Johannes Malalas, Chronographia 12.10: the Olympia in Antioch

Johannes Malalas, Chronographia 12.10: the Olympia in Antioch

ca. 490/500 - 570 CE

Chronic

Literary source

To the holy Olympic Games there came well-born youths from every city and every land, competing under a vow, and they measured themselves against each other.
(…)
And there were also virgins, who were philosophers and attended under a vow of chastity: they fought and wrestled in bloomers, ran, performed declamations and recited certain Hellenic hymns. These women contended with women, competing fiercely in wrestling, running and recitation. And – as report has it – whenever one of them, be it a woman or a young man, was crowned as victor under the acclamation of the holy people, they remained chaste until the end of their life because immediately after the agon they received the sphragis and became a priest. The philosophizing virgins who received the wreath likewise became priestesses after the agon. And from there they all returned home. Those who owned landed property did not have to pay any taxes, but from the time of their being crowned their property remained untaxed, but only during the lifetime of the crowned person. And if they owned any workshops, then the workshops owned by the competitor remained untaxed – but only for the duration of his lifetime. So numerous were those who came to compete that their numbers were unparalleled, but those who happened to come according to a vow, whether young men or virgin girls, were all admitted. And at times a great multitude came, at other times not, according to the seasons and the sea winds.

translation by Alexander Meeus for the Cynisca project

Εἰς δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν ἱερὸν ἀγῶνα τῶν Ὀλυμπίων ἤρχοντο ἀπὸ ἑκάστης πόλεως καὶ χώρας νεώτεροι εὐγενεῖς κατὰ τάγμα ἀγωνιζόμενοι, καὶ ἐμέριζον αὑτοὺς κατέναντι ἀλλήλων.
(...)
ἦσαν δὲ καὶ παρθένοι κόραι φιλοσοφοῦσαι καὶ κατὰ τάγμα σωφροσύνης ἐρχόμεναι καὶ ἀγωνιζόμεναι καὶ παλαίουσαι μετὰ βομβωναρίων καὶ τρέχουσαι καὶ τραγῳδοῦσαι καὶ λέγουσαι ὕμνους τινὰς Ἑλληνικούς· αἵτινες γυναῖκες μετὰ γυναικῶν ἐμάχοντο ἀγωνιζόμεναι πικρῶς καὶ περὶ τὰ παλαίσματα καὶ περὶ τοὺς δρόμους καὶ τὸ φώνημα. καὶ εἴ τις ἐξ αὐτῶν εἴτε γυνὴ εἴτε νέος τοῦ ἱεροῦ, φησί, δήμου κράζοντος ἐστέφθη, ὁ στεφανούμενος ὡς νικητὴς σώφρων ἔμενεν ἕως τῆς τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ· ἐσφραγίζετο γὰρ εὐθέως μετὰ τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ ἐγίνετο ἱερεύς. ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ παρθένοι φιλόσοφοι αἱ στεφανούμεναι ἐγίνοντο μετὰ τὸν ἀγῶνα ἱέρειαι. κἀκεῖθεν ἀπεστρέφοντο πάντες. οἱ δὲ ἔχοντες κτήσεις χωρίων οὐ συνετέλουν ἀλλὰ ἀσυντελεῖς ἔμενον ἀφ’ οὗ ἐστέφθησαν ἡ κτῆσις αὐτοῦ τὸν χρόνον καὶ μόνον τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ στεφθέντος. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐργαστηρίων τινῶν ἐδέσποζεν, ἀλειτούργητα ἔμενε τὸν χρόνον τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ μόνου ἃ εἶχεν ἐργαστήρια ὁ ἀγωνισάμενος. τοσοῦτοι δὲ ἦσαν οἱ ἐρχόμενοι ἀγωνίσασθαι ὅτι οὐχ ὑπερεβάλλοντο ἀριθμῷ, ἀλλ’ ὅσους συνέβη ἐλθεῖν κατὰ τάγμα καὶ εἴτε νέους εἴτε παρθένους κόρας πάντας ἐθεώρουν. καὶ ποτὲ μὲν πλῆθος ἤρχετο πολύ, ποτὲ οὐκ ἤρχετο, πρὸς τοὺς χρόνους καὶ τοὺς ἀνέμους τῆς θαλάσσης.

L. Dindorf (ed.), Ioannis Malalae chronographia, Bonn 1831.