82:), magistrates chosen specifically for the purpose of establishing and maintaining public games. The method of selection depended on the type of government of the founding state. Different states might give particular names to the agonothetes of particular games; for example, the agonothetes of the Pythian games at Athens were called athlothetes. As Athens was a democracy, they were democratically elected. The origin of the agonothetes of the Olympic games is lost in prehistory. The legendary Hercules, founder of the games in Doric legend, would have been the first legendary agonothete. However that may be, the agonothetes of the historical Olympic games were the Hellanodikai. Originally, perhaps, if only in legend, there may have been only one
262:
185:
was to supervise the training of the athletes, where they selected those who were well trained, rejecting those who were not performing at a satisfactory level. The trainers for the individual athletes had to be present, but could not intervene or they were punished accordingly. They evaluated each
165:
were renowned for their fairness, and the public held them in high regard. While bribery and cheating among the athletes was commonplace, there was only one recorded case of corruption among the judges, where a
186:
athlete on behaviour, character and morality, as well as the more standard attributes such as power, stamina, and resistance. Those that were approved were entered into a special list called the
46:, and the success of the games was attributed to their efforts. It was their sacred duty to maintain the standards and legacy of the games, as well as uphold the rules.
210:
and event that took place, having the honour of presenting the crowns and palm branches to the winners. They were also expected to police the games.
86:, but this expanded, reaching as high as twelve members and then settling on ten in 348 BC. They supervised individual events, with a senior
233:
245:
281:
178:
were no longer allowed to participate in the games, and this remained the only blemish on their otherwise impeccable record.
286:
133:
266:
63:
23:
43:
148:(νομοφύλακες, meaning 'guardians of the law') in the rules and regulations of the olympic games.
214:
109:, but this was changed, and an Elean from each of the ruling families were elected as a
275:
171:
137:
105:, as Elis was responsible for the running of the Olympics. Originally the post was
102:
59:
106:
118:
261:
207:
114:
213:
Two days before the games, the athletes who were eligible left Elis for
199:
39:
68:
28:
206:
also were the general organisers, and were present at every
140:
trained in preparation for the games. While staying at the
58:
was a type of Greek public official termed generally the
128:
lived in a specially made building in Elis, called the
101:
were handpicked from people living in the region of
248:Perseus Digital Library Project, Tufts University.
121:took place for each of the subsequent games.
8:
217:, in a procession led by the Hellanodikai.
124:In the ten months preceding the games, the
226:
7:
14:
174:events. To remain impartial, the
132:. This building was close to the
113:. Their post only lasted for one
260:
234:"Ancient Judges (Hellanodikai)".
38:; sing. Ἑλλανοδίκας ) were the
1:
236:Retrieved November 14, 2004.
144:, they were trained by the
62:(English transliteration),
303:
69:
67:
29:
27:
198:Besides being judges and
94:Selection and Training
282:Ancient Olympic Games
269:at Wikimedia Commons
246:Pindar, Olympian 3.12
181:Another task for the
44:Ancient Olympic Games
34:, literally meaning
287:Ancient Greek titles
36:Judges of the Greeks
265:Media related to
294:
264:
249:
243:
237:
231:
90:as an overseer.
73:
72:
71:
33:
32:
31:
302:
301:
297:
296:
295:
293:
292:
291:
272:
271:
258:
253:
252:
244:
240:
232:
228:
223:
196:
159:
154:
96:
80:game organisers
52:
12:
11:
5:
300:
298:
290:
289:
284:
274:
273:
257:
256:External links
254:
251:
250:
238:
225:
224:
222:
219:
195:
192:
158:
155:
153:
150:
142:Hellanodikaion
130:Hellanodikaion
95:
92:
51:
48:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
299:
288:
285:
283:
280:
279:
277:
270:
268:
263:
255:
247:
242:
239:
235:
230:
227:
220:
218:
216:
211:
209:
205:
201:
193:
191:
189:
184:
179:
177:
173:
169:
164:
156:
151:
149:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
122:
120:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
93:
91:
89:
85:
81:
77:
65:
64:Ancient Greek
61:
57:
49:
47:
45:
41:
37:
25:
24:Ancient Greek
21:
20:
267:Hellanodikai
259:
241:
229:
212:
204:Hellanodikai
203:
197:
187:
183:Hellanodikai
182:
180:
176:Hellanodikai
175:
168:Hellanodikas
167:
163:Hellanodikai
162:
160:
146:nomophylakes
145:
141:
129:
126:Hellanodikai
125:
123:
111:Hellanodikas
110:
99:Hellanodikai
98:
97:
88:Hellanodikas
87:
84:Hellanodikas
83:
79:
75:
56:Hellanodikas
55:
53:
35:
19:Hellanodikai
18:
17:
15:
190:(λεύκωμα).
78:, meaning
76:Agōnothetai
60:agonothetes
30:Ἑλλανοδίκαι
276:Categories
221:References
172:equestrian
136:where the
134:gymnasiums
107:hereditary
70:Ἀγωνοθέται
157:Judgement
119:elections
208:ceremony
170:won two
152:Function
138:athletes
115:Olympiad
215:Olympia
200:umpires
188:leukoma
50:History
42:of the
202:, the
194:Ritual
117:, and
40:judges
161:The
103:Elis
54:One
16:The
278::
74:,
66::
26::
22:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
