This etymology is somehow obvious (suggested by the common expression 'ἀγὼν ἄγεται': a contest takes place), and the two words frequently appear together in the literature. It is difficult to differentiate between etymological hint and wordplay in Homerus, Iliad  23.654 : ἄγων κατέδησ’ ἐν ἀγῶνι ; or in Euripides, Bacchae 975-7 : τὸν νεανίαν ἄγω/ τόνδ' εἰς ἀγῶνα μέγαν, ὁ νικήσων δ' ἐγὼ/ καὶ Βρόμιος ἔσται (see also Photius, Lexicon, alpha.321: <Ἀγῶνα>· τὴν συναγωγήν. οὕτως Ἀριστοφάνης (fr. 927 K.). The first explicit occurrence of this tempting etymology is very late in appearing in the tradition was surely suggested before, despite the assertion of the Etymologica (“I did not find any etymology for this word”). Evidence of this is probably the typical ancient grammatical phrasing of the end of a scholion to the Iliad that we can hardly date : <ἀγὼν> δὲ ὁ κυκλοτερὴς καὶ γωνίαν οὐκ ἔχων τόπος. οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πέλοπος ἡνιόχου Ἀγῶνος. οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ συνάγεσθαι. οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ ῥήματος τοῦ ἄγω <ἀγών,> ὡς ἀείδω ἀηδών (Scholia in Iliadem (scholia vetera), 4.857 ed. Erbse ; see parallels). Etym. Magnum provides us with an alternative etymology (α + γωνία) for one of the meanings of ἀγών : place of contest