Ancient Greek City States: Sparta--Gymnopaedia Festival


Figure 1.--This is a ancient Greek bas-relief showing Spartan youngs engaged in the gymnopaedia. We are not sure where it was found. The depiction suggests ceremonial staging or dance more then competitive events. .

Several ancients texts describe the Spartan Gymnopaedia festival. The descriptions vary. The different references vary which could reflect varing levels of accuracy or changes to the festival over time. That the e Gymnopaedia was an important annual Spartan festival is clear. Just what transpired at the festival is less certain. The festival involved dances, sports, and other events. In later years, the dance seems particularly important. The festival was staged in the summer when the weather for outddor sports and dances was propitious. The festival was dedicated to the gods. Most sources mention Apollo, but other gods are also mentioned. We know that the tradition extendds well back in antiquity. The Spartans honored their defeat by Argos at Hysiai (about 668 BC). The purpose was to appease the gods and thus avoid another such defeat. No less a person than Plato in Athens praised the Spartan gymnopaedia explaining that the exercises and performances were an effective educational medium. The Spartans saw benefits to exercising in the summer heat. The athletic events and dancing staged in the summer heat combined musical grace and warrior stamina, seen as a useful comnination. There was a military look to the dancing. It is not entirely clear just where and for whom the rvents were staged. Nor is the nature of the events entirely clear. Here one can look at the general patten for such traditions in ancient Greece. Sports and sports festival throughout Greece were normally reserved for men and boys. They were gymnos, meaning naked. This explains the name of the Spartan festival. Men and boys were normally the spectators at these public events. Sparta was different than the rest if Greece. Several sources report that Spartan girls and women exercised publicly in the nude. Just who the spectators were is less clear. But modern authors suggest that the Spartan Gymnopaedia festival included women. Two separate festivals seem unlikely. So there may have well beem mixed events, most likely separate performances of male and female youth. The girls could thus demonstrarte their health and strength and this suitability for marriage and child birth. Other authors suggested that the Gymnopaedia was a way of promoting marriage, a serious concern in Sparta which would experience population decline. This was a serious problen in a military state. It should not be assumed that the sports were Olympic like events, They may have been more ceremonial than competitive.

Varying Accounts

Several ancients texts describe the Spartan Gymnopaedia festival. The descriptions vary. The different references vary which could reflect varing levels of accuracy or changes to the festival over time. That the e Gymnopaedia was an important annual Spartan festival is clear. Just what transpired at the festival is less certain. The festival involved dances, sports, and other events. In later years, the dance seems particularly important.

Name

The term "gymnopaedia" come from "gymnos" (naked) and "paidia". This word means "boys", but sometimes also indifferently "boys and girls".

Summer Festival

The festival was staged in the summer when the weather for outddor sports and dances was propitious.

Dedications

The festival was dedicated to the gods. Most sources mention Apollo, but other gods are also mentioned. We know that the tradition extendds well back in antiquity. The Spartans honored their defeat by Argos at Hysiai (about 668 BC). The purpose was to appease the gods and thus avoid another such defeat.

Greek Assessment

Sparta was not a city state that attracted much envy in ancient Freece, except for their martial descipline. The gymnopaedia seems to have been an exception. No less a person than Plato in Athens praised the Spartan gymnopaedia explaining that the exercises and performances were an effective educational medium.

Spartan View

The Spartans saw benefits to exercising in the summer heat. The athletic events and dancing staged in the summer heat combined musical grace and warrior stamina, seen as a useful comnination. There was a military look to the dancing.

The Festival

It is not entirely clear just where and for whom the events were staged. Nor is the nature of the events entirely clear. Here one can look at the general patten for such traditiions in ancient Greece. Sports and sports festival throughout Greece were normally reserved for men and boys. They were gymnos, meaning naked. Plutarch writes that Lycurgus "ordered that the young women should go naked in the processions, as well as the young men, and dance, too, in that condition, at certain solemn feasts, singing certain songs, whilst the young men stood around, seeing and hearing them." [Plutarch]

Spectators

Men and boys were also normally the spectators at these public events. Sparta was different than the rest if Greece. Several sources report that Spartan girls and women exercised publicly in the nude. Just who the spectators were is less clear. But modern authors suggest that the Spartan Gymnopaedia festival included women. Two separate festivals seem unlikely. So there may have well been mixed events, most likely separate performances of male and female youth. The girls could thus demonstrarte their health and strength and this suitability for marriage and child birth. Other authors suggested that the Gymnopaedia was a way of promoting marriage, a serious concern in Sparta which would experience population decline. This was a serious problen in a military state. It should not be assumed that the sports were Olympic like events, They may have been more ceremonial than competitive.

Sources

Plutarch. Life of Lycurgus.







HBC






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Created: 8:47 AM 3/18/2011
Last updated: 8:47 AM 3/18/2011