The Javelin Throwing
The Javelin Throwing
The ancient Greek javelin throw was much like its modern counterpart as well. Athletes would throw a spear about as long as the height of an average man. These weapons featured a small leather strap called an amentum, or an ankyle, which was wrapped from one end near the middle of the shaft and from the other around the athlete’s first and middle fingers. This end would slip away as the javelin was thrown, allowing it to fly away freely. The amentum enabled the athlete to propel the javelin over a larger throwing arc and spiral it through the air, resulting in a much farther throw than otherwise.
The athletes began a few meters before the start with a short preliminary run and threw the javelin as far as possible from the starting line. The javelin was made of wood and about as long as a man. The main difference with the contemporary method of throwing is the leather loop the Greeks attached to the spot where they held the javelin. By placing one or two fingers in the loop, the athlete could extend his arm artificially, with the advantage that the javelin could be accelerated over a longer distance. Moreover the use of the loop made the javelin rotate around its axis, which made it more stable.
Some sources claim that there were two variations of the javelin throwing event: ekebolon and stockastikon. They claim that the contest of ekebolon was to throw the javelin as far possible, while stockastikon was an accuracy competition in which competitors attempted to land the spear as close to a target as possible. However, there is no known historical evidence to suggest the existence of this accuracy competition, whereas there is extant evidence for the distance competition. Like the discus throw, it is speculated that the athlete was allowed 5 attempts, after which the longest throw was recorded.
Throwing the javelin towards a target, usually on horseback, had no place at Olympia, but was an important event at the games for Hera at Argos.
The ancient Greek javelin throw was much like its modern counterpart as well. Athletes would throw a spear about as long as the height of an average man. These weapons featured a small leather strap called an amentum, or an ankyle, which was wrapped from one end near the middle of the shaft and from the other around the athlete’s first and middle fingers. This end would slip away as the javelin was thrown, allowing it to fly away freely. The amentum enabled the athlete to propel the javelin over a larger throwing arc and spiral it through the air, resulting in a much farther throw than otherwise.
The athletes began a few meters before the start with a short preliminary run and threw the javelin as far as possible from the starting line. The javelin was made of wood and about as long as a man. The main difference with the contemporary method of throwing is the leather loop the Greeks attached to the spot where they held the javelin. By placing one or two fingers in the loop, the athlete could extend his arm artificially, with the advantage that the javelin could be accelerated over a longer distance. Moreover the use of the loop made the javelin rotate around its axis, which made it more stable.
Some sources claim that there were two variations of the javelin throwing event: ekebolon and stockastikon. They claim that the contest of ekebolon was to throw the javelin as far possible, while stockastikon was an accuracy competition in which competitors attempted to land the spear as close to a target as possible. However, there is no known historical evidence to suggest the existence of this accuracy competition, whereas there is extant evidence for the distance competition. Like the discus throw, it is speculated that the athlete was allowed 5 attempts, after which the longest throw was recorded.
Throwing the javelin towards a target, usually on horseback, had no place at Olympia, but was an important event at the games for Hera at Argos.
Javelin
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