Pythian Games

American  

plural noun

1. one of the great national festivals of ancient Greece, held every four years at Delphi in honor of Apollo.

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Pythian Games British  

plural noun

1. (in ancient Greece) the second most important Panhellenic festival, celebrated in the third year of each Olympiad near Delphi. The four-year period between celebrations was known as a Pythiad ( ˈpɪθɪˌæd )

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Etymology

Origin of Pythian Games

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

During the Pythian Games, a competition in music and dance was held at the same time as the athletic contests, an ancient equivalent to “American Idol” cum “Dancing With the Stars.”

From New York Times • Jul. 22, 2016

According to myth, the god Apollo started these games at Delphi after killing Python, the dragon living there; hence, they were named the Pythian Games in recognition of this act.

From New York Times • Jul. 22, 2016

Here the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo, pronounced the prophetic responses, in extempore prose or verse; and here the Pythian Games were celebrated in honor of Apollo.

From Mosaics of Grecian History by Willson, Marcius

The Pythian Games were celebrated at Delphi; the Isthmian at Corinth; the Nemæan at Nemæa in Argolis; and the Olympic at Olympia, near Elis.

From Wrestling and Wrestlers: Biographical Sketches of Celebrated Athletes of the Northern Ring; to Which is Added Notes on Bull and Badger Baiting by Gilpin, Sidney

A native of Tarentum, Evangelus by name, a person of some note in his own city, conceived the ambition of winning a prize in the Pythian Games.

From Works of Lucian of Samosata — Volume 03 by Fowler, F. G. (Francis George)