Panathenaea

English

WOTD – 28 October 2023

Etymology

Runners at the Panathenaic Games depicted on an amphora (c. 530–520 B.C.E.) which would have been awarded to the winner of the Games.

Learned borrowing from Latin Panathēnaea, and from its etymon Ancient Greek Πᾰνᾰθήναιᾰ (Panathḗnaia), a noun use of the neuter plural of Παναθηναῖος (Panathēnaîos, “Panathenian”) (in Παναθήναια ἱερᾰ́ (Panathḗnaia hierá, “Panathenian solemnities”)), from πᾰν- (pan-, prefix meaning ‘all; every’) + Ἀθηναῖος (Athēnaîos, “of or relating to Athens, Athenian”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-íā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns). Ἀθηναῖος (Athēnaîos) is derived from either Ἀθῆναι (Athênai, “Athens”) or Ᾰ̓θήνη (Athḗnē, “Athena, patron goddess of Athens”) + -ῐος (-ios, suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌpæn.æ.θɪˈniː.ə/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌpænˌæ.θəˈni.ə/
• Rhymes: -iːə
• Hyphenation: Pan‧a‧then‧aea

Proper noun

Panathenaea

1. (Ancient Greece, historical) A festival formerly held annually in Athens to honour the city's patron goddess Athena, involving animal sacrifices, a grand procession, and, every fourth year, athletic and musical contests.
   • [1578], John Lylly [i.e., John Lyly], “Of the Education of Youth”, in Euphues. The Anatomy of Wyt. […], London: […] Thomas East, for Gabriell Cawood, […], →OCLC; republished in Edward Arber, editor, Euphues. The Anatomy of Wit. […] Euphues and His England. […], London: Alex[ander] Murray & Son, […], 1 October 1868, →OCLC, page 141:

     When Panthænea^[sic] wer celebrated at Athens, an olde man gooing to take a place was mockingly reiected, at the laſt comming among the Lacedemonians, all the youth gaue him place, which the Athenians liked wel off, then one of the Spartans cryed out: Verily the Athenians know what ſhould be done, but they neuer doe it.

     Spelled Panathænea in the 1st edition of the work.

   • [1603, Plutarch, “[An Explanation of Sundry Hard Words and Obscure Terms, in this Translation of Plutarch, [….] Panathenæa]”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 645:

     Panathenæa. A ſolemnity held at Athens: vvherein the vvhole city men, vvomen and children vvere aſſembled. And ſuch games, dances and plaies as vvere then exhibited; or vvhat orations vvere then and there made, they called Panathenaik.]

   • a. 1823 (date written), Plato, “[Essays, Letters from Abroad, Translations and Fragments] Ion; or, Of the Iliad; Translated from Plato”, in Percy Bysshe Shelley, transl., edited by [Mary Wollstonecraft] Shelley, The Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, new edition, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 67, column 1:

     Ion.— […] [T]here were contests in every species of music. […] I bore away the first prize at the games, O Socrates. / Socrates.—Well done! You have now only to consider how you shall win the Panathenæa.

Alternative forms

• Panathenaia

Derived terms

• Panathenaean

Related terms

• Panathenaic

Translations

festival formerly held annually in Athens to honour the city’s patron goddess Athena

• Finnish: Panathenaia
• French: Panathénées (fr) f pl
• German: Panathenäen pl
• Greek: Παναθήναια (el) n pl (Panathínaia)

  Ancient Greek: Πᾰνᾰθήναιᾰ n pl (Panathḗnaia)

• Hebrew: פאנאתנאיה
• Italian: Panatenee f pl
• Latin: Panathēnāica n pl
• Macedonian: Панатенеја f (Panateneja)
• Occitan: Panateneas f pl
• Portuguese: Panateneias f pl
• Spanish: Panateneas f pl

Further reading

• Panathenaea on Wikipedia.Wikipedia