. Greek athletic sports and festivals . des the straightening of thebody; on the vase the body isalready lifted while the diskos re-mains behind. The inevitable conelusion is that the actual throw takesplace off the left foot which is advanced before the diskos leaves the hand. This is the onlyrational method of throwing, and that this was the method ofthe Greeks is proved by the evidence of literature and art. The left foot, says Philostratus in the passage already quoted, must be swung forward and follow through with the righthand. These words are confirmed by the less definite languageof Lu
. Greek athletic sports and festivals . des the straightening of thebody; on the vase the body isalready lifted while the diskos re-mains behind. The inevitable conelusion is that the actual throw takesplace off the left foot which is advanced before the diskos leaves the hand. This is the onlyrational method of throwing, and that this was the method ofthe Greeks is proved by the evidence of literature and art. The left foot, says Philostratus in the passage already quoted, must be swung forward and follow through with the righthand. These words are confirmed by the less definite languageof Lucian and Statius, and by the vases. A red-figured kylixat Boulogne (Fig. 89) shows the early part of the movement,and the continuation is seen on a black-figured hydria in Vienna(Fig. 90). On both vases the diskobolos strides forward withthe left leg. The so-called bronze diskoboloi of Naples are said to representthe movement after the throw, but this interpretation seemsimpossible, in view of the position of the arms and the alertness. Fig. 87.—Panathenaic , Race. Cum. 184. 334 GREEK ATHLETIC SPORTS AND FESTIVALS CHAP. and expectancy expressed both by the figures and the heads,and I have no doubt that they are really wrestling boys. More-over, as the diskos leaves the hand, the natural tendency is toadvance the right foot to prevent the thrower from falling for-ward, and in the bronzes the left foot is advanced. The attitudeof the follow through must have been somewhat similar to thatof the youth on the right hand in Fig. 89, but it is impossiblewith certainty to identify such figures with diskos throwers.
Size: 1320px × 1892px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, books, booksubjectfastsandfeasts
