic Stadium , which is still in use today. In 1865, Evangelis Zappas left a vast fortune in his will with instructions to excavate and refurbish the ancient Panathenaic stadium so that modern Olympic Games could be held every four years "in the manner of our ancestors". The Panathenaic Stadium has hosted Zappas Olympics in 1870 , and 1875 , as well as

506-773: The Olympics which awarded the winner with only a crown. Award ceremonies included the giving of Panathenaic amphorae , which were large ceramic vessels containing olive oil given as a prize. The winner of the chariot race received as a prize one-hundred and forty Panathenaic amphorae full of olive oil. In the myth of the Minotaur , Minos ' son Androgeus is killed during the Panathenaic Games. Some accounts, like Pseudo-Apollodorus 's Bibliotheca , state he won and his jealous competitors ambushed and murdered him. Others, such as Graeciae Descriptio by Pausanias , say he

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552-470: The ancients regarding the statue have come down to us. When asked, in the presence of Dionysius , the tyrant of Syracuse , which type of bronze was the best, Antiphon the Sophist replied, That of which the Athenians made the statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton." Lycurgus , in his oration against Leocrates, asserts that In the rest of Greece you will find statues erected in the public places to

598-419: The black figure style had fallen out of fashion. Some Panathenaic amphorae depicted Athena Promachos , goddess of war, advancing between columns brandishing a spear and wearing the aegis , and next to her the inscription τῶν Ἀθήνηθεν ἄθλων "(one) of the prizes from Athens" . On the back of the vase was a representation of the event for which it was an award. Sometimes roosters are depicted perched on top of

644-405: The city. Cecropia effictam quam cernis in arce Leaenam, Harmodii (an nescis hospes?) amica fuit. Sic animum placuit monstrare viraginis acrem More ferae, nomen vel quia tale tulit. Quòd fidibus contorta, suo non prodidit ullum Indicio, elinguem reddidit Iphicrates. Panathenaic amphora Panathenaic amphorae were the amphorae , large ceramic vessels, that contained

690-501: The columns. The significance of the roosters remains a mystery. Later amphorae also had that year's archon 's name written on it making finds of those vases archaeologically important. The vases were commissioned by the state from the leading pottery workshops of the day in large numbers. Their canonical shape was set by 530 BC, but the earliest known example is the Burgon vase (British Museum, B130), which depicts Athena's owl nestling on

736-417: The conquerors in the games, but amongst you they are dedicated only to good generals, and to those who have destroyed tyrants. Other sculptors made statues of the heroes, such as Praxiteles , who made two, also of bronze. The statue group has been seen, in modern times, as an invitation to identify erotically and politically with the figures, and to become oneself a tyrannicide. According to Andrew Stewart,

782-593: The custom of bearing weapons was introduced later, by the democracy. Seeing one of the co-conspirators greet Hippias in a friendly manner on the assigned day, the two thought themselves betrayed and rushed into action, ruining the carefully laid plans. They managed to kill Hipparchus, stabbing him to death as he was organizing the Panathenaean processions at the foot of the Acropolis . Herodotus expresses surprise at this event, asserting that Hipparchus had received

828-552: The falchion wear, For thus the patriot sword Harmodius and Aristogiton bare, When they the tyrant's bosom gored; When in Minerva's festal rite They closed Hipparchus' eyes in night. Harmodius' praise, Aristogiton's name, Shall bloom on earth with undecaying fame; Who with the myrtle-wreathed sword The tyrant's bosom gored, And bade the men of Athens be Regenerate in equality. The story of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, and its treatment by later Greek writers,

874-556: The festival came to be known were part of the Great Panathenaia , a much larger religious occasion. These ritual observances consisted of numerous sacrifices to Athena (the namesake of the event and patron deity to the hosts of the event) as well as Poseidon and others. The Lesser Panathenaia, a sister-event to the Great Panathenaia, was held every year with 3 to 4 days shorter in celebration. The competitions were

920-416: The games went based on the order of prizes which were written on the marble block. Wrestling and discus were also included in the contest. The musical events which took place were Kithara players, Flute players, and singers. The athletic events were the stadion, pentathlon, wrestling, boxing, and pankration. The equestrian events were two-horse chariot race, horse race, and javelin throw on horseback. Based on

966-439: The inscription, we learn that the prizes given to the men and the youth were different. Men were rewarded a certain amount of drachmas and/or a valuable crown worth a certain amount of drachmas. Boys and youths were given a certain number of amphorae of olive oil. The Panathenaic games were a chrematitic ('monetary') event where the winner would take home prizes with a monetary value, as opposed to stephanitic ('crowned') games like

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1012-682: The king Cleomenes I , in 510. This was followed by the reforms of Cleisthenes , who established a democracy in Athens. Subsequent history came to identify the figures of Harmodius and Aristogeiton as martyrs to the cause of Athenian freedom, possibly for political and class reasons, and they became known as "the Liberators" ( eleutherioi ) and "the Tyrannicides" ( tyrannophonoi ). According to later writers, descendants of Harmodius and Aristogeiton's families were given hereditary privileges, such as sitesis (the right to take meals at public expense in

