ὀρθίων: cp. I. A. 94 “ὀρθίῳ κηρύγματι” | “Ταλθύβιον εἶπον πάντ᾽ ἀφιέναι στρατόν”. δρόμον … οὗ πρώτη κρίσις. There were three classes of “ἀγῶνες” at the Pythian festival; (1) the “μουσικοί”, in music, poetry, etc., which, as Plut. (Quaest. Conv. 2. 4) shows, came first; (2) the “γυμνικοί”, footraces, and trials of skilled strength; and (3) the “ἱππικοί”, chariot-races and horse-races. Little is known as to the details. But this passage shows that at Delphi, as in the Greek games generally, (a) the “γυμνικοὶ ἀγῶνες”, or a large part of them, preceded the “ἱππικοί”: and (b) of the “γυμνικοί”, the foot-races came first.
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Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part VI: The Electra. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1894.
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