Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons^™

Born To Fight: The Virtues Of Pankratiasts Within Pindar's Nemean Odes, Elijah Culley

Senior Independent Study Theses

The goal of this study is to examine three of Pindar’s Nemean odes dedicated to victors of the pankration. I examine how Pindar constructs the athletes of pankration and the role that the sport plays in each ode. Pindar connects the past with the present by placing his athletes within the mythological timeline. He follows the Homeric tradition of epic poetry but adapts it to fit the context of lyric poetry. He transfers the qualities of Homeric heroes onto his athletes, introducing them as divine heroes in his own time. Pindar presents the pankratiasts as natural-born fighters who possess both …