Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PYTHIA. PYTHIA. 97
Pythianl god with the accompanlimnent of the ci- not yet been practised at Olympia, viz. the
thara. (I'auns. x. 7. ~ 2; Strab. ix. p. 421.) Sonle aoAXoJs and the aiavAos for boys. InI the first
of the poets, however, and mythograpliers repre- Pythiad the victors received Xp-/Aa'a as their
sent even the gods and the early heroes as en- prize, but in the second a chaplet was established
gaged in gymnastic and equestrian contests at the as the reward for the victors. (Paus. and Schol.
Pythian games. But such statements, numerous ad Pind. 1. c.) The Scholiasts on Pindar reckon
as they are, can prove nothing; they are ana- the first Pythiad from this introduction of the
chronisms in which late writers were fond of in- chaplet, and their system has been followed by
dulging. The description of the Pythian games most modern chronologers, though Pausanias exin which Sophocles, in the Electra, makes Orestes pressly assigns this institution to the second
take part, belongs to this class. The Pythian Pythiad. (See Clinton, F.H. p. 195; Krause,
games must, on account of the celebrity of the Die Pyth. Nsern., &c. p. 21, &c.) The asXvrsifa,
Delphic oracle, have become a national festival for which was introduced in the first Pythiad, was
all the Greeks at a very early pwriod; and when omitted at the second and ever after, as only
Solon fixed pecuniary rewards for those Athenians elegies and ap{ivoi had been sung to the flute,
who were victors in the great national festivals, which were thought too melancholy for this sothe Pythian agon was undoubtedly included in lemnity. The reOpir7ros or chariot-race with four
the number, though it is not expressly mentioned. horses however was added in the same Pythiad.
(Diog. La'rt. i. 55.) In the eighth Pythiad (01. 55. 3) the contest in
Whether gymnastic contests had been performed playing the cithara without singing was introduced
at the Pythian games previous to 01. 47, is un- in Pythiad 23 the foot-race in arms was added;
certain. Bbckh supposes that these two kinds in Pythiad 48 the chariot-race with two fullof games had been connected at the Pythia from grown horses (orvrcapf8os apOpos) was performed for
early times, but that afterwards the gymnastic the first time; in Pythiad 53 the chariot-race with
games were ineglected: but. however this may be, four foals was introduced. In Pythiad: 61 the
it is certain that about 01. 47 they did not exist pancratium for boys, in Pythiad 63 the horse-race
at Delphi. Down to 01. 48 the Delphiass them- with foals, and in Pythiad 69 the chariot-race
selves had been the agonothetae at the Pythian with two foals were introduced. (Panus. I. c.)
games, but in the third year of this Olympiad, Various musical contests were also added in the
when after the Crissaean war the Amphictyons course of time, and contests in tragedy as well as
took the uana.gesment under their care, they natu- inother kinds of poetry and in recitations of hisrally becalmle the agonothetae. (Strab. ix. p. 421; torical compositions are expressly mentioned.
Passe. x. 7. ~ 3.) Some of the ancients date the (Philostr. Vil. Sopbl. ii. 27. 2; Plut. Sysmpos. ii.
institutionl of the Pythian games from this time 4.) Works of art, as paintings and sculptures,
(Phot. Cod. p. 533, ed. Bekker), and others say were exhibited to the assembled Greeks, and
that henceforth they were called PI/shiame#asses. prizes were awarded to those who had produced
Owiig to their being under the management of the finest works. (Pl'n. xxxv. 35.) The musical
the Amphlictyons they are sometimes called'A/z- and artistic contests were at all times the most
(IpcrUvotcrI dOa. (Heliod. Aeth. iv. 1.) From 01. prominent feature of,'the Pythian games, and in
48. 3, the Pythiads were occasionally used as an. this respect they. even excelled the Olympic
aera, and the first celebration under the Amphic- garnes.
tyons was the first Pythiad. Pausanias (1. c.) Previous to 01..48 the Pythian games had been
expressly states that in this year the original an e'saerrpLr, that is, they had been celebrated
mussical contest in cmOapwoya was extended by the at the end of every eighth year; but in 01. 48. 3,
addition of uAcpflia, i. e. singingy with the ac- they became like the Olympia a 7reoa-erpLs,- i. e.
companiment of the flute, and by that of flute- they were held-at the end of every fourth year, and
playing alone. Strabo (I. c.:) in speakilng of these a Pythiad therefore- ever since the time that' it was
innovations does not mention the avAsira, but used as an aera3 comprehended a space of four years,
states that the contest of cithara-players (QcmOapr'- commencing with;the third year of every Olympiad.
wTa) _was added, while Pausanias assigns the in- (Panus. 1. c.; Diods xv. 60; compare Clinton, F.1.
trodluction of this contest to the eighth Pythiad. p. 195.) Others have, in opposition to direct
One of the musical contests at the Pythian games statements, inferred from Thucydides (iv. 117,
in which only flute and cithara-players took part, v. 1) that the Pythian games were held towards
was the so-called Pvsos NliluKcs, which, at least the end of the second year of every Olympiad.
in subsequent times, consisted of five parts, viz. Respecting this controversy, see Krause, 1.c. p. 29,
vodscposu-rs, &i/urespa, tcarasCeAcuvrris, Ya/eoL seal I:&c. As for the seasontof the Pythian games, they
acisAVXol, and -rSpyyes. The whole of this Pd/os were in all. probability held in the spribtg, and
was a musical description of the fight of' Apollo most writers believe that it was in the month of
with the dragon and of his victory over the Bysius, which is supposed to be the same as the
monster. (Strabo, 1. c.) A somewhat different ac- Attic Miunychion. Bickh (ad Cosp. Inscript.
count of the parts of this yo'6,os is given by the n. 16.88) however has shown that the games took
Scholiast on Pindar (Argums7. ad Pyth.) and by place in the month of Bucatius, which followed
Pollux (iv. 79, 81, 84). after the month of Bysius, and that this month
Besides these innovations in the musical con- must be considered as the same as the Attic Mutests which were made in the' first Pythiad, such nychion. The games lasted for several days, as is
gynslastic and equestrian games as were then expressly mentioned by Sophocles (Elect. 690; &c.),
customary at Olympia, were either revived at but we do not know how many. When ancient
D)elphi or introduced for the first time. The writers speak of the day of the Pythian agon, they
chatriot-race with four horses was not introduced are probably thinking of the musical agon alone,
till the second Pythiad. (Pans. x. 7. ~ 3.) Some which was the most important part of the games_
games on the other hand were adopted, which had and probably took place on the 7th of Bucatius,
3 i