Kylix depicting Pentathletes

The kylix depicting pentathletes is an example of pottery and decoration from the late Archaic period.

The drinking kylix is decorated in the red-figure style and is credited to the Proto-Panaitian group.

The tondo inside shows an image of a young, male athlete holding jumping weights.

The sides of the kylix also show images from the pentathlon including javelin throwing and long jump.

Pentathletes were admired by the ancient Greek society because they had to possess speed, strength, and power in order to win.

Athletics was an important part of Greek culture because it highlighted power and beauty in youths.

In Aristotle's Rhetoric he writes two times why pentathletes are the most handsome and best athletes culminating it with "he who excels in all [is] for the pentathlon".

[6] These athletes had to be very versatile and flexible in their abilities in order to win the event overall and that is what made them so special.

Since the five events required different muscles and strength to succeed, someone that could master all of them to a point of victory was impressive and therefore deserved respect.

In addition, the victors of athletic events gained elite status and were sometimes invited to engage in special activity like sitting in the front row or prohedria of a theatrical production.