Poseidon: God of the Sea
The Ancients
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The Importance of Istmiah in Antiquity
Istmiah was the largest panhellenic sanctuary that was devoted primarily to Poseidon. Every two years a huge festival was held and this was part of what we call the sort of crown circuit for athletes in antiquity. There were great games held there not only athletic competitions but also equestrian competitions and even artistic competitions. If you won a competition at Istmiah like at Olympia or Delphi or Nimea it was a huge huge honor so we can think about there is not a great parallel right because our athletic competitions today don't usually have religious overtones.
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