2. ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES
INDEX:
ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES ....................................................................................................................... 3
1.
1.1.
2.
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 3
Events.................................................................................................................................................... 3
THE CONTEXT OF THE GAMES AND THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT ..................................................... 4
2.1.
Why were they held at Olympia?....................................................................................................... 5
2.2.
Were there other contests like the Olympics? ................................................................................. 6
2.3.
Who could compete in the Olympics? .............................................................................................. 6
2.4.
Were women allowed at the Olympics? ........................................................................................... 7
2.5.
How were the athletes trained? ......................................................................................................... 7
2.6.
What prizes did Olympic victors get? ............................................................................................... 7
2.7.
What was the penalty for cheating? .................................................................................................. 8
2.8.
Where did the marathon come from? .............................................................................................. 8
2.9.
Spectators at the Games ..................................................................................................................... 9
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3. ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES
ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES
The ancient Olympics were rather different from the modern Games. There were fewer
events, and only free men who spoke Greek could compete, instead of athletes from any
country. Also, the games were always held at Olympia instead of moving around to
different sites every time.
Like our Olympics, though, winning athletes were
heroes who put their home towns on the map. One
young Athenian nobleman defended his political
reputation by mentioning how he entered seven
chariots in the Olympic chariot-race. This high
number of entries made both the aristocrat and
Athens look very wealthy and powerful.
The ancient Olympic Games were initially a oneday event until 684 BC, when they were extended
to three days. In the 5th century B.C., the Games
were extended again to cover five days.
One difference between the ancient and modern Olympic Games is that the ancient games
were played within the context of a religious festival. The Games were held in honor of
Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, and a sacrifice of 100 oxen was made to the god on the
middle day of the festival. Athletes prayed to the gods for victory, and made gifts of
animals, produce, or small cakes, in thanks for their successes.
According to legend, the altar of Zeus stood on a spot struck by a thunderbolt, which had
been hurled by the god from his throne high atop Mount Olympus, where the gods
assembled. Some coins from Elis had a thunderbolt design on the reverse, in honor of this
legend.
1. INTRODUCTION
In contrast to most Greek sites, Olympia is green and lush, amidst groves of trees. Here
was the great Sanctuary of Zeus, the Altis, and the setting for the Olympic Games. For over
a thousand years, in peace and war, the Greeks assembled here to celebrate this great
festival. The simple crown of wild olive was sufficient to immortalize the victor, his family,
and his city.
The Greeks referred to the Sanctuary of Zeus as the Altis. The name Altis came from a
corruption of the Elean word for grove, alsos . Sanctuaries were centers of religious
worship where the Greeks built temples, treasuries, altars, statues, and other structures.
The crowns made of olive leaves came from a wild olive tree in the Altis, which was called
the olive of the Beautiful Crown. Olive trees, which supplied the Greeks with olive oil,
olives, a cleaning agent for bathing, and a base for perfumes, were an important resource
in the rocky and dry Greek environment. A Greek legend credited the hero Herakles
(Hercules) with introducing the olive tree to Greece.
1.1. Events
The ancient Games included running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration and
equestrian events.
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4. THE CONTEXT OF THE GAMES AND THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT
Pentathlon
The Pentathlon became an Olympic sport with the addition of wrestling in 708 B.C., and
included the following:
Running / Jumping / Discus Throw
Running
Running contests included: the stade race, which was the pre-eminent test of speed,
covering the Olympia track from one end to the other (200m foot race), the diaulos (two
stades - 400m foot race), dolichos (ranging between 7 and 24 stades).
Jumping
Athletes used stone or lead weights called halteres to increase the distance of a jump. They
held onto the weights until the end of their flight, and then
jettisoned them backwards.
Discus throw
The discus was originally made of stone and later of iron,
lead or bronze. The technique was very similar to today's
freestyle discus throw.
Wrestling
This was highly valued as a form of military exercise without weapons. It ended only when
one of the contestants admitted defeat.
