Cynisca
(Κυνίσκα), daughter of Archidamus II. king of Sparta, so named after her grandfather Zeuxidamus, who was also called Cyniscus. (Hdt. 6.71.) She was the first woman who kept horses for the games, and the first who gained an Olympian victory. (Paus. 3.8.1.) Pausanias mentions an epigram by an unknown author in her honour, which is perhaps the same as the inscription he speaks of (6.1.2) in his account of her monument at Olympia. This was a group of sculpture representing Cynisca with a chariot, charioteer, and horses,--the work of Apellas. [Apellas.] There were also figures of her horses in brass in the temple of Olympian Zeus (Paus. 5.12.3), and at Sparta she had near the gymnasium, called the Platanistas, an heroum. (3.15.1.) [A.H.C]
(Κυνίσκα). A daughter of Archidamus, king of Sparta, who was the first woman that ever turned her attention to the training of steeds, and the first that obtained a prize at the Olympic Games (Pausan. iii. 8).
- Paus. 3.8.1, Paus. 3.15.1, Paus. 6.1.6
- first woman to breed horses and win Olympic victory: Paus. 3.8.1, Paus. 3.15.1
- epigram on: Paus. 3.8.2
- dedicates bronze horses at Olympia: Paus. 5.12.5
- shrine of: Paus. 3.15.1
- statue: Paus. 6.1.6