The Jumping Event

          The jump, or halma, was an event in the ancient pentathlon, that could be called a long jump. It was regarded as a very strenuous exercise and as the most typical event of the pentathlon. This event was derived from warfare practices, because the terrain in Greece was made of streams and ditches. The athletes used halteres, or jumping weights. The distance of each jump was measured by rods and the individual jump was measured by pegs placed into the ground. The edge from which the athlete made the jump was called the bater. Each athlete had to dig their own landing pit, or skamma, which was about fifty feet long. A flute, called a aulos, was played to pace each contestant. The contestants had to have a clean landing with two distinct footprints. To jump beyond the skamma was a proverbial expression for an extraordinary feat.

        The jump was aided by the use of the halteres for more than one reason. One such reason was that the weights helped to further the jump's distance. Another reason was that the weights helped provide a cleaner landing. They were swung forward to shoulder height and on the down swing, the jumper leaned forward and jumped as the weights came down to his knees.

This pot shows the use of the aulos, while a contestant is in flight.	This is the form used to begin the jump.