athens, ithyphallic herma in the panathenaic stadium
Archive ID: 421073
Description: ithyphallic herma in the panathenaic stadium.
"the ithyphallic images of hermes [the hermai]; the production of these came from the pelasgians [of arkadia and thessalia], from whom the athenians were the first greeks to take it, and then handed it on to others. for the athenians were then already counted as greeks when the pelasgians came to live in the land with them and thereby began to be considered as greeks. whoever has been initiated into the rites of the kabeiroi, which the samothrakians learned from the pelasgians and now practice, understands what my meaning is [the kabeiroi gods were the keepers of a sacred phallus]. samothrake was formerly inhabited by those pelasgians who came to live among the athenians, and it is from them that the samothrakians take their rites. the athenians, then, were the first greeks to make ithyphallic images of hermes, and they did this because the pelasgians taught them. the pelasgians told a certain sacred tale about this, which is set forth in the samothrakian mysteries." - herodotus, histories 2.51
the stadium was originally a natural hollow part of the ground between the two hills of agra and ardettos, over ilissos river. it was transformed into a stadium by lykourgos in 330-329 bc for the athletic competitions of the great panathinaea festivities. between 140 and 144 ad, herodes atticus restored the stadium, giving it the form that was found at the 1870 excavation: the horseshoe construction with a track 204,07 meters long and 33,35 meters wide. it is believed that the stadium had a seating capacity of 50.000 people. separating scales were built between the tiers and on the base of the sphendone there was a portico with doric-style columns; another portico was placed in the stadium's facade. herodes possibly restored also the ilissos river bridge on the stadium's entrance, making it larger and adding three archways on its base. the bridge was standing there up to 1778 and a part of it was excavated in 1958. at the roman times, the stadium was used as an arena, with the addition of a semi-circular wall on the north that was corresponding to the sphendone of the southern side.
the modern times restoration of the stadium was conducted by g. averof by the end of the 19th century for the first olympic games that were reborn again in 1896.
"the ithyphallic images of hermes [the hermai]; the production of these came from the pelasgians [of arkadia and thessalia], from whom the athenians were the first greeks to take it, and then handed it on to others. for the athenians were then already counted as greeks when the pelasgians came to live in the land with them and thereby began to be considered as greeks. whoever has been initiated into the rites of the kabeiroi, which the samothrakians learned from the pelasgians and now practice, understands what my meaning is [the kabeiroi gods were the keepers of a sacred phallus]. samothrake was formerly inhabited by those pelasgians who came to live among the athenians, and it is from them that the samothrakians take their rites. the athenians, then, were the first greeks to make ithyphallic images of hermes, and they did this because the pelasgians taught them. the pelasgians told a certain sacred tale about this, which is set forth in the samothrakian mysteries." - herodotus, histories 2.51
the stadium was originally a natural hollow part of the ground between the two hills of agra and ardettos, over ilissos river. it was transformed into a stadium by lykourgos in 330-329 bc for the athletic competitions of the great panathinaea festivities. between 140 and 144 ad, herodes atticus restored the stadium, giving it the form that was found at the 1870 excavation: the horseshoe construction with a track 204,07 meters long and 33,35 meters wide. it is believed that the stadium had a seating capacity of 50.000 people. separating scales were built between the tiers and on the base of the sphendone there was a portico with doric-style columns; another portico was placed in the stadium's facade. herodes possibly restored also the ilissos river bridge on the stadium's entrance, making it larger and adding three archways on its base. the bridge was standing there up to 1778 and a part of it was excavated in 1958. at the roman times, the stadium was used as an arena, with the addition of a semi-circular wall on the north that was corresponding to the sphendone of the southern side.
the modern times restoration of the stadium was conducted by g. averof by the end of the 19th century for the first olympic games that were reborn again in 1896.
Added on: March 25, 2007
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