Agon
Greek for "contest"; a musical competition in ancient Greece, as held at the Pythian Games.
What it means
Agon is the Greek word for "contest" or "competition" and, in ancient Greece, referred broadly to public competitions—not only athletic ones, but also musical and poetic contests. The musical agon was a fixed part of major Greek festivals, in which singers and instrumentalists competed against one another and were judged by a panel.
In the notation
Since almost no original notation survives from the era of ancient Greek musical contests, the agon has no equivalent in modern musical notation. It is transmitted primarily as a historical cultural institution.
Musical use
A distinction was made especially between the kitharodic agon, a singing competition accompanied by the kithara, and the aulodic agon, the corresponding competition accompanied by the aulos, a double-reed wind instrument. Such musical contests took place, among other occasions, at the Pythian Games in Delphi, which included artistic disciplines alongside athletic ones, illustrating the close connection between music, poetry, and public competition in ancient Greece.
The idea of the agon, competition as a driver of artistic excellence, is regarded in music historiography as an early example of how music-making was publicly judged and tied to social standing.