. Greek athletic sports and festivals . p. 358. ** Lucian, Anacharsis, 32. ^ Juthner, , Figs. 34, 35, 36. Jlitlmer i)roves conclusively that the objectsrepresented on the Panaetius kylix and elsewhere (Fig. 17) are not compasses,but amenta misdrawn. 340 GREEK ATHLETIC SPORTS AND FESTIVALS CHAP. putting the amentum behind the centre of gravity, it ispossible to increase the distance thrown, but at a sacrifice ofaccuracy. Hence the athlete fastened it to suit his tasteshortly before use. On the British Museum hydria shownin Fig. 88 a youth is seated on the ground in the act ofattaching the a
. Greek athletic sports and festivals . p. 358. ** Lucian, Anacharsis, 32. ^ Juthner, , Figs. 34, 35, 36. Jlitlmer i)roves conclusively that the objectsrepresented on the Panaetius kylix and elsewhere (Fig. 17) are not compasses,but amenta misdrawn. 340 GREEK ATHLETIC SPORTS AND FESTIVALS CHAP. putting the amentum behind the centre of gravity, it ispossible to increase the distance thrown, but at a sacrifice ofaccuracy. Hence the athlete fastened it to suit his tasteshortly before use. On the British Museum hydria shownin Fig. 88 a youth is seated on the ground in the act ofattaching the amentum. On a red-figured kylix at Wiirzburg(Fig. 91) we see a youth winding the amentum round theshaft, while he holds the other end tight with his foot. Someof the ways in which the amentum was fastened can be seenin the accompanying illustration. The clearest example is thatfrom the Alexander Mosaic in Naples (Fig. 92 e). In every caseit is only the actual loop which is left free. The amentum was no invention of the gymnasium but was. Fig. kylix. Wiirzburg, 432. adopted by the gymnasium from war and the chase. Whetherit was used in Homeric times we cannot say. The principle ofthe sling was certainly known to the Homeric shepherd, andbesides the long-shadowing spear of the chieftain, there was alighter and shorter weapon (alyavaj) which like the bow wasused for hunting, and by the common soldiery in war and insport. The warrior vase from Mycenae ^ shows two types ofspear, a long spear clenched firmly in the hand, and a shortspear raised almost at arms length behind the head, the handbeing pointed as if the fingers were extended as they are inholding the amentum. From the sixth century onwards the amentum was used forthrowing the javelin in war, in hunting, and in the chase. Itis frequently represented on early black-figured vases. Its useis admirably shown on the interior of a Chalcidian kylix in ^ Schliemaim-Schuchardt (Eng. Traus.), Figs. 284, 285. XVI THE JAVELIN
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