1058-459: The malice of Herodotus , criticized Herodotus for prejudice and misrepresentation and he argued that Harmodius and Aristogeiton were Euboeans or Eretrians . Peisistratus had become tyrant of Athens after his third attempt in 546/7 BC. In Archaic Greece, the term tyrant did not connote malevolence. A tyrant was one who had seized power and ruled outside of a state's constitutional law. When Peisistratus died in 528/7 BC, his son Hippias took

1104-515: The modern Olympic Games in 1896 and 2004 . The stadium also hosted the 1906 Intercalated Games . The Panathenaic Games held contests in a number of musical, athletic, and equestrian events. Due to the fact that there were so many contests held, the games usually lasted a little over a week. On a fourth century marble block, experts explain that on the block is written a program for the games, as well as individual events and their prizes. The inscription also says that there are two age categories for

1150-468: The most prestigious games for the citizens of Athens, but not as important as the Olympic Games or the other Panhellenic Games. The Panathenaea also included poetic and musical competitions. Prizes were awarded for rhapsodic recitation of Homeric poetry, for instrumental music on the aulus and cithara , and for singing to the accompaniment of the aulus and cithara ( citharody ). In addition,

1196-680: The music events but three age categories for the athletic events. According to scholars, the age groups are boys: 12–16; beardless youths: 16–20; men: over 20. One thing that was different about these games than normal funeral games is that prizes were given to runners-up, not just the lone victor. Using the inscription, experts put together a general program like so: Day 1: Musical and Rhapsodic Contest; Day 2: Athletic Contest for Boys and Youths; Day 3: Athletic Contest for Men; Day 4: Equestrian Contest; Day 5: Tribal Contest; Day 6: Torch Race and Sacrifice; Day 7: Boat Race; Day 8: Awarding of Prizes, Feasting and Celebrations. Experts reasonably came up with how

1242-428: The names of the other conspirators – until she died. One version of her story holds that previous to being tortured she had bitten off her tongue, afraid that her resolve would break from the pain of the torture. Another is that the Athenians, unwilling to honour a courtesan, placed a statue of a lioness without a tongue in the vestibule of the Acropolis simply to honor her fortitude in maintaining silence. The statue

1288-416: The neck of the vase and on the reverse is a synoris team. This may mean that the vase predates the festival's reorganization in 566 since it is not an athletic event. The cock column is first seen on a panathenaic by Exekias (Karlsruhe 65.45). By the early fourth century the inclusion of the archon's name appears on these vases, the earliest almost intact one being Asteios 373/2 BC. (Oxford, 1911.257). There

1334-523: The olive oil given as a prize in the Panathenaic Games . Some were ten imperial gallons (12 US gal; 45 L) and 60–70 cm (24–28 in) high. This oil came from the sacred grove of Athena at Akademia . The amphorae which held it had the distinctive form of tight handles, narrow neck and feet, and they were decorated with consistent symbols, in a standard form using the black figure technique, and continued to be so, long after

1380-417: The patriot sword Harmodius and Aristogiton bare, When they the tyrant's bosom gored, And bade the men of Athens be Regenerate in equality. Oh! beloved Harmodius! never Shall death be thine, who liv'st for ever. Thy shade, as men have told, inherits The islands of the blessed spirits, Where deathless live the glorious dead, Achilles fleet of foot, and Diomed. In myrtles veil'd will I

1426-458: The politician Timarchus was prosecuted (for political reasons) on the grounds that he had prostituted himself as a youth. The orator who defended him, Demosthenes , cited Harmodius and Aristogeiton, as examples of the beneficial effects of same-sex relationships. Aeschines offers them as an example of dikaios erōs, "just love", and as proof of the boons such love brings to lovers – who were both improved by love beyond all praise – as well as to

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1472-501: The position of Archon and became the new tyrant of Athens, with the help of his brother, Hipparchus, who acted as the minister of culture. The two continued their father's policies, but their popularity declined after Hipparchus began to abuse the power of his position. Thucydides offers this explanation for Harmodios and Aristogeiton's actions in Book VI: Hipparchus approached Harmodius with amorous intentions. Harmodius

1518-424: The removal of their tyranny to Sparta. After the establishment of democracy, Cleisthenes commissioned the sculptor Antenor to produce a bronze statue group of Harmodius and Aristogeiton . It was the first commission of its kind, and the very first statue to be paid for out of public funds, as the two were the first Greeks considered by their countrymen worthy of having statues raised to them. According to Pliny

1564-503: The statue not only placed the homoerotic bond at the core of Athenian political freedom, but asserted that it and the manly virtues (aretai) of courage, boldness and self-sacrifice that it generated were the only guarantors of that freedom’s continued existence. The configuration of the group is duplicated on a painted vase, a Panathenaic amphora from 400, and on a bas-relief on the Elgin throne, dated to ca. 300. Another tribute to

