Episkyros, or episcyrus (Ancient Greek: επίσκυρος, epískyros, lit.'upon the skyros'; also eπίκοινος, epíkoinos, lit.'upon the public')[2][3] was an Ancient Greek ball game. The game was typically played between two teams of 12 to 14 players each, being highly teamwork-oriented.[4] The game allowed full contact and usage of the hands. While it was typically men who played, women also occasionally participated.
Left: Ancient Greek youth practicing with a ball depicted in low relief. Now displayed at the National Archaeological Museum, Athens.[1]Right: a bottle (Lekythos) in gnathia style depicting a figure – Eros – playing with a ball, third quarter of the 4th century BCE.
Although it was a ball game, it was quite violent (at least in Sparta).[5] The game is comparable to rugby, American football, or calcio storico fiorentino, at least in concept. The two teams would attempt to throw the ball over the heads of the other team. There was a white line called the skŷros ([1]σκῦρος)[4] between the teams, and another white line behind each team. The teams would change possession of the ball often, until one of the teams was forced behind their line. In Sparta, a form of episkyros was played during an annual city festival that included five teams of 14 players.[6][7][8][9][10] The Greek game of episkyros, or a similar game called phainínda (Φαινίνδα)[11][a] was later adopted by the Romans, who renamed and transformed it into harpastum.[13][14] "Harpastum" is the latinisation of the Ancient Greek aρπαστόν (harpastón), meaning "snatched away"[15] from the verb ἁρπάζω (harpázō), meaning "I seize" or "I filch".[16]
A depiction on a vase displayed at the National Archaeological Museum, Athens,[1] shows a Greek athlete balancing a ball on his thigh. This image is reproduced on the European Cup football trophy.[17] Other ancient Greek sports with a ball besides episkyros were: ἀπόῤῥαξις (apórrhaxis, "dribbling"),[18]οὐρανία (ūranía, "sky ball")[19][20] and maybe σφαιρομαχία (sphairomakhía, lit.''ball-fight'')[21] from σφαῖρα (sphaîra, "ball", "sphere")[22] and μάχη (mákhē, "battle"),[23] though it has been argued that the sphairomakhia in this context is rather a boxing competition, and the sphairai were a form of boxing gloves.[24]Julius Pollux includes phaininda and harpastum in a list of ball games:
Phaininda takes its name from Phaenides, who first invented it, or from phenakizein ("to deceive"), because they show the ball to one man and then throw to another, contrary to expectation. It is likely that this is the same as the game with the small ball, which takes its name from harpazein ("to snatch") and perhaps one would call the game with the soft ball by the same name.[25]
^ ab Elmer, David F. (October 2008). "Epikoinos: The Ball Game ; Episkuros and Illiad". Classical Philology. 103 (4): 414–423. doi:10.1086/597184. JSTOR 10.1086/597184. S2CID 160386522.
^Miller, Stephen Gaylord (2004). Ancient Greek Athletics. Yale University Press.
^ Craig, Steve (2002). Sports and games of the ancients. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 101. ISBN0-313-36120-7.
^ Harris, Harold Arthur (1972). Sport in Albania and Rome. Cornell University Press. ISBN0801407184.
^ Kennell, Nigel M. (1995). The Gymnasium of Virtue: Education and Culture in Ancient Sparta. The University of North Carolina Press. ISBN9780807822197.
^ "episkuros (or harpaston)". The New Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. The game episkuros was a ball-game popular in ancient Greece, with elements of football, soccer, and rugby. Among other names (which might actually refer to distinct games (consider how to distinguish rugby from soccer when describing them to a sportsman who knows neither game) it was also called harpaston; by the 2nd century BCE it had migrated to Rome and was then called harpastum.
^ Riaño Rufilanchas, Daniel (2000). "Zwei Agone in I: Priene 112.91–95". Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. Vol. 129. pp. 89–96.
^Julius Pollux (1846) [c. 177 CE]. Bekker, Immanuel (ed.). Onomasticon. Wellcome Library (in Ancient Greek). Berolini / F. Nicolai. 9.105. OCLC 1040670990.
