Page 103 - A Walk to Caesarea / Joseph Patrich

A Walk to Caesarea: A Historical-Archaeological Perspective 89

were thrown there as prey for the wild beasts. Roman-style “entertainments” such
as these took place in the eastern part of the empire in stadiums rather than in oval
amphitheaters, which were rare in this part of the empire.

Athletics (gymnika)

The structure designated for competitions and athletics in the Greek and Hellenistic world was the stadium. The

minimal length required for the race track was one stadion (600 feet; 177–192 m, taking the length of a foot

as 29.5–32 cm, respectively). The average width of the rectangular

running space (dromos) in the known stadiums is about 30 m

(100 feet). The gymnastic games (gymnika), which were a most

important component of these competitions, usually had the

following branches of athletics: pentathlon, which included the long

jump, discus throwing, javelin throwing, three rounds of wrestling,

and a short distance run of one stadion. We know of other races as

well, not part of the pentathlon: a double-stadion race (diaulos) of

a complete circle; a long-distance race of unfixed length (dolichos)

and liable to vary between three-quarters of a mile to three miles;

and a foot race in hoplite armor of helmet and shield. There was

also wrestling and pankration (a combination of wrestling and

boxing, including kicking and choking). There were separate events

for children (paides), young men (ageneioi), and adults (andres).

The games continued under Roman rule in the east and spread from

city to city, and in addition to athletics, various other contests were

added. Aside from the periodic games – usually held once every Fig. 87
four years – games were held in connection with the religious cult Tombstone of a naked, victorious athlete.

of the city, on festivals, and also at political events, such as the The palm branch in one hand, the object
visit or succession of a ruler or governor, or at the celebrations of in the other (a coin? a medal?), and the
one of the wealthy of the city who granted it games, and the like. krater beside him are symbols of victory.
Festivals of the emperor’s cult were a category unto themselves. A 3rd–4th century, height 0.6 m, discovered
palm branch was one of the signs of an athlete’s victory (Fig. 87). in 1952 in the area of the cemetery to the
east of the Roman circus

The larger part of the complex was excavated by an expedition of the Israel
Antiquities Authority headed by Yosef Porath. The starting gates (carceres) in the
north and the section of the arena close to them were uncovered by the Haifa
University expedition, led by Joseph Patrich. An arched gateway linked Herod’s
palace to the hippo-stadium. The complex was built on a “fresh” section of the
shore which had been formed as the result of building of the southern breakwater
of the harbor, which penetrated c. 400 m into the sea. This obstacle attenuated the
might of the waves hitting the shore from the southwest, and the sand they carried
became stratified and expanded the coast line.