Pole Vault History/Mythology 101

[Russ]

Several people have written about pole vault history. It turns out that there are some very ancient references.

Here's one that I've never seen anybody mention before. I apologize but I majored in Latin in college (UNC-Chapel Hill) and I married a Latin teacher. In fact, I have to give credit where credit is due, Nina, my wife, found this one, and I'm tickled pink about it.

Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) was a Roman poet born about 43 B.C. He's most famous for his work called The Metamorphoses...a work that's got tons of Greek and Roman mythology in it. If you've ever studied Mythology, chances are you've heard of The Metamorphoses (Edith Hamilton's book uses Ovid as a primary source).

In Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book 2 lines 785-86, the Latin text says:

...haud plura locuta/
fugit et inpressa tellurem reppulit hasta
(785-786)

The standard English translation by Rolfe Humphries says:

She [Minerva] said no more, but with the spear as
lever,
Spurning the loathsome ground, took off for Heaven.




All I can say is, now that is some vault!

[Bruce Caldwell]

SO female spear vaulting way back LOL

GOOD stuff thanks for sharing it who says this site does not have the air of cultural education?

[vaultmd]

Knowing Ovid's habit of writing R-rated poetry, there might be a less literal interpretation of that event

[balletomane]

That's great. (I happen to have a keen interest in classics.) I'm interested to see if there are other such references in the work of Ovid's contemporaries.
Did you happen to see the performance of Metamorphoses at the Hartford Stage?

[superchau88]

Knowing Ovid's habit of writing R-rated poetry, there might be a less literal interpretation of that event

don't you mean X-rated

[vaultmd]

Hey. Ratings systems have changed over the last 2,000 years.

[vaultmd]

P.S.: I'm glad we have so many members who are literate in Latin and/or Greek or at least familiar with classical studies. I was CA state president for the Junior Classical League when I was younger.

[Carolina Extreme]

So.... does this mean women vaulted first? Does Minerva get the bragging rights as the first vaulter ever? Say it isn't so!!!

LOL

[Scott Go Pre]

So.... does this mean women vaulted first? Does Minerva get the bragging rights as the first vaulter ever? Say it isn't so!!!

LOL

If it is true, then all those t-shirts that say, Men created Pole Vault, Women perfected it would be wrong. It would actually then be Pole Vault Women created it, Men perfected it!

[toki]

If it is true, then all those t-shirts that say, Men created Pole Vault, Women perfected it would be wrong. It would actually then be Pole Vault Women created it, Men perfected it! [/quote]

Yeah i would have to go with that women perfected it scott.