The Cruise of the Branwen

THE OLYMPIC GAMES and the petasos. The second rider carries a javelin, which he is about to throw at a target with a bull's-eye clearly marked on it; the first has thrown his weapon and already ridden past the mark. In each case the javelin is represented merely by a straight line, but on a vase at Athens and on another in the Louvre the javelins are shown with regular leaf-shaped heads in representations of the same competition .. Of course they must have been pointed in any case if, as the presence of the target indicates, accuracy in direction was of the essence of the game, which may be compared with the heads and posts or lemon-cutting of our modern Military Tournament. But, though very popular, it was not treated as a serious athletic event, for only five am phorre of oil were awarded as the first prize. It was, in fact, part of the military duty of every rich Athenian citizen, and, as such, it was taught by Themistocles himself to his son Cleophantus, as Plato tells us; and in later years Xenophon urges all cavalry officers to stimulate their men to attain proficiency by offering prizeg for it. Obviously the first real uses of the javelin among the ancient Greeks would be for hunting and for war ; and in both accuracy of aim would be far more important than mere length of throw.. In the representation of a cavalry fight in a vase from the Acropolis the thong by which the spear was held is very clearly shown; indeed, at the moment chosen by the artist the horseman's arm is swung behind his head a:nd the spear is 72