April 08, 2024
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Episkyros or episcyrus Ancient Greek episkyros episkyros lit upon the skyros also epikoinos epikoinos lit upon the public 2 3 was an Ancient Greek ball game The game was typically played between two teams of 12 to 14 players each being highly teamwork oriented 4 The game allowed full contact and usage of the hands While it was typically men who played women also occasionally participated Left Ancient Greek youth practicing with a ball depicted in low relief Now displayed at the National Archaeological Museum Athens 1 Right a bottle Lekythos in gnathia style depicting a figure Eros playing with a ball third quarter of the 4th century BCE Although it was a ball game it was quite violent at least in Sparta 5 The game is comparable to rugby American football or calcio storico fiorentino at least in concept The two teams would attempt to throw the ball over the heads of the other team There was a white line called the skŷros 1 skῦros 4 between the teams and another white line behind each team The teams would change possession of the ball often until one of the teams was forced behind their line In Sparta a form of episkyros was played during an annual city festival that included five teams of 14 players 6 7 8 9 10 The Greek game of episkyros or a similar game called phaininda Faininda 11 a was later adopted by the Romans who renamed and transformed it into harpastum 13 14 Harpastum is the latinisation of the Ancient Greek arpaston harpaston meaning snatched away 15 from the verb ἁrpazw harpazō meaning I seize or I filch 16 A depiction on a vase displayed at the National Archaeological Museum Athens 1 shows a Greek athlete balancing a ball on his thigh This image is reproduced on the European Cup football trophy 17 Other ancient Greek sports with a ball besides episkyros were ἀpoῤῥa3is aporrhaxis dribbling 18 oὐrania urania sky ball 19 20 and maybe sfairomaxia sphairomakhia lit ball fight 21 from sfaῖra sphaira ball sphere 22 and maxh makhe battle 23 though it has been argued that the sphairomakhia in this context is rather a boxing competition and the sphairai were a form of boxing gloves 24 Julius Pollux includes phaininda and harpastum in a list of ball games Phaininda takes its name from Phaenides who first invented it or from phenakizein to deceive because they show the ball to one man and then throw to another contrary to expectation It is likely that this is the same as the game with the small ball which takes its name from harpazein to snatch and perhaps one would call the game with the soft ball by the same name 25 See also editHarpastum Trigon History of football American football History of physical training and fitnessNotes edit The name faininda probably means something like deceiving game from the verb fenakizw phenakizo I cheat I lie 12 References edit a b NAMA item 873 photograph Athens The National Archaeological Museum Athens Archived from the original on 2016 07 22 ἐpiskyros Liddell Henry George Scott Robert A Greek English Lexicon at the Perseus Project ἐpikoinos in Liddell and Scott a b Elmer David F October 2008 Epikoinos The Ball Game Episkuros and Illiad Classical Philology 103 4 414 423 doi 10 1086 597184 JSTOR 10 1086 597184 S2CID 160386522 Miller Stephen Gaylord 2004 Ancient Greek Athletics Yale University Press Craig Steve 2002 Sports and games of the ancients Bloomsbury Academic p 101 ISBN 0 313 36120 7 Harris Harold Arthur 1972 Sport in Albania and Rome Cornell University Press ISBN 0801407184 Kennell Nigel M 1995 The Gymnasium of Virtue Education and Culture in Ancient Sparta The University of North Carolina Press ISBN 9780807822197 Origin of ball games Archived from the original on 25 March 2010 Crowther Nigel B 2007 Sport in Ancient Times Praeger Series on the Ancient World Praeger Publishers faininda in Liddell and Scott fenakizw in Liddell and Scott episkuros or harpaston The New Encyclopaedia Britannica 2007 The game episkuros was a ball game popular in ancient Greece with elements of football soccer and rugby Among other names which might actually refer to distinct games consider how to distinguish rugby from soccer when describing them to a sportsman who knows neither game it was also called harpaston by the 2nd century BCE it had migrated to Rome and was then called harpastum harpastum Charlton T Lewis and Charles Short A Latin Dictionary on Perseus Project ἁrpastos in Liddell and Scott ἁrpazw in Liddell and Scott Wingate Brian 2007 Soccer Rules tips strategy and safety The Rosen Publishing Group Inc p 2 ISBN 978 1 4042 0995 4 ἀpoῤῥra3is in Liddell and Scott oὐrania oὐraniazw in Liddell and Scott Miller Stephen Gaylord 2004 Arete Greek sports from ancient sources University of California Press p 124 ISBN 0 520 07509 9 sfairomaxia in Liddell and Scott sfaῖra in Liddell and Scott maxh in Liddell and Scott Riano Rufilanchas Daniel 2000 Zwei Agone in I Priene 112 91 95 Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik Vol 129 pp 89 96 Julius Pollux 1846 c 177 CE Bekker Immanuel ed Onomasticon Wellcome Library in Ancient Greek Berolini F Nicolai 9 105 OCLC 1040670990 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Episkyros amp oldid 1203752571, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
