Challenging Gender Roles: Cynisca at the Olympics, Pausanias, Desc. Graec. III.viii.1

 When Archidamus died, he was survived by two sons: Agis and Agesilaus. Agis, the older of his children, began to rule. Archidamus also had a daughter named Cynisca, who ambitiously entered the Olympic games. She was the first woman to train horses, and the first woman to win at the Olympics. There were other women who were victorious at the Olympics, especially from Sparta, none of them were more distinguished than her.

Quum* decessisset Archidamus, filiis duobus relictis, Agis, quod Agesilao maior natu erat, regnare coepit. Habuit Archidamus & filiam, Cyniscam nomine, quae ad Olympicas victorias [audacissime] adspiravit. Prima haec feminarum omnium equos aluit, prima Olympicam palmam tulit. Post eam enim et aliae, inpriis vero e Macedonia nonnulae, sunt victrices in Olympicis renuntiatae: quibus tamen illa longe gloria praestitit.

Ἀρχιδάμου δὲ ὡς ἐτελεύτα καταλιπόντος παῖδας Ἆγίς τε πρεσβύτερος ἦν ἡλικίᾳ καὶ παρέλαβεν ἀντὶ Ἀγησιλάου τὴν ἀρχήν. ἐγένετο δὲ Ἀρχιδάμῳ καὶ θυγάτηρ, ὄνομα μὲν Κυνίσκα, φιλοτιμότατα δὲ ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἔσχε τὸν Ὀλυμπικόν καὶ πρώτη τε ἱπποτρόφησε γυναικῶν καὶ νίκην ἀνείλετο Ὀλυμπικὴν πρώτη. Κυνίσκας δὲ ὕστερον γυναιξὶ καὶ ἄλλαις καὶ μάλιστα ταῖς ἐκ Λακεδαίμονος γεγόνασιν Ὀλυμπικαὶ νῖκαι, ὧν ἡ ἐπιφανεστέρα ἐς τὰς νίκας οὐδεμία ἐστὶν αὐτῆς.  

 *quum is an alternate spelling for the conjunction cum

--Pausanias, Descriptio Graeciae III.viii.1; Translated into Latin by Romulus Amaseus (1696)

 

Pausanias was a Greek writer who lived during the era of the “Five Good Emperors.” His work, the Description of Greece, is an important source for geographical, historical, archaeological, and cultural information about ancient Greece. 

Challenging Gender Roles: the Olympic Gold Medalist Cynisca, Pausanias, Desc. Graec. 3.15.1

Cynisca, Princess of Sparta and Olympic Champion

Name:  Pausanias Date:        110 – 180 CE Region:    Lydia [modern Turkey] Citation:      Description of Greece  3.15.1

By the grove of plane trees [in Sparta] is a monument to the hero Cynisca, the daughter of king Archidamus.  She was the first of all women to train horses, and was the first woman to win the chariot-race in the Olympic games.

πρὸς δὲ τῷ Πλατανιστᾷ καὶ Κυνίσκας ἐστὶν ἡρῷον, θυγατρὸς Ἀρχιδάμου βασιλεύοντος Σπαρτιατῶν: πρώτη δὲ ἱπποτρόφησε γυναικῶν καὶ Ὀλυμπίασι πρώτη νίκην ἀνείλετο ἅρματι.

Ad platanetum est etiam Cyniscae Archidami regis filiae monumentum heroicum. Ea prima feminarum omnium equos alere instituit, & prima ludis Olympicis de quadrigis palmam meruit. Translated into Latin by Romulus Amaseus

Pausanias [110 -180 CE, modern Turkey] was a Greek writer from Lydia who lived during the era of the “Five Good Emperors.” His work, the Description of Greece, is an important source for geographical, historical, archaeological, and cultural information about ancient Greece.

Bringing Home A Gold Medal: Cynisca, Princess of Sparta [Greek Anthology 13.16]

In Praise of Cynisca 

Name:  Unknown Date:     Unknown Region:    Unknown Citation:    Greek Anthology 13.16

My forefathers and brothers were Kings of Sparta,

I, Cynisca, erect this monument

In my chariot-racing victory.

Of all the women in Greece,

I alone can say that I brought home the prize.

 

Σπάρτας μὲν βασιλῆες ἐμοὶ πατέρες καὶ ἀδελφοί- ἅρμασι δ’ ὠκυπόδων ἵππων νικῶσα Κυνίσκα εἰκόνα τάνδ’ ἔστησα. Μόναν δέ με φαμὶ γυναικῶν Ἑλλάδος ἐκ πάσας τόνδε λαβεῖν στέφανον.

Spartae quidem reges mei patres et fratres, curribusque velocipedum equorum vincens Cynisca imaginem hanc erexi. Solam autem me aio mulierum Hellade ex omni hanc reportasse coronam. Translated into Latin by Johann Friedrich Duebner