Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/85

 PAN-HELLENIC FESTIVALS. 67 We thu3 perceive that the interval between GOO-5GO B.C. ex- hibits the first historical manifestation of the Pythia, Isthmia, and Nemea, the first expansion of all the three from local into Pan-Hellenic festivals. To the Olympic games, for some time the only great centre of union among all the widely dispersed Greeks, are now added three other sacred agones of the like public, open, national character; constituting visible marks, as well as tutelary bonds, of collective Hellenism, and insuring to every Greek who went to compete in the matches, a safe and inviolate transit even through hostile Hellenic states. 1 These four, all in or near Peloponnesus, and one of which occurred in each year, formed the period, or cycle, of sacred games, and those who had gained prizes at all the four received the enviable designation of period- onikes : 2 the honors paid to Olympic victors on their return to their native city were prodigious, even in the sixth century B.C., and became even more extravagant afterwards. We may remark that in the Olympic games alone, the oldest as well as the most illustrious of the four, the musical and -intellectual element was wanting : all the three more recent agones included crowns for exercises of music and poetry, along with gymnastics, chariots, and horses. Nor was it only in the distinguishing national stamp set upon these four great festivals that the gradual increase of Hellenic family-feeling exhibited itself, during the course of this earliest period of our history. Pursuant to the same tendencies, reli- gious festivals in all the considerable towns gradually became more and more open and accessible, and attracted guests as well as suppress their most solemn festival, the fact would hardly have been omitted in the indictment which Sosikles is made to urge against him. Aristotle, indeed, representing Kypselus as a mild and popular dospot, introduces a contrary view of his character, which, if we admitted it, would of itself suffice to negative the supposition that he had suppressed tho Isthmia.. 1 Plutarch, Arat. c. 28. nal <?vvexv-&j) Tore Trpwrov (hy order of Aratns) % Sednufvj} role uyuviaral<; uav"Xia KOL ua^u^eta, a deadly stain on the char- acter of Aratus. thp philosopher Xenophanes against the great rewards given to Olympic vic*wi (n40-5 20 B.C.), Xenophan. Fragment. 2, p 357, ed Bergk.
 * Ti'astus, v, Perihodos, p. 217, ed. Miiller. See the animated protest of