Lampadedromy

The lampadédromies ( λαμπαδηδρομία ) or lampadéphories ( λαμπαδηφορία ) are races with the torches which belonged to the programme of certain festivities of the Greek Antiquité. It seems that the institution of the lampadédromies are old and that in the beginning they take place at the time of festivals dedicated to divinities related to the fire-worship. With Athens, There were of it thus primitevement three, one at the time of the Prométhéennes (festival in the honor of Prométhée), one at the time of the Héphaisties (in the honor of Héphaistos) and a last at the time of the Panathénées (in the honor of Athéna).
One knows of it rather well unfolding with the traditional time. It was a competition between the tribes resulting from the reform of Clisthène. The tribes which took part, probablemnent five each time, chose gymnasiarque which recruited with its expenses the runners within its tribute. The race proceeded between the Académie and Athens (Dipyle carries), the distance was of approximately 1km. Each tribe aligned forty runners and each one traversed approximately 25m before transmitting the torch, which was to remain lit, to the following runner. The victory was collective. The significance of the lampadédromies is on the other hand hypothetical, acts it to honor the gift with fire to the men and its benefits or acts it of a ritual purification by fire.

The lampadédromies, very appreciated, will evolve/move during times. As of the O C one will start to witness a multiplication of the races. After the victory of Marathon, the Athenians will add of it a fourth in the honor of the god Pan. It will be held some then during the Théséennes, the Herméennes, the Bendideia and even with the imperial time in the honor of Roman military chiefs. The rules will also change since, the races will be sometimes individual and either collective. There will be also lampadédromies with riders or children.

The lampadédromies took place in all the areas of Greece and Grande Greece at least until the Roman epoch. They remained nevertheless a purely Greek cultural phenomenon, the Romans did not practice them pas.
Il could be that the ancient lampadédromies inspired Carl Diem when it introduced as from 1936 into the modern Olympic Games the race-relay of the Olympic flame of Greece at the host city.

Sources

(312-14)
(VIII, 98)
(I, 328a)
(1089-98)
(I, 30,2)
(lamda, 88)

Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities , C. Daremberg, E. Saglio; article: Lampadedromia
Dictionary off Greek and Romance Antiquities , W. Smith; p.666

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