ABSTRACT
T he earliest documented poetry prizes date from the later sixthcentury B.C., when festivals of music, poetry, and drama began to be widespread in the cities of east-central Greece (the ancient district of Attica). These festal gatherings were routinely organized in the form of contests or competitions, with poets, playwrights, dramatic troupes, or musical performers competing against one another for prizes awarded by juries. The emphasis was on performance; competing poets were judged not only on the strength of a particular composition, but on the quality of its recitation at the festival.