Boxing
Boxers wrapped straps (himantes) around their hands to strengthen their wrists and
steady their fingers. Initially, these straps were soft but, as time progressed, boxers started
using hard leather straps, often causing disfigurement of their opponent's face.
Pankration
This was a primitive form of martial art combining wrestling and boxing, and was
considered to be one of the toughest sports. Greeks believed that it was founded by
Theseus when he defeated the fierce Minotaur in the labyrinth.
Equestrian events
These included horse races and chariot races and took place in the Hippodrome, a wide,
flat, open space.
2. THE CONTEXT OF THE GAMES AND THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT
Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest pageant of athletic skill and competitive
spirit. They are also displays of nationalism, commerce and politics. These two opposing
elements of the Olympics are not a modern invention. The conflict between the Olympic
movement's high ideals and the commercialism or political acts which accompany the
Games has been noted since ancient times.
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5. Why were they held at Olympia?
Sotades at the ninety-ninth Festival was victorious in the long race and proclaimed a Cretan, as in fact he
was. But at the next Festival he made himself an Ephesian, being bribed to do so by the Ephesian people. For
this act he was banished by the Cretans. Pausanias, Description of Greece , 6.18.6
Map of some cities which sent competitors to the Olympics in the 5th century B.C.
The ancient Olympic Games, part of a major religious festival honoring Zeus, the chief
Greek god, were the biggest event in their world. They were the scene of political rivalries
between people from different parts of the Greek world, and the site of controversies,
boasts, public announcements and humiliations.
2.1. Why were they held at Olympia?
Olympia was one of the oldest religious
centers in the ancient Greek world. Since
athletic contests were one way that the ancient
Greeks honored their gods, it was logical to
hold a recurring athletic competition at the
site of a major temple.
Also, Olympia is convenient geographically to
reach by ship, which was a major concern for
the Greeks. Athletes and spectators traveled
from Greek colonies as far away as modernday Spain, the Black Sea, or Egypt.
An international truce among the Greeks was
declared for the month before the Olympics to allow the athletes to reach Olympia safely.
The judges had the authority to fine whole cities
and ban their athletes from competition for
breaking the truce.
The Spartans once invaded Elis (the territory
which included Olympia) after the Olympic truce
had been declared. The Eleans demanded a large
fine based on the number of soldiers in the
advancing army and refused to allow any Spartan
competitors during that Olympiad.
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6. Were there other contests like the Olympics?
2.2. Were there other contests like the Olympics?
There were 3 other major games which were held on 2- or 4-year cycles: the Isthmean
Games at Corinth, the Pythian Games at Delphi, and the Nemean Games at Nemea. Because
it started 200 years before the other competitions, the Olympics remained the most famous
athletic contest in the ancient Greek world.
Many athletes competed at several athletic festivals. Inscriptions on victor's statues at
Olympia often describe victories in 2, 3, or even all 4 major athletic festivals. Pausanias's
description of Olympian architecture includes a list of the more famous victors' statues, and
summaries of their inscriptions such as this one:
Delphi,Stadium: East end from WPhotograph by Michael Bennett
"Polycles...likewise won a victory with a four-horse chariot, and his statue holds a ribbon in the
right hand...as the inscription on him says, [he] also won the chariot-race at Pytho, the Isthmus
and Nemea." (Pausanias 6.1.7)
2.3. Who could compete in the Olympics?
The Olympics were open to any free-born Greek in the world. There were separate mens'
and boys' divisions for the events.
Women were not allowed to compete in the Games themselves. However, they could enter
equestrian events as the owner of a chariot team or an individual horse, and win victories
that way.
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7. Were women allowed at the Olympics?
2.4. Were women allowed at the Olympics?
Not only were women not permitted to compete personally, married women were also
barred from attending the games, under penalty of death.
Athletic competitions for women did exist in ancient Greece. The most famous was a
maidens' footrace in honor of the goddess Hera, which was held at the Olympic stadium.
There were 3 separate races for girls, teenagers, and young women.
