Epoch 55. The supplemental number being mutilated, the date is furnished from Diodorus Siculus, Epoch 61, 62, 65, are also supplied from Diodorus. The last, however, is incorrect, B.C. 406; for the accession of Artaxerxes Mnemon, the brother of Cyrus the younger, was not till B.C. 404, according to the Canon. ERAS OF IPHITUS, AND OF THE OLYMPIADS. Ουτ' Ολυμπιας αγωνα 66 Nothing better than the Olympic games Can we celebrate."-PIND. Od. 1. These celebrated games were originally instituted in honour of Jupiter Olympius, by the Phrygian Pelops, who settled in the Grecian Peninsula, called from him Peloponnesus, about B.C. 1350. They were repeated by the Theban Hercules, about B.C. 1325, and after a long interruption, restored in part by Iphitus, king of Elis, and celebrated at Olympia, on the banks of the river Alpheus, B.C. 884, according to the most probable account. However, the Vulgar Era of the Olympiads did not commence till 108 years after, July 19, B.C. 776. From which time, they were regularly continued every four years complete, or fifth year current, and lasted for five days, on each of which were celebrated the different games of leaping, running, throwing the discus, darting, and wrestling; the last day fell on the first full moon after the Summer solstice, and the next day the prizes were awarded *. Pausanias, that accurate antiquary, who flourished about A.D. 170, and had himself inspected the Olympic register at Elis, gives the following particular account of their gradual restoration: 66 After Iphitus had revived the festival in the manner above related, the memory of several ancient customs was still lost, and it was by slow degrees that men came to the remembrance of them, and added to the games whatever they happened to recollect. This is evident. For reckoning from the time when the memorials of the Olympiads go on without interruption, the * Επει εν τη πανσεληνῃ ὁ Ολυμπιακος αγων αγεται, και τη εκκαιδεκατη γινεται кpioig. Schol. in Pindar. Od. 3. first prize given was for the foot-race, which was won by Corabus, the Elean. Afterwards, in the 14th Olympiad, the Diaulos, (or double course) was added; when Hypenus, of Pisa, bore away the olive-branch for the Diaulos, as did Acanthus in the next Olympiad. Then, in the 18th Olympiad, they recollected the Pentathlos, (or the five exercises) and the wrestling." Eliac. 1. p. 394. The registry of the victors in the games, and consequently of the Olympiads themselves, or Quadriennial Cycle, the first year of which was appropriated to the celebration of the games, was carefully kept at Elis, and the names of the victors inserted in it by the presidents of the games. Pausanias found it perfect, except in the 211th Olympiad, A.D. 65, “which (says he,) is the only Olympiad omitted in the register of the Eleans." Phocic. p. 892. It was therefore a register of the most public authenticity. See Musgrave's Vindication of the Olympiads, p. 230. Before Pausanias, the judicious Strabo had remarked, that Corabus was the first victor in the Olympic games, and Athenæus afterwards particularly notices his profession as a cook. Lib. ix. p. 392. And the learned chronologer Varro justly considers the era of the Olympiads, as forming the limit between the fabulous and historical ages. These testimonies infinitely outweigh the objections of Plutarch, too hastily adopted by Sir Isaac Newton, in his Chronology, p. 47; namely, that the register of the Olympiads was published rather late, "by Hippias, the Elean, about the 105th Olympiad, B.C. 360, and from no certain materials." The adjustment of this era to the Christian is fully ascertained by historical and astronomical evidence. The learned Censorinus, in his excellent work, De die natali, cap. 21, marks the year in which he wrote it, A.D. 238, in the consulate of Ulpius and Pontianus, by its reference to some of the most remarkable eras *; and among the rest states, that it * Secundum Varronis rationem, nisi fallor, hic annus cujus velut index et titulus quidem est Ulpii et Pontiani consulatus (A.D. 238.) ab Olympiade primâ millesimus est et quartus decimus, ex diebus duntaxat æstivis quibus agon Olympicus celebratur. A Româ autem condita, nongentesimus nonagesimus primus, et quidem ex Parilibus, unde Urbis anni numerantur.—Ab Ægyptiis quidam anni in literas relati sunt; ut quas Nabonnazaru nominant, quod a primo imperii ejus anno consurgunt; quorum hic nongentesimus octogesimus est: Item Philippi [Aridai] qui ab excessu Alexandri Magni numerantur; et ad hunc usque perducti, annos quingenta sexaginta duos consummant: sed horum initia semper a primo die mensis ejus sumuntur, cui apud was "the 1014th year from the first Olympiad, reckoned from the Summer days, on which the Olympic games were celebrated." But 1014-A.D. 238-B.C. 776. Polybius relates, that in the third year of the 140th Olympiad, during the Spring, there happened two memorable battles; the former between the Romans and Carthaginians, at the lake Thrasymene in Italy; the latter between Antiochus and Ptolomy, at Raphia, in Cole-Syria. And also, that in the course of that same year, there was an eclipse of the moon, which terrified the Gallic auxiliaries whom Attalus was bringing over from Europe, in consequence of which they refused to proceed. Lib. v. p. 442. The third year of the 140th Olympiad began July, B.C. 218, and ended July, B.C. 217; but in the former Julian year, there was a great eclipse of the moon on September 1, an hour after midnight, in which the moon was near an hour and half immersed in the earth's shadow, and which therefore was fully sufficient to terrify the ignorant and superstitious; and the battle of Thrasymene was fought in the next Julian year, B.C. 217, in the consulate of Servilius Geminus and C. Flaminius II. but as it was in Spring, it fell within the compass of the same Olympic year. But 139 Olympiads and two years over make 558 years, which added to B.C. 218, give B.C. 776 for the date of the first Olympiad. These demonstrative characters are furnished by Petavius, tom. ii. p. 56. The following Table gives the first year of each Olympiad, and the victor in the Stadium, or foot-race: whence the second, third, and fourth years, are easily found. Ægyptios nomen est Thoth, quique hoc anno fuit ante diem septimum Kal. Julias' Censorin. de die natali. cap. 21, or Petav. 2, p. 53. Hence, 1014-A.D. 238=B.C. 776. 991-A.D. 238=B.C. 753. 985-A.D. 238=B.C. 747. 562-A.D. 238=B.C. 324. |