The Pythian Games: Where Art and Athletics Collided

The Pythian Games: Where Art and Athletics Collided

Every four years, the entire world gathers around the TV to follow the Olympic Games, a festival of sporting excellence held in honour of Zeus, the head of Olympus. But in ancient times, the Olympic Games were just one part of a larger, even more diverse cycle of Panhellenic Games. Dedicated to a different god, one of these events took place at Delphi, where athletic ability was celebrated alongside artistic genius: the Pythian Games.

The Pythian Games and the Olympic Games were part of a four-year cycle, each significant in its own way. While the Olympics are the only one to have made it to the modern day, the full cycle included:

Year 1 of the Olympiad: The Olympic Games.

Year 2 of the Olympiad: The Nemean Games and the Isthmian Games.

Year 3 of the Olympiad: The Pythian Games.

Year 4 of the Olympiad: The Nemean Games and the Isthmian Games again.

The Origins

The story of Delphi’s origins is covered in greater detail in this article, but to condense it, Apollo defeated the giant serpent Python to defend his mother from Hera’s wrath. He then established the location of this victory as a sacred site in honor of his triumph. This victory wasn’t just a physical battle, but a metaphorical struggle between order and chaos and light and darkness.

Likewise, the games themselves weren’t just a contest of physical strength. They also tested a person’s ability with words and music, creating harmony, joy, and light.

The Contests

The key difference in the Pythian Games was their profound celebration of music and poetry. The most special event of the games was the lyre playing competition, which was held before any athletic event. There were also contests for writing hymns, singing, and playing the flute, all of which elevated artists and performers to the same level of prestige as athletes. This is a value we continue to see today, as musicians and artists become household names just as big, if not bigger, than athletes.

Speaking of which, there were also drama competitions for comedies, tragedies, and spoken word. These events weren’t just entertainment; they were a competition as important as any race or wrestling match.

The winner would receive a laurel wreath, a symbol of Apollo. The laurel represented poetic victory and honour, and its values served as the guiding principles for the games themselves.

The Cultural Significance

The games were a living embodiment of the ancient Greek ideal of kalokagathia, which focused on combining physical beauty with moral and intellectual excellence. These games, in honour of the deity of light, arts, music, dance, medicine, and prophecy, were the perfect place to live up to the values of their society.

Delphi was the centre of the ancient Greek world, a place many from all over the Mediterranean Sea would visit to seek advice from the Oracle. The games, held once every four years, added another significant reason for people to make the pilgrimage, blending a festival of physical and artistic excellence with a deep sense of reverence.

Conclusion

The Pythian Games valued music, poetry, drama, and the arts at the same time they valued physical and sporting excellence. While these two pillars are central to many societies today, their modern celebrations have become separated as individual pillars of popular culture.

But these games can still serve as an example of the importance of mind, body, and soul. It is at the combination of these three that the greatest forms of human excellence often lie.