AGONOTHETA, or Agonothetes (άγων and τ ί θημ ι ), in Grecian Antiquity, was the president or superintendent of the sacred games. At first the person who instituted the games and defrayed the expenses was the Agonothetes; but in the great public games, such as the Olympic, Pythian, &c., these presidents were the representatives of different states, or were chosen from the people in whose country the games were celebrated. They received the several titles of α ί συμvηται, βpaβεvτa ί , άγωvάρχαι, aγωvoδίκaι, αθλoθ∈ται. They were also called ραβδούχοι or ρaβδovoμoι, from the rod or sceptre emblematic of their authority.