CLST 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Olympic Truce, Sherd, Isthmian Games
15 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Human Obligations, Values and Concerns
Friday October 7, 2016 WEEK 4
Agon = competition to the extreme of your abilities
- Friends vs enemies
- The public eye
Honour and shame:
- Material gifts
- Honour, public acclaim (time) (line on the e)
- Reciprocated awards
Ajax is the strongest of the Greeks after Achilles.
- He brings Achilles body after he dies
- He thinks that since he brought Achilles home, that he will get his armour
- The officials give the armour to Odeysseus (he was friends with Ajax)
- Ajax gets angry and destructive
- He plans on killing all the leaders who didn’t give him what he deserved
- He kills some sheep
- Then he kills himself
- He has a disproportionate sense of honour
- He doesn’t know how to control himself
The right arenas to compete for honour:
- Athletic competitions and other contests – included poetry, music, dance – rather than
war
- This was better than war because:
o It was respectable
o No one died
o Way for competitors to release tension
o Done at religious festivals
o Controlled competition – people watch and ensure people follow the rules
- Athletic competitions:
o Pan Hellenic Games
▪ Olympia
• Olympic Games:
o In honour of zeus
o Administered by the city of Elis
o First Olympics in 776 BCE
o Every 4 years *****
o *
o Olympic truce
Document Summary
Agon = competition to the extreme of your abilities. Honour, public acclaim (time) (line on the e) Ajax is the strongest of the greeks after achilles. He brings achilles body after he dies. He thinks that since he brought achilles home, that he will get his armour. The officials give the armour to odeysseus (he was friends with ajax) He plans on killing all the leaders who didn"t give him what he deserved. He has a disproportionate sense of honour. He doesn"t know how to control himself. Athletic competitions and other contests included poetry, music, dance rather than war. This was better than war because: it was respectable, no one died, way for competitors to release tension, done at religious festivals, controlled competition people watch and ensure people follow the rules. Milon 511/510 bce appointed general to lead the army of croton against sybaris. Phayllos 480 bce fought at the battle of salamis as the captain of his own ship.
