Phayllus and his Record Jump

Abstract

The marvellous jump recorded in this epigram has naturally given rise to much controversy. Intimately connected with it is the equally disputed question of the meaning of the terms σκάμμα, τὰ ἐσκαμμένα, and Βατήρ as applied to the long jump.Most of the discussion on this point might have been avoided if scholars had considered the whole of the evidence and not confined their attention to one or two passages. The discussion has mostly turned upon the words of Pindar (Nem. v. 19, 20) μακρά μοι δὴ αὐτόθεεν ἅλμαθ´ ὑποσκάπτοι τις, and upon the scholiast's note on this passage. In J.H.S. vol. i. 213 Prof. Percy Gardner gave the following explanation: ‘After every leap a fork was drawn across to mark the length, so that he who leaps beyond all marks distances his rivals.’ In J.H.S. vol. ii. p. 218 Mr. Myres suggested that ‘the σκάμμα might be a line drawn for the jumper to jump at like the handkerchief or piece of paper sometimes used in the present day.’ He further suggested that the three lines seen on the B.M. vase B 48 represented the ἐσκαμμένα. Both these gentlemen have I believe since altered their views, but as statements bearing the authority of their names are always liable to be repeated without further investigation, the errors still persist.

How could ancient Greek athletes jump 16 meters and why modern athletes not? A multidisciplinary approach to unravel the technique of the ancient Greek halma

“…The British sport historian E. Norman Gardiner (1864Gardiner ( -1930, who was generally considered as the leading authority on Greek athletics in the Anglophone world, published in 1904 an article on 'Phayllus and his record jump' in the Journal of Hellenic Studies (24: 70-80) 33 . He describes the function of the halteres, the bater, the fact that the skamma and eskammena were the same landing pit, the pegs used as markers of previous jumps and the kanoon as measuring rod.…”

“…He describes the function of the halteres, the bater, the fact that the skamma and eskammena were the same landing pit, the pegs used as markers of previous jumps and the kanoon as measuring rod. He 33 stresses that there was a short Renson R. How could ancient Greek athletes jump 16 meters and why modern athletes not? A multidisciplinary approach to unravel the technique of the ancient Greek halma.…”

Simplified Biomechanics for a Possible Explanation of the Ancient Greek Long Jump Using Halteres

“…Obviously, in case of non-rotating masses ( 0 ω = ), (3) and ( 7) degenerate to the well-known parabolic trajectory of jumper's centre of mass. In the latter case, the duration T of the jump is given by:…”

“…According to an existing epigram, Phayllos jumped 55 feet (16.28 m) while Chronis of Sparta jumped 52 feet (16.66 m) at Olympia during the games of 664 B.C. Halteres were probably used in both the usual and the standing long jump, but the pattern of their motion and their efficiency has been a matter of debate and research [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].…”