Archæologiæ Græcæ, or, The antiquities of Greece by John Potter ...

CHAPTER. XXV. Of the Isthmian Games.

THE Isthmian Games were so call'd from the place where they were celebrated viz. the Corinthian Isthmus, a neck of Land by which Peloponnesus is joyn'd to the Continent; they were in∣stituted in honour of Palaemon, or Melicerta, the Son of Athamas King of Thebes, and Ino, who, for fear of her Husband (who had kill'd her other Son Learchus in a Fit of madness) cast her self, with Melicerta in her Arms, into the Sea, where they were receiv'd by Ne∣ptune into the number of the Divinities of his Train, out of com∣pliment to Bacchus nurs'd by Ino. At the change of their condi∣tion, they alter'd their Names, Ino was call'd Leucothea, and her Son, Palaemon; however Palaemon's Divinity could not preserve his Bo∣by from being toss'd about the Sea, till at length it was taken up by a Dolphin, and carried to the Corinthian Shore, where it was found by Sisyphus at that time King of Corinth, who gave it an honorable in∣terrment, and instituted these Funeral Games to his honour; thus Pausanias (a). Others report that Melicerta's Body was cast upon the Isthmus, and lay there some time unburied, whereupon a grievous Pestilence began to rage in those parts, and the Oracles gave out, that

the only remedy for it, was to interr the Body with the usual solemni∣ties, and celebrate Games in memory of the Boy; upon the per∣formance of these Commands the Distemper ceas'd, but afterwards when the Games were neglected, broke out again, and the Oracles being consulted, gave Answer, that they must pay perpetual Honours to Melicerta's memory, which they did accordingly, erecting an Altar to him, and enacting a Law for the perpetual celebration of these Games.

Others report that they were instituted by Theseus in honour of Neptune; others are of opinion that there were two distinct Solemni∣ties observ'd in the Isthmus, one to Melicerta, and another to Neptune; which report is grounded upon the authority of Musaeus, who wrote a Treatise about the Isthmian Games. Phavorinus reports that these Games were first instituted in honour of Neptune, and afterwards celebrated in memory of Palaemon. Plutarch on the contrary tells us, that the first institution of them was in honour of Melicerta, but afterwards they were alter'd, enlarg'd, and re-instituted to Neptune by Theseus; he gives also several other Opinions concerning the Original of them; his words are these in the Life of Theseus;

Theseus instituted Games in emulation of Hercules, being ambitious that as the Greeks by that He∣ro's appointment celebrated the Olympian Games to the honour of Iupiter, so by his institution they should celebrate the Isthmian Games to the honour of Neptune; for those that were before dedicated to Melicerta, were celebrated privately in the Night, and consisted rather of religious Ceremonies, than of any open spectacle, or pu∣blick Festival. But some there are, who say that the Isthmian Games were first instituted in memory of Sciron, at the Expiation which Theseus made for his Murther, upon the account of the nearness of Kindred between them, Sciron being the Son of Canethus and He∣niocha, the Daughter of Pittheus: tho' others write that Sinnis, and not Sciron, was their Son, and that to his honour, and not to Sciron's, these Games were ordain'd by Theseus. Hellanicus and Andro of Halicarnassus write, that at the same time he made an agree∣ment with the Corinthians, that they should allow them that came from Athens to the celebration of the Isthmian Games, as much space to behold the Spectacle in, as the Sail of the Ship that brought them thither, stretched to it's full extent could cover, and that in the first and most honourable place: thus Plutarch.

The Eleans were the only people of Greece that absented themselves from this solemnity, which they did for this reason, as Pausanias (a) relates; The Corinthians having appointed the Isthmian Games, the Sons of Actor came to the celebration of them, but were surpriz'd and slain by Hercules, near the City Cleonae: The Author of the Murder was at the first unknown, but being at length discover'd by the in∣dustry of Molione the Wife of Actor, the Eleans went to Argos and

demanded satisfaction, because Hercules at that time dwell'd at Tiryns, a Village in the Argian Territories: Being repuls'd at Argos they apply'd themselves to the Corinthians, desiring of them, that all the Inhabitants and Subjects of Argos might be forbidden the Isthmian Games, as disturbers of the publick Peace; but meeting with no better success in this place, than they had done at Argos, Molione forbad them to go to the Isthmian Games, and denounc'd a dreadful execration against any of the Eleans that should ever be present at the celebration of them; which command was so religiously observ'd, that none of the Eleans dare venture to go to the Isthmian Games to this Day, (saith my Author) for fear Molione's Curses should fall heavy upon them.

These Games (a) were observ'd every fifth year, and held so sa∣cred and inviolable, that when they had been intermitted for some time through the Oppression and Tyranny of Cypselus, King of Corinth, after the Tyrant's Death the Corinthians, to renew the memory of them which was almost decay'd, employ'd the utmost Power and Industry they were able in reviving them, and celebrated them with such splendor and magnificence as was never practis'd in former Ages. When Corinth was sack'd and totally demolish'd by Mummius, the Roman General, these Games were not discontinu'd, but the care of them committed to the Sicyonians till the rebuilding of Corinth, and then restor'd to the Inhabitants of that City, as Pausanias reports (b).

The Victors were rewarded with Garlands of Pine-leaves; after∣wards Parsley was given them, which was also the Reward of the Ne∣mean Conquerours, but with this difference, that there it was fresh and green, whereas in the Isthmian Games it was dry and wither'd. After∣wards the use of Parsley was left off, and the Pine-tree came again into request, which alterations Plutarch hath accounted for in the Fifth of his Symposiacks.

(c)

Notes

• (a)

  Initio Corin••hia••.
• (a)

  Eliac. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• (a)

  Alex. ab Alexandro Gen. Dier. lib. V. cap. VIII.
• (b)

  Initio Corinthiac.
• (c)

  Quaest. 111.