. Greek athletic sports and festivals . formed by a stream which must have been divertedfrom its course, but has now returned to it. It was about650 feet long. It was seated with marble; and some tracesof the seats survive. An inscription in honour of PubliusLicinius Priscus, a Roman citizen of Corinth who lived inthe second century , records that he built a stoa adjoiningthe stadium with vaulted rooms opening into it.* The same1 Supra, p. 174. ^ Supra, p. 172. -^ Julian, ^^is^. 35. •» iv. 203. 220 GREEK ATHLETIC SPORTS AND FESTIVALS CHAP. benefactor provided, at his own expense, buil
. Greek athletic sports and festivals . formed by a stream which must have been divertedfrom its course, but has now returned to it. It was about650 feet long. It was seated with marble; and some tracesof the seats survive. An inscription in honour of PubliusLicinius Priscus, a Roman citizen of Corinth who lived inthe second century , records that he built a stoa adjoiningthe stadium with vaulted rooms opening into it.* The same1 Supra, p. 174. ^ Supra, p. 172. -^ Julian, ^^is^. 35. •» iv. 203. 220 GREEK ATHLETIC SPORTS AND FESTIVALS CHAP. benefactor provided, at his own expense, buildings for theaccommodation of the athletes, who came to the Isthmiafrom all the inhabited world, and repaired various buildingswhich had suffered from the ravages of time and earthquakesincluding the judging-rooms (€yKpLTrjpLov<s olkovs), by whichphrase, apparently, are meant the rooms where competitorswere examined and classified. No traces of these buildingshave been found, nor has the site of the hii^podrome Fig. 29.—Silver Vase. Bibliotlieque Nationale. Imperial period. The festival must have lasted several days. It beganwith a sacrifice to Poseidon,^ and included athletic, equestrian,and musical competitions, and perhaps also a regatta. Theathletic and equestrian events differed little from those atother festivals. There were separate competitions for men,youths, and boys, and the youths competitions included thepankration.^ There was also, as at Nemea, a four stades orhippios foot-race.^ The multiplication of boys events here, as ^ Xeu. Hell. iv. 5. ^ Bacchylides i., ii. ^ lb. ix. X THE ISTHMIAN PROGRAMME 221 at Nemea and at the Panathenaea, indicates the comparativelylocal character of the competition at these festivals. From the connexion of the festival with Poseidon we shouldexpect to find that the equestrian events were an importantpart of the programme. Herodotus of Thebes and Xenocratesof Agrigentum won the chariot-race in Pindars time,^
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