The Ancient Greeks were known for their advancements and developments that remain prominent in the modern world. Many writings and social commentaries came out of this time, including the collection of descriptions of Ancient Greece written by Pausanias. The subject of discourse for this paper takes place in the second century A.D., roughly between the years 100-200. The Description of Greece was written sometime around the year 175 (Habicht 9). Pausanias wrote many works on his journeys through Greece in the second century, intending them to be a type of guidebook for others (Habicht 2). His work spanned about thirty years, between 150 and 180 (Elsner 3). In fact, he is often referred to by historians as “the Guide” because of the way his works resemble tour guide books (Habicht 2). In his Description of Greece, Pausanias offers a description of the Olympics after they had been established for multiple years. Pausanias’ document reflects three main developments and issues of Greece at the time, using the Olympics to showcase the developments of warriors, women, and religion.
The secondary sources used for the analysis of the primary document are Pausanias’ Guide to Ancient Greece by Christian Habicht, “Did Parthenoi Attend the Olympic Games?” By Matthew Dillon, and “Pausanias: A Greek Pilgrim in the Roman World” by John Elsner. Habicht’s book offers an overview on the life and writings of Pausanias and provides the background for the author himself. Dillon’s article offers insight and historical information about women and their presence at the Olympics. Elsner’s article discusses Pausanias’ attempts to remain strong to the Greek heritage and culture while living in the Roman Empire.
In Description of Greece, Pausanias shows the way that society viewed the Olympic victors as warriors, and states that these games were directly related to the way the empire prepared for war. He states that “the race in heavy armor was tried in the 65th Olympiad as an exercise for war, I think” (Pausanias par. 1). The Ancient Greeks were known for their powerful armies, and warrior culture was a big part of a lot of the writing that came out of this time. Building a warrior was taken very seriously by the Ancient Greeks, and Pausanias’ writings show the efforts and care that were put into this type of training.
The document by Pausanias shows a lot about the way that women were viewed at the time and the developments that were made in regards to the female sex. In his document, Pausanias states that any women caught attending the games were “cast down” Mount Typaeum (Pausanias par. 2). At the time, women were strictly prohibited from even being in Olympia during the time that the Olympic games and festivals were taking place (Dillon 457). One of the theories for the reasoning behind this was because Greek men did not want their wives in social areas where they could interact with other men (Dillon 459). In addition, all of the Olympic athletes competed naked and this might have been seen as something that would be inappropriate for women to witness (Dillon 458). According to Pausanias, women were only allowed to participate in the festivities once every four years, when a sacrifice was made to the goddess Hera (Pausanias par. 3). During this time, virgins were allowed to compete in small competitions, but they were completely separate from the men and these were likely puberty rituals as opposed to actual games (Dillon 460). They were never allowed to participate in the actual games themselves. This is historically accurate because it is noted that at these festivals, the victors of the games would enjoy increased popularity and admiration from the women for their feats (Dillon 458). Thus, proof is evident that women were indeed present at the festivals but not as spectators during the actual games. The only reason that women were allowed to participate in the occasional festivals and celebrations was because they were honoring the gods.
Pausanias shows a glimpse of the religion of the time with his description of the Olympics because he showcases aspects of the way that the Greeks worshipped their gods. Many of Pausanias’ writings describe the various statues of Greece and the gods that they were created for, offering his commentary on the way that Greeks worshipped at the time (Habicht 5). The Olympic games themselves had a lot of elements that included worshipping gods. The festivals that took place around the games were meant to honor the god Apollo (Dillon 458). In addition, Pausanias describes these festivals as a time when women would weave a robe for Hera, and “maidens” were allowed to compete in small foot races (Pausanias par. 3). These exceptions to the general rules were only created out of the respect and worship of the gods. The Ancient Greeks had a very strong religious identity, especially as the Romans began to push for more control (Elsner 5). Therefore, the worship of gods was very strong and prominent to the Greeks as they began to use it to hold together their cultural identity.
Pausanias’ Description of Greece showcases life during Ancient Greece by describing some of the big issues of the time: war culture, the issue of treatment of women, and the worship of gods. His writing on the Olympics is relevant for the time because these games have continued to develop throughout history. They gained so much prominence that they have spread globally over the course of history, as countries around the world participate in the Olympics every year. In addition, Olympians are very highly respected in modern society and are seen as the best of the best in the athletic world. Many other developments from Ancient Greece have also remained prominent in the modern world, but the Olympics unite many countries around the world, regardless of government style, ethics, or structure.
Works Cited
Dillon, Matthew. “Did Parthenoi Attend the Olympic Games? Girls and Women Competing,
Spectating, and Carrying Out Cult Roles at Greek Religious Festivals.” Hermes 128.4
(2000): 457-480.
Elsner, John. “Pausanias: A Greek Pilgrim in the Roman World.” Past & Present 135 (1992):
3-29.
Habicht, Christian. Pausanias’ Guide to Ancient Greece. Berkeley, CA: University of California
Press, 1998.
Pausanias. Description of Greece, c. 175 CE. In A Source Book of Greek History. Ed. Fred
Morrow Fling. Boston: D.C. Heath, 1907. 47-53.
