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

." Aristides in the Panathenaic Oration, in the passage already cited: "We are, I suppose, acquainted with the gymnastic contest, and even more so with that of music, which is not defined just once." It was instituted by Pericles, and was accustomed to be held in the Odeon. Plutarch in his Life of Pericles: "Pericles, being ambitious, then for the first time decreed that a musical contest be held at the Panathenaea. And he himself, having been chosen athlothetes games official, ordained how those performing should play the flute, or sing, or play the lyre. And they viewed the musical contests then, and at other times, in the Odeon." And there was a concert of flute players, called Synaulia a flute concert. Pollux, Book IV, chapter X: "And at Athens, a certain Synaulia was also called a gathering of flute players, playing together at the Panathenaea." Nor did Eustathius look elsewhere in his commentary on the Iliad Φ: "From the flute, Synaulia was also called the reciprocal contest of the flute and rhythm, without the word which was sung to it." Sophocles mentions it in Acrisius, preserved by Hesychius; whose passage is significantly dislocated and corrupted: "Bide, a kind of striking. Sophocles in Acrisius: Bersabee, mother of Solomon. And a place in the mountainous part of Palestine, as if to play the bide and the synaulia, others say bithin." Behold, the word "Bersabee" is placed here not in its proper place; and the verse of Sophocles is transposed. I restore and amend it thus: "Bide, a kind of striking. Sophocles in Acrisius:

Others, bithin. Bersabee, mother of Solomon. And a place, etc." And indeed, Phrynis of Mitylene was the first to win here with the lyre, in the 85th Olympiad, 1st year. The anonymous author in the Description of the Olympiads at that time: "Phrynis the citharoede of Mitylene, the first deemed to have sung to the lyre among the Athenians, won the Panathenaea." Suidas: "Phrynis, citharoede of Mitylene. He was considered the first to play the lyre among the Athenians, and to win the Panathenaea." In this contest, the praises of Aristogiton, Harmodius, and Thrasybulus were sung; the last of whom, having advanced from Phyle, liberated Athens from the thirty tyrants. Philostratus, Life of Apollonius, Book VII, chapter II: "And he went through for them the Attic Panathenaea, at which Harmodius and Aristogiton are sung of. And the deed from Phyle, which also at once overcame the thirty tyrants." A circular chorus was also exhibited. Lysias in Apology for Bribery: "And in the archonship of Diocles, at the lesser Panathenaea, I spent three hundred drachmas for the circular chorus." And so there were also choregi sponsors of the chorus here, who supplied the expenses. Xenophon mentions them in Constitution of the Athenians: "In addition to these, to adjudicate for the choregi at the Dionysia, the Thargelia, and the Panathenaea." Poets also competed with four dramas at once, the fourth of which would be satyric; and that combination of plays was called a Tetralogia a set of four dramatic works. Diogenes Laërtius in Plato, Book III: "They competed with four dramas at the Dionysia, the Lenaea, the Panathenaea, and the Chytroi. Of which the fourth was satyric. And the four dramas were called a Tetralogia." Regarding this matter, if it is worth it, see what I have recently noted at the end of Sophocles.