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Jousting at Tripods?

In her fine article on the Equestrian Events at Athens, DIonysia Xanthippos describes one of the horsemen as charging toward a "tripod target" with lance lowered like a medieval knight in a tourney. She is apparently referring to the Bryaxis monument now in the National Archeological Museum in Athens which this famous sculptor carved to exhibit a prize tripod awarded to a winner in the anthippasia contest . But in the scene she refers to, the rider does not approach with lance/spear/javelin lowered and aimed at the tripod, but rather holds it raised up at something like a 45-degree angle. The Greek spear or javelin is much shorter and lighter than a medieval lance, and would be thrown in an overhead arc in much the same way that a modern javelin thrower would hurl it.

One can see the spear angle as it is raised for release on the Panathenaic amphora in the British Museum that she shows. Moreover, the rider on the right who has already released his spear, which we see sticking out of the target, is not "waving" at the rider behind him, but simply following through on his throw, with his arm still up in the air.

Finally, since this is a round target, whether a shield or some other object, one wonders if the tripod on the Bryaxis relief was ever a real target at all. If so, it's certainly a very odd sort of target, made of metal and wholly unlike a human body and so full of holes a spear could pass right through it. I wonder if this wasn't rather a metaphor or conceit by the sculptor to show the winner "aiming to win the prize"?

--- Victoria Socrates

Jousting at Tripods?

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