Panathenaea: Or, A Singular Book on the Twin Festival of Minerva

CHAPTER VII.

In the Minor ones, there was a contest. Hesychius: "Panathenaea, a festival of the Athenians, and a contest." Apollodorus, Book III: "He came to Athens, and performed the contest of the Panathenaea." Aristides in his Panathenaic Oration: "The contests in Greece are the most glorious of all. And indeed, the oldest of these is that of the Panathenaea." Pausanias in his Arcadica: "For this contest had the name Athenaea, but they say they were called the Panathenaea under Theseus." And indeed it was threefold; one equestrian, another gymnastic, the third musical: and the care of them all was entrusted to the Athlothetae prize-givers or contest managers, who were chosen as ten, one from each tribe, and exercised the magistracy for four years. Pollux, Book VIII, Chapter IX, Section VI: "There are ten Athlothetae, one from each tribe. Being approved, they rule for four years, for the purpose of managing the Panathenaea, both the musical, and the gymnastic, and the horse race." And Aristides mentions the musical and gymnastic contests in his Panathenaic Oration: "And we know, I suppose, both the gymnastic contest, and even more the musical one, not defined as occurring once, but ending, so to speak, on each day."