1610-414: The town hall), ateleia (exemption from certain religious duties), and proedria (front-row seats in the theater). A number of years after the event, it had become a received tradition among the Athenians to believe that Hipparchus was the elder of the brothers, and to fashion him as the tyrant. The story of the tyrannicides was heavily promoted by the Athenians in order to erase the embarrassment of owing

1656-502: The treasurers and stewards of the games are recorded in their place. Some vases were used as grave goods by the families of the victors, some were dedicated to sanctuaries, and still others sold, hence their wide distribution in the Greek world. The survival rate of Greek pottery as a whole may be calculated from the remnant of panathenaic amphorae that exist. After approximately 350 BC at least 1,450 vases were awarded every four years in

1702-433: The two heroes was a hymn ( skolion ) praising them for restoring isonomia (equal distribution of justice) to the Athenians. The skolion may be referred to 500 BC or thereabouts, and is ascribed to Callistratus, an Athenian poet known only for this work. It is preserved by Athenaeus . Its popularity was such that at every banquet , nay, in the streets and in the meanest assembly of the common people, that convivial ode

1748-497: The tyranny. Harmodios and Aristogeiton successfully killed Hipparchus during the 514 BC Panathenaia, but Hippias survived and remained in power. In the four years between Hipparchus' assassination and the deposition of the Peisistratids, Hippias became an increasingly oppressive tyrant. According to Aristotle, it was Thessalos , the hot-headed son of Peisistratus' Argive concubine , and thus half-brother to Hipparchus, who

1794-425: The tyrant's hand he is reputed to have berated him for shaking the hand of his own brother's murderer, upon which the tyrant wheeled and struck him down on the spot. Likewise, there is a later tradition that Aristogeiton (or Harmodius) was in love with a courtesan (see hetaera ) by the name of Leæna (Λέαινα – meaning lioness ) who also was kept by Hippias under torture – in a vain attempt to force her to divulge

1840-480: Was daily sung, When sung, the singer would hold a branch of myrtle in his hand. This ode has been translated by many modern poets such as Edgar Allan Poe , who composed his Hymn to Aristogeiton and Harmodius in 1827. The following translation was judged to be the best and most faithful of a number of versions attempted in Victorian England. In myrtles veil'd will I the falchion wear, For thus

1886-554: Was inscribed a verse by the poet Simonides : A marvelous great light shone upon Athens when Aristogeiton and Harmodios slew Hipparchus. The statue was taken as war booty in 480 BC by Xerxes I during the early Greco-Persian Wars and installed by him at Susa . As soon as the Greeks vanquished the Persians at Salamis , a new statue was commissioned. It was sculpted this time by Kritios and Nesiotes, and set up in 477/476 BC. It

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1932-443: Was made by the sculptor Amphicrates. Pausanias alleges that it was in her honor that Athenian statues of Aphrodite began from then on to be accompanied by stone lionesses. Leæna's story, however, is only told in later antiquity sources and is likely spurious. His brother's murder led Hippias to establish an even stricter tyranny, which proved very unpopular and was overthrown, after an intervention of an army from Sparta led by

1978-566: Was often regarded as the birth of Athenian democracy. As the birthplace of Athena is Lake Tritonis in North Africa, Athenians did not contest North Africans to also participate in the Panathenaic games since they considered them to have a similar culture of that of Hellenists, one example of this is prince Mastanabal of Numidia the son of Masinissa , who won for Numidia 4 gold Medals in chariot racing. The competitions for which

2024-561: Was the eromenos (younger lover) of Aristogeiton. Harmodius rejected Hipparchus and told Aristogeiton what had happened. Hipparchus, spurned, invited Harmodius' young sister to be the kanephoros (to carry the ceremonial offering basket) at the Panathenaea festival, then publicly chased her away on the pretext she was not a virgin, as required, causing shame on Harmodius' family. With his lover Aristogeiton, Harmodius resolved to assassinate both Hippias and Hipparchus and thus to overthrow

2070-505: Was the one to court Harmodius and drive off his sister. The plot – to be carried out by means of daggers hidden in the ceremonial myrtle wreaths on the occasion of the Panathenaic Games – involved a number of other co-conspirators. Thucydides claims that this day was chosen because during the Panathenaic festival, it was customary for the citizens taking part in the procession to go armed, while carrying weapons on any other day would have been suspicious. Aristotle disagrees, asserting that

2116-568: Was trampled to death by a mad bull . Harmodius and Aristogeiton Harmodius ( Greek : Ἁρμόδιος, Harmódios ) and Aristogeiton (Ἀριστογείτων, Aristogeíton ; both died 514 BC) were two lovers in Classical Athens who became known as the Tyrannicides (τυραννόκτονοι, tyrannoktonoi ) for their assassination of Hipparchus , the brother of the tyrant Hippias , for which they were executed. A few years later, in 510 BC,

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