Theagene of Thasos

Théagène de Thasos or Théogénès is one of the most famous Greek athletes of the Antiquity which lived at fifth century BC. The details of its life are known by Pausanias (VI, 11,2-9).

Theagene became famous for the first time at nine years, by withdrawing a bronze statue of its base to bring it at his place. Certain inhabitants of Thasos were so furious that they would have punished it of death, but it was rather condemned to go to defer the heavy statue to its place. What it did. The history of this funny of boy made it tower of Greece.

This incident passed, Théagène is entrusted to the care of the gymnaste which teaches to him to channel its considerable force. Theagene is crowned champion with the Olympic Games in Boxe in 480 av. J. - C. and in Pancrace in 476. It even takes down doubled in boxing and pancrace in 486 av. J. - C. at the time of the Isthmian Plays. He also triumphs three times at the Jeux Pythiques in boxing at the time of the editions over 482 av. J. - C., 478 av. J. - C. and 474 av. J. - C., nine times at the Jeux Néméens and ten times at the Isthmian Jeux. Pausanias reports that it would have gained more than 1400 crowns of champions through all Greece. Exploit for a heavy athlete, it also gains the title with Pythie, the fatherland of Achilles, in race on foot in the race of the dolichos (approximately 5000 meters).

With its death, a statue was set up. It is told that a man who had never succeeded in overcoming Théagène returned night near this statue, to coil it blows. One evening, the statue was unsoldered and collapsed on this man, resulting in his death. There was in Thasos a law which ordered to precipitate in the sea the even inanimate things which, while falling, or by some other accident, had made perish a man. Consequently of this law, the parents of death quoted the statue in justice, and she was condemned to be thrown in the sea. Soon after, Thasiens tested a contagious disease which made very great devastations. Oracle that they consulted answered them to make return their exiled. They all pointed out them; and as the plague did not cease, they still had recourse the oracle, which answered them:

You forgot illustrates it Théagène,

Whose famous exploits illustrated the arena.

By an unjust stop unworthily faded,

Under the floods of the sea it is buried.

Fishermen recover the statue in their nets. They offered sacrifices to the statue, and the dryness ended…

Theagene was then venerated like a god healer in Thasos and well beyond. The base of a statue healer was indeed found on the agora of Thasos, carrying an inscription containing a catalog of victories. It had to be engraved at the beginning of fourth century BC at the time when the son of Théagène, named Disolympios to commemorate the double victory of his father to the Olympic Games, exerted the functions of Théore. A marble trunk also carrying an inscription indicates the place where the faithful ones deposited their offerings.

Random links: