Juniors age categories of athletes at the Panathenaic Games

Abstract

The article is devoted to some aspects of ancient athletics of the classical period. The author traces the history of the formation of the Olympic Games program and its influence on the programs of Pan-Hellenic and local Games. The popularity of the Pan-Hellenic Games led over time to the complication of the program and an increase in the number of athletes participating in the games, for whom different age classification systems were developed. At the Olympic and Pythian Games, all athletes were divided into two age groups: paides and andres, whereas at the Isthmian and Nemean Games there were three age groups of athletes: paides, ageneioi and andres. The author explores the history of the Panathenaic Games in Athens, which are often called the “fifth” Panhellenic Games. The article shows that the program of the Panathenaic Games, on the one hand, was created on the basis of the programs of the Olympic and Pythian Games, on the other hand, it differed from it in that it included a number of competitions in which only Athenians could take part. The author shows that both the competitions “only for Athenians” and the introduction of younger age groups of athletes created more opportunities for local athletes to succeed at the Panathenaic Games and thus contributed to the development of athletics in Athens.