Hellanodikai
The Hellanodikai
History
One Hellanodikas was a type of Greek public official termed generally the
Selection and Training
Hellanodikai were handpicked from people living in the region of
In the ten months preceding the games, the Hellanodikai lived in a specially made building in Elis, called the Hellanodikaion. This building was close to the
Function
Judgement
The Hellanodikai were renowned for their fairness, and the public held them in high regard. While bribery and cheating among the athletes was commonplace, there was only one recorded case of corruption among the judges, where a Hellanodikas won two equestrian events. To remain impartial, the Hellanodikai were no longer allowed to participate in the games, and this remained the only blemish on their otherwise impeccable record.
Another task for the Hellanodikai was to supervise the training of the athletes, where they selected those who were well trained, rejecting those who were not performing at a satisfactory level. The trainers for the individual athletes had to be present, but could not intervene or they were punished accordingly. They evaluated each athlete on behaviour, character and morality, as well as the more standard attributes such as power, stamina, and resistance. Those that were approved were entered into a special list called the leukoma (λεύκωμα).
Ritual
Besides being judges and umpires, the Hellanodikai also were the general organisers, and were present at every ceremony and event that took place, having the honour of presenting the crowns and palm branches to the winners. They were also expected to police the games.
Two days before the games, the athletes who were eligible left Elis for Olympia, in a procession led by the Hellanodikai.
References
- ^ "Ancient Judges (Hellanodikai)". Retrieved November 14, 2004.
- ^ Pindar, Olympian 3.12 Perseus Digital Library Project, Tufts University.
External links
Media related to Hellanodikai at Wikimedia Commons