ABSTRACT

In ancient Greece there were four main panhellenic festivals which involved athletic, musical and equestrian competitions: the Olympia, Pythia, Isthmia and Nemea, in descending order of importance. These were the sacred contests (agones hieroi), also called the crown contests (agones stephanitai), where the reward for the victor was a wreath ('crown') rather than money or material prizes. These four main festivals occurred on a regular cycle. The Olympia was a penteteric event, that is, occurring every four years (the Greeks counted inclusively, and penteteric means every fifth year); the festival took place in mid-summer, and coincided with the rising of the full moon. 1 The period from one celebration of the Olympia to the next was known as an Olympiad, and was often used for dating events. For example, the time for renewing treaties could be tied to festivals: the alliance between Athens and Argos in 420 was to be renewed thirty days before the Olympic festival, and ten days before the Great Panathenaia. Several copies of the treaty were to be set up, with one at Olympia.2 The Pythia was also celebrated every four years, in the third year of an Olympic cycle, and the Nemea and Isthmia occurred every two years, so the cycle was as follows:

Year 1

Year 2 Year 3

Year 4

Isthmia (April/May) Olympia Guly/ August) Nemea Guly/ August) Isthmia (April/May) Pythia Guly/ August) Nemea Guly/ August).