. Greek athletic sports and festivals . efrequent metaphors which Pindar borrows from it. But in theGreek games, at least, the javelin, like the diskos, only figuredas part of the pentathlon, and with the exception of the ^ 01. X. 71. 2 Vase7i von d. Acrop. 590, PI. xxvii. 2a 354 GREEK ATHLETIC SPORTS AND FESTIVALS CHAP. competition on horseback at Athens, there is no evidence for anyseparate competition for javelin throwing, either for distance orat a target, till the fourth century. Towards the close of the fifth century increased importancewas given to the javelin as the weapon of light-arm
. Greek athletic sports and festivals . efrequent metaphors which Pindar borrows from it. But in theGreek games, at least, the javelin, like the diskos, only figuredas part of the pentathlon, and with the exception of the ^ 01. X. 71. 2 Vase7i von d. Acrop. 590, PI. xxvii. 2a 354 GREEK ATHLETIC SPORTS AND FESTIVALS CHAP. competition on horseback at Athens, there is no evidence for anyseparate competition for javelin throwing, either for distance orat a target, till the fourth century. Towards the close of the fifth century increased importancewas given to the javelin as the weapon of light-armed troopsand of the epheboi; and from the fourth century onwards wefind oLKovTia-fios quoted in inscriptions as a separate competitionat Athens and elsewhere.^ The association of the javelin andthe bow suggests that in these competitions some sort of targetwas used, and the case cited by Antiphon proves the use of atarget and pointed javelins in practice. But the only directevidence for such a competition, apart from that on Fio. 104.— kylix. Rome(?). (Jiithner, Ant. Turn. Fig. 43.) is furnished by two later inscriptions from Larisa of the timeof Hadrian which mention victors o-kottw ttc^wv and 2 (TKOTTO) LTTTreiOV. What was the character of the competition in the pentathlon?The question has been discussed at wearisome length by com-mentators on Pindar and others, but Dr. Jiithners conclusionseems to me incontestable, namely, that the competition in thepentathlon was one for distance only. On this point the evidence of the vases seems javelins are blunt, the head is turned backward just beforethe throw, and there is no sign of any target. The last point ^ Ceos, Sestos, Samos, Tralles, Larisa. Vide notes 21 and Ditt. Syll.^ ii. 670, 67L XVI THE JAVELIN IN THE PENTATHLON 355 is particularly convincing because in the competition on horse-back the target is always represented. Certain archaeologists,it is true, have discovered evid
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