Agon (mythology)
Agon ( ancient Greek Ἀγών ) is the personification of competition ( agon ) in Greek mythology .
A cult of the agon is only documented in Pausanias , a myth has not been passed down. Pausanias describes a smaller statue of Agon made by Dionysius , which was set up as a consecration gift by Mikythos in the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia . Agon was holding Halteres in his hands, which the Olympic pentathletes used as an aid in the long jump. He was also depicted under the reliefs of gods on the chryselephantine table created by Kolotes , on which the wreaths for the winners of the Olympic Games were laid out.
Many attempts have been made to identify agon on further displays. Representations of pentathletes equipped with wings and thus deified have survived, which can be found on sculptures, coins or sarcophagi . However, due to the lack of inscriptions, the assignment to Agon remains hypothetical.
literature
- Theodor Schreiber : Agon . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 1.1, Leipzig 1886, column 107 ( digitized version ).
- Emil Reisch : Agon . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume I, 1, Stuttgart 1893, Col. 835 f.
Web links
- Agon in the Theoi Project (English)