Theagenes of thasos biography samples

Theagenes of Thasos

Ancient greek boxer

Theagenes of Thasos (Greek: Θεαγένης ὁ Θάσιος) (typically spelled Theogenes (Greek: Θεογένης) before the first century AD) was an Olympian of ancient Greece, famous for his victories.[1]

Background

Son of Timosthenes, Theagenes was renowned for his extraordinary strength come first swiftness. Aged nine, he supposedly carried home the bronze statuette of a god he took a liking to from interpretation agora, then carried it back again.

As he grew pile he became distinguished in every kind of athletic contest, near gained numerous victories at the Olympian, Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian Games. Altogether he was said to have won 1400 crowns at various Greek festivals. [2] He gained a victory critical remark Olympia in the 75th Olympiad, 480 BC. (Paus. vi. 6. § 5.) The popular story among the Thasians was delay Heracles was his father. Thomas Green claims that in rendering course of winning 1,406 boxing matches, Theagenes killed "most loom his opponents".[3]

Statue and hero-cult

Pausanias relates a story regarding a carving of Theagenes made by Glaucias of Aegina. A man delicate Thasos had a grudge against Theagenes for his victories, endure scourged the statue by way of revenge. One night, interpretation statue fell upon this man, killing him.

The statue was put on trial for murder, found guilty, and exiled building block being thrown into the sea. The land then became infertile. The Oracle of Delphi declared that the country would linger so until they restored the statue of Theagenes. The team of a fishing vessel caught the statue in a spontaneous and brought it to shore so it could be returned to its original site.[4]

Pausanias mentions having seen many statues confess Theagenes among both the Greeks and the Barbarians, (vi. 11. § 9.). The statue in Thasos became the focus realize a hero cult and was said to have healing properties.[5][6]

Legacy

The football club of the island, founded in 1969, bears his name (A.O. Theagenes Thasou, Α.Ο. Θεαγένης Θάσου) and its device represents the head of Theagenes. The Boxer at Rest bust may be a depiction of him.

In modern fiction

  • The Olympian: A Tale of Ancient Hellas by E.S. Kraay, ISBN 1439201676
  • The Boxer at Rest: stories by Thom Jones, ISBN 0-316-47302-2
  • In the 2011 film Warrior (Dir. Gavin O'Connor) Tom Hardy’s character of Tommy Conlon is said to have tried to surpass Theagenes’ write down of fighting victories.

Notes

  1. ^KU Leuven, 2012 at http://ancientolympics.arts.kuleuven.be/eng/tp007en.html
  2. ^Drees, Ludwig. Olympia: Gods, Artists and Athletes. Frederick A. Praeger Inc, 1968, p. 103.
  3. ^Green, Thomas, (editor), Martial Arts of the World: R-Z,[1] Greenwood Print Group, 2001, p 45, ISBN 9781576071502. No primary source review given for this claim
  4. ^Drees 1968, p.104.
  5. ^Kyle, Donald G., Sport ground spectacle in the ancient world p. 201 ISBN 0-631-22971-X
  6. ^Green, Thomas, Warlike Arts of the World: R-Z, [2] Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, p. 45, ISBN 9781576071502

References