The length of their racecourse was shorter than the men's track; 5/6 of a stade (about 160
m.) instead of a full stade (about 192 m.). The winners received olive crowns just like
Olympic victors.
2.5. How were the athletes trained?
Athletics were a key part of education in ancient Greece. Many Greeks believed that
developing the body was equally important as improving the mind for overall health. Also,
regular exercise was important in a society where men were always needed for military
service. Plato's Laws specifically mentions how athletics improved military skills. Greek
youth therefore worked out in the wrestling-school (palaestra) whether they were serious
Olympic contenders or not.
Olympia,Palaestra: Eastern portico from N Photograph by Michael Bennett
The palaestra (wrestling-school) was one of the most popular places for Greek men of all
ages to socialize. Many accounts of Greek daily life include scenes in these wrestlingschools, such as the opening of Plato's Charmides.
Young men worked with athletic trainers who used long sticks to point out incorrect body
positions and other faults. Trainers paid close attention to balancing the types of physical
exercise and the athlete's diet. The Greeks also thought that harmonious movement was
very important, so athletes often exercised to flute music.
2.6. What prizes did Olympic victors get?
A victor received a crown made from olive leaves, and was entitled to have a statue of
himself set up at Olympia.
Although he did not receive money at the Olympics, the victor was treated much like a
modern sports celebrity by his home city. His success increased the fame and reputation of
his community in the Greek world. It was common for victors to receive benefits such as
having all their meals at public expense or front-row seats at the theater and other public
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8. What was the penalty for cheating?
festivals. One city even built a private gym for their Olympic wrestling champion to exercise
in.
When an Olympic victor from Crotona re-entered the Games as a native of Syracuse (to
impress the ruler of Syracuse) and won both times, the citizens of Crotona were so angry
about being robbed of their rightful victories that they tore down the athlete's statue in their
city and condemned his house to be a prison.
Who were the Olympic judges?
Unlike the modern Olympics, judges did not come from all over the Greek world, but were
drawn from Elis, the local region which included Olympia. The number of judges increased
to 10 as more events were added to the Olympics.
Even though the judges were all Eleans, local Elean Greeks were still allowed to compete in
the Olympics. The Elean people had such a reputation for fairness that an Elean cheating at
the Games was a shock to other Greeks.
2.7. What was the penalty for cheating?
Anyone who violated the rules was fined by the judges. The money was used to set up
statues of Zeus, the patron god of the Games at Olympia.
In addition to using bribes, other offenses included deliberately avoiding the training period
at Olympia. One athlete claimed that bad winds kept his ship from arriving in time, but was
later proved to have spent the training period traveling around Greece winning prize money
in other competitions. Another athlete was so intimidated by his opponents that he left the
Games the day before he was to compete, and was fined for cowardice.
2.8. Where did the marathon come from?
The marathon was never one of the ancient Olympic events, although its origin dates back
to another episode in ancient Greek history.
In the 5th century B.C., the Persians invaded Greece, landing at Marathon, a small town
about 26 miles from the city of Athens. The Athenian army was seriously outnumbered by
the Persian army, so the Athenians sent messengers to cities all over Greece asking for
help.
The traditional origin of the marathon
comes from the story how a herald named
Phidippides ran the 26 miles from
Marathon to Athens to announce the
Greek victory and died on the spot.
Phidippides was sent by the Athenians to
Sparta to ask for help; a man named
Eukles announced the victory to the
Athenians and then died. Later sources
confused the story of Phidippides, also
called "Philippides," with that of Eukles.
Although most ancient authors do not
support this legend, the story has persisted
and is the basis for the modern-day
marathon.
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9. Spectators at the Games
2.9. Spectators at the Games
The Olympic festival brought huge numbers of
visitors to Olympia. Most people slept outside, under
the stars, although the wealthy and members of
official delegations erected elaborate tents and
pavilions. Merchants, craftsmen, and food vendors
arrived to sell their wares. The busy schedule
included religious ceremonies, including sacrifices;
speeches by well-known philosophers; poetry
recitals; parades; banquets; and victory celebrations.
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