The Ancient Olympics

nd

edition 2007

Itotio

Origins o the modern Olympic Games, in Olympia, Greece, 8th cen-tury BC - Sites o the Panhellenic Games: Olympia, Delphi, Isthmiaand Nemea – History and Mythology: explanations o the birtho the Games – Application o the sacred truce: peace between cities -Overview o Olympia, the most important Panhellenic Games site - Athletics competitions elsewhere in Greece.

T att

Identication o the athlete by his nakedness, a sign o balanceand harmony – Gymnasium and palaestra: the education o thebody and the mind – Hygiene and body care.Criteria or participation in the Games – Exclusion o women –Selection and training – On the way to Olympia – Athletes’ and judges’ oath – Cheating and nes.

Sots o t oga

The Olympic programme as a reerence – Foot races, discus, javelin,wrestling, pankration, pentathlon and horse races – Portraits o amous athletes - Music and singing: a particularity o the PythianGames at Delphi.

Wis’ was

Prizes awarded at the Panhellenic Games – Wreaths, ribbons andpalm ronds – The personication o Victory: Nike, the wingedgoddess – Privileges o the winner upon returning home – Gloryand honour – Prizes received at local contests – Superiority o a victory at the Panhellenic Games.

T  o t Gas

Over 1,000 years o existence – Success o the Games – Spirit and values o the Olympic competitions – Period o decline – Abolitiono the Games in 393 AD – Destruction o Olympia – Rediscoveryo the site in the 19th century.

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T Oi Gasi Atiqit

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nd

edition 2007

Itotio

OlympIA, crAdle O The OlympIc GAmeS

The Olympic Games as we know them today

[see sheets “The Modern Olympic Games”]

have a long historywhich goes back to ancient times.Everything started in the Peloponnese, in Greece, some 3,000 years ago.Sports competitions were organised at

Oia

and were named ater their location, hencetheir name o “

Oi

”

Gas

. Nobody knows exactly when they began, but the date o

776 Bc

is oten reerred to as the rst written mention o the competitions.These Games were held at the same place,

 o as

. This our-year period acquiredthe name “

Oia

”, and was used as a date system: time was counted in Olympiads,rather than years.

The pAnhellenIc GAmeS

The Games organised at

Oia

led to the development o the

pai Gas

.These included:– The Games at

Oia

(Olympic Games)– The Games at

di

(Pythian Games)– The Games at

Istia

(Isthmian Games)– The Games at

na

(Nemean Games)These Games were special because they

bogt t G wo togt

(

pan

= all,

hellene

= Greek) at a time when Greece was not a single state, but a series o city-states (politicallyand economically independent communities). From Greece and the colonies (in Italy, North Arica and Asia Minor), people travelled to take part in or attend these Games, inspired bythe shared eeling o belonging to the same culture or religion.It should be noted that the our Panhellenic Games were never held during the same year.It is dicult to know exactly what gave rise to these Games. Mythology is mixed up withhistory, and events which happened at the time were oten explained as the consequences o divine intervention. This was the case or the Panhellenic Games, or which there are nume-rous stories attempting to explain their origin.

T Oi Gas i Atiqit

elISdelphIOlympIAnemeAISThmIAmAp O The medITerrAneAn: Greece And The GAmeS SITeS

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edition 2007

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The SAcred Truce

On the occasion o the our Panhellenic Games, a

sa t

was proclaimed. Messengers(

spondorophoroi

) went rom city to city announcing the date o the competitions. Theycalled or all wars to be halted beore, during and ater the Games in order to enable theathletes, as well as the spectators, to travel to and rom the Games sites in total saety. Aclimate o peace was considered important during the period o competition.

GAmeS Or The GOdS

The Panhellenic Games were o major religious signicance. Each o the Games was cele-brated in honour o a specic god:–

Zs

, the king o the gods, at

Oia

and

na

–

Aoo

, the god o light and o reason, at

di

–

posio

, the god o the sea and o horses, at

Istia

During sporting contests, it was considered that victory was accorded by the gods.

OvervIeW O The SITe AT OlympIA

O the our Panhellenic Games, those at Olympia were the most important.Olympia was not a town or city, but rather a sanctuary. The site consisted o a

saaa

, the Altis, marked by a boundary wall, and a

sa (o-igios) aa

.The sacred area contained the temples, including the one to Zeus, the altars on whichsacrices were made, and the Treasuries, small buildings erected by the city-states inwhich precious oerings were kept (e.g. vases and statues).The secular area was outside the boundary wall. It contained the training areas andcompetition sites, plus all the buildings used or the administration o the Games or towelcome important guests.Only the priests and the sta responsible or looking ater the sanctuary lived at Olympia. At the time o the competitions, the atmosphere was very dierent. In addition to theathletes and spectators, merchants o all kinds focked to the site: the number o peoplepresent or the Olympic Games is estimated to have been

o 40,000

.

eSTIvAlS And cOnTeSTS elSeWhere In Greece

In addition to the Panhellenic Games, major sports competitions were held in Athens. Thesewere known as the

paatia Gas

. They were part o the Great Panathenaea, the biggestestival in Athens, which was held every our years in honour o the goddess Athena.Everywhere in Greece and the colonies, there were numerous

oa otitios

, some better known than others. Each city made a point o organising them.

T stats o t pai Gas a t ag b o oa otitios istatt iota o sia xis a t siit o otitio i Ait G soit.T Oi Gas i Atiqit Itotio

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