Week 16: race ... RACING FOR ATHENA by Sheryl Gwyther ‘I have a bad feeling about this.’ Agesilaus stares at Kyniska, his mirror image now she’s chopped off her long hair. ‘Don’t worry, brother. This is for Sparta. And be damned to the Athenians who consider their horses better than ours.’ Kyniska smoothes her hand along Charcoal’s neck. All four horses shake their manes, excitement flickering through their bodies. ‘Of course, if you hadn’t torn a muscle, you’d be completing in the Chariot Race.’ ‘It’s not about the horses. You know the penalty, Kyniska. No females enter the Olympiad races under pain of death.’ She laughs. ‘They’ll think I’m you.’ Agesilaus sighs. His headstrong sister never listens, but nobody’s as skilled with horses as Kyniska – she’s reared, trained and raced them. He knows his twin too. Beneath her bravado is anxiety. ‘We need this victory, Agesilaus. I must race.’ Kyniska tugs her short tunic closer over her bound chest; not that she needed much binding. She pulls the crested helmet over her head and leads her team to the starting line. In the stadium, eleven chariots and their horses wait. Eleven muscled charioteers sneer at the skinny boy joining the race. Kyniska ignores them. Her position is at the back of the Ʌ-shaped line-up rope. A mechanical dolphin will lift, forcing the starting rope to drop from the back of the Ʌ first. She must ensure she gains a lead at the start. Kyniska jumps into her chariot and gathers the reins. Her horses respond as if reading her mind. The slopes along the race track fill with Athenians and high above the stadium, the colossal statue of Athena glows white in the morning sun. Kyniska’s heart hammers with terror. Her hands tremble on the reins. The horses prance and shuffle, sensing her sudden loss of confidence. She squints up at the helmeted goddess. Athena, goddess of war and of wisdom would surely recognise why Kyniska, Princess of Sparta must defy the Olympiad rule. A flash of white catches Kyniska’s eye. From the outstretched hand of the goddess, a white owl lifts and soars down into the stadium. Kyniska raises her wrist and the bird lands, heavy, golden-eyed. Its beak holds a sprig of olive. She takes it and tucks it into her belt as the owl flies away. Around her, charioteers gasp and mutter. What mystery is this? The olive tree symbolises victory. Owls are Athena’s messengers. And it’s the rarest of the rare, a pure, white creature. They stare with new respect at the boy controlling four, large black horses. Kyniska focuses her mind. In the far distance is the tall, marble column she needs to reach first to avoid collisions. Once around it, she and her four beauties must fly like the wind back to the finishing line. A hush falls over the Olympiad crowds. Kyniska breathes deeply, her muscles tense. She will race for Athena and Sparta. With a click, the silver dolphin soars. The rope drops. © Sheryl Gwyther 491 words Note: With a little knowledge of history, one can write almost anything. And like all good writers must do, I’ve blended truth with fiction to make a story. Kyniska really was a Princess of Sparta, and in 4th Century BC became the first female to become an Olympic champion, twice. She didn’t disguised herself as a boy to race, but she reared and trained her own horses. They won this event twice. It’s not surprising she pushed the boundaries – unlike other regions, Spartan girls were raised the same as the boys. Kyniska erected a bronze statue to herself in the Temple of Zeus – a chariot, horses, racer and herself. The inscription reads... Kings of Sparta are my father and brothers. Kyniska, victorious with a chariot of swift-footed horses, have erected this statue. I declare myself the only woman in all Hellas to have won this crown. ancientolympics.arts.kuleuven.be/eng/td001den.html
Posted on: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 22:57:21 +0000
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