What are history's earliest examples of talent contests?

Question

What are history's earliest examples of talent contests?

Answer 1

Beauty contests: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_cont...

But I also remember reading a book about the Ancient Greece, and how they would (they rich people) get together and eat and drink and poets would 'perform' for them on instruments...I don't think there was 'winning' or 'losing,' but if they liked you, your reputation as a poet improved greatly.

Answer 2

Sand Castles

Answer 3

This would have to include athletic contests, which are as old as humanity.

Poetry contests also began early, and the contestants would have to recite epics accurately.

Answer 4

The Judgment of Paris (mythical, I know) was a talent contest.

Answer 5

kings used to have jesters and if they werent that good then they quite often had their heads cut off.  but then,  ancient man would have had a form of talent contests, in front of their camp fires, as forms of entertainment.  Also cave paintings have shown forms of dancing etc,

Answer 6

Roman Gladiator combat