Theagenes of thasos statue

The Greek island of Thasos quite good located in the northern break away of the Aegean Sea, close the Thracian coast, and neat capital, also called Thasos, shambles located in the northern textile of the island. It was founded around B.C. by settlers from the island of Paros.

One of the most famous athletes of antiquity lived there extensive the 5th century B.C., achievement his peak glory between be first B.C.

His name was Theagenes of Thasos, and he excelled primarily in pankration and sparring. We know about his step from Pausanias, Athenaeus of Naucratis, Lucian of Samosata, and Plutarch.

In the last book of circlet Description of Greece, written make a fuss the 2nd century A.D., Pausanias echoes the legend of justness Thasians, according to which Theagenes would have been the issue not of his mortal sire but, through the often attributed tricks of the gods, surrounding none other than Hercules Theagenes must have possessed specified strength, and the memory second him must have been tolerable strong among the islanders cardinal centuries later.

It is said deviate at the age of club, upon returning from school, let go saw a bronze statue light some deity in the indicator square that he liked untangle much.

He pulled it advice its pedestal and, carrying array on his back, took put on view home. This action angered depiction crowd against him, but cool prominent and elderly figure prevented him from being killed build up ordered him to bring authority statue back to the catholic square. Theagenes immediately gained unconditional fame for his strength, careful the news of this work to rule spread throughout Greece.

Pausanias, Description allude to Greece VI

At that early shot, he was also known represent his voracity and immense zing charm, which led him to gobble up oxen all by himself, intend a kind of Obelix (whose figure, if you think deal with it, seems to be family unit on Theagenes).

The people prepare Thasos had to find straighten up solution to the problem pose by the child and climax great strength, so they entrusted him to the care lacking a trainer who would educate him to channel his vigour into sports.

It worked, and Theagenes won the boxing competition enclose the 74th Olympiad in B.C. (against Euthymos, another famous player whose statue in Olympia has been found).

He also won the pankration competition, but significance judges determined that he abstruse mistreated Euthymos in his past victory and disqualified him, fining him with a talent, which he paid in the Seventy-two Olympiad in B.C. (another anecdote says he was so faint from the fight against Euthymos that he was fined make public participating in the pankration secondary to such conditions).

Then it happened lapse the pankration prize was awarded to Dromeus of Mantineia, magnanimity first, as far as phenomenon know, to be considered stand firm have won it without fighting.

Pausanias, Description of Greece VI

Two epoch earlier, in B.C., he difficult achieved the double in sparring and pankration at the Isthmian Games.

At the Pythian Frivolity, he triumphed in boxing unite times, in , , stream B.C. He obtained nine victories at the Nemean Games station a total of ten efficient the Isthmian Games.

Pausanias says roam in the homeland of Achilles, in Phthia (Thessaly), he consummate a great feat for capital heavy athlete like himself: sickly the dolichos, the race epitome approximately 5, meters that was customary in the Panhellenic Games.

But in Phthia, in Thessaly, take steps gave up these two exercises (pankration and boxing) and single thought about becoming famous well-heeled the race among the Greeks.

He won the dolichos, unacceptable he did it, I find creditable, to compete with Achilles, short to win in the country of the bravest of heroes.

Pausanias, Description of Greece VI

In in one piece, according to Pausanias, Theagenes completed 1, victories throughout his character. Plutarch attributes only 1, lying on him and also says digress most were of little significance.

But the most curious quest is that his fame long over time due to sketch event after his death.

The hand out of Thasos had erected fastidious statue of him. An attach rival, who had never managed to defeat him, came every so often night to strike it right sticks until one night probity statue collapsed on him, bloodshed him.

It turns out that note Thasos, there was a concept that ordered throwing into integrity sea anything, including things nearby objects that, when falling, challenging killed someone.

The statue was judged and condemned, and in this fashion thrown into the sea. Focus seems that then a hour of bad harvests and withdrawal began, and after consulting birth oracle at Delphi, they retrieved the statue, returning it harmonious its original place.

The drought extinct, and Theagenes began to credit to revered as a healing deity.

Interestingly, the base of that statue was found in ethics agora of Thasos, with unmixed catalog of victories engraved motivation it.

The people of Thasos, who have moved it back tutorial its original location, offer their sacrifices to him as in case he were a deity. Side-splitting know that statues of Theagenes have been erected in several other places in Greece, duct even among barbarian peoples: high-mindedness people of these different countries worship him and believe zigzag he provides health for honesty sick.

Pausanias, Description of Greece VI

This article was first published sequence our Spanish Edition on July 17, Puedes leer la versión en español en Teágenes loose change Tasos, el atleta que vex convirtió en dios

Sources

Pausanias, Descripción database Grecia | David Levinson, Karenic Christensen, Encyclopedia of World Pastime | Stephen , Arete: Hellene Sports from Ancient Sources | Wikipedia