Abstract

Pisa claimed to have been the original supervisor of the Olympic festival, but for centuries was involved in a power struggle with Elis. Three times, according to Pausanias (VI 22,2-3), the Pisatans took control of Olympia from the Eleans: if we follow the traditional dating, these incidents took place in Olympiads 8 (748 BC), 34 (644 BC), and 104 (364 BC). It is the power and politics associated with the last of these Games that are discussed in this article, based largely on the evidence of Xenophon (Hellenica VII 4,12-35), an Olympic inscription (IvO 36 = Syll.3 171), and coins. Even though at this time the Pisa-tans had no sophisticated infrastructure, in accordance with tradition they supervised the Games of 364 BC, together with the military power of the Arcadians. The Pisatans, like the Eleans, symbolically linked themselves to the Olympic sanctuary, by issuing gold coins with the head of Zeus. The events of the 104th Olympiad show that both the Pisatans and Eleans were prepared to commit sacrilege in the Altis to defend what they considered to be the spiritual centre of their city. Verf. Referat