Ancient Olympic Games

The ancient Olympic Games (Ancient Greek: τὰ Ὀλύμπια, ta Olympia), or the ancient Olympics, were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held at the Panhellenic religious sanctuary of Olympia, in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin. The originating Olympic Games are traditionally dated to 776 BC. The games were held every four years, or Olympiad, which became a unit of time in historical chronologies.

During the celebration of the games, the Olympic truce (ekecheiría) was announced so that athletes and religious pilgrims could travel from their cities to the games in safety. The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. The games became a political tool used by city-states to assert dominance over their rival city-states. Politicians would announce political alliances at the games, and in times of war, priests would offer sacrifices to the gods for victory.

The ancient Olympics had fewer events than the modern games, and for many years only freeborn Greek men were allowed to participate, although there were victorious women chariot owners. As long as they met the entrance criteria, athletes from any Greek city-state and kingdom were allowed to participate. The games were always held at Olympia rather than moving between different locations like the modern Olympic Games. Victors at the Olympics were honored, and their feats chronicled for future generations.

Origin myths

The ancient Greeks believed the Olympic Games came from their myths and stories about gods. They thought the games began as a way to honor the gods and bring peace. One story tells of a hero named Pelops, who won a race and then started games to thank the gods. Another story involves Heracles, a hero who set up games to honor his father, Zeus. These myths show how the Greeks connected sports with their religion and traditions.

History

Prehistory

People around the Mediterranean had long traditions of physical activities, even without regular competitions. Early evidence of athletic traditions in Greece comes from artistic representations, like those from the island of Crete and Thera, and from ancient writings. The Minoan culture on Crete enjoyed gymnastics, including bull-leaping, tumbling, running, wrestling, and boxing. The Mycenaeans adopted these games and also raced chariots during religious or funeral ceremonies. The heroes in Homer’s stories, written around 750 BC, took part in athletic competitions to honor the dead. In the Iliad there were chariot races, boxing, wrestling, foot races, fencing, archery, and spear throwing. The Odyssey added long jumps and discus throws.

First games

Aristotle believed the first Olympic Games took place in 776 BC, and most historians agree with this date, though it cannot be exactly verified. Archaeological findings support the idea that the Olympics began around this time. Major games at Olympia likely started around 700 BC. The games were managed by the independent state of Elis, but sometimes there was bias or interference. The famous Olympic truce only ensured safe travel for visitors; it did not stop all wars in Greece.

Olympiad calendar

The historian Ephorus may have been one of the first to use Olympiads to count years, though credit is often given to Hippias of Elis, Eratosthenes, or Timaeus. The Olympic Games were held every four years, and later, historians used these games to count years, calling the period between two games an Olympiad. Before this, each Greek state had its own way of dating years, which caused confusion. For example, a solar eclipse in the third year of the 113th Olympiad helped set the date of 765 BC for the first year of the first Olympiad. However, scholars still disagree about exactly when the games began.

According to the later Greek traveler Pausanias, who wrote in 175 AD, the only event at the first Olympics was the stadion, a race of about 190 metres (620 feet). The word “stadium” comes from this event.

Early history

Several groups fought to control the sanctuary at Olympia and the games, seeking prestige and political advantage. Pausanias wrote that in 668 BC, Pheidon of Argos, commissioned by the town of Pisa, captured the sanctuary from the town of Elis and controlled the games for a year. The next year, Elis took control back.

Greek sports grew from the idea that using physical energy in a ritual way turned ancient hunting practices into more social and admired activities. The Greeks were special because they held their competitions in grand places, with prizes and sometimes nudity, showing their belief in training both body and mind. This idea of athletic excellence led some to think the Greeks invented sport.

In the first 200 years, the games were only regionally important, with athletes mostly from nearby areas. Over time, the Olympic Games became more well-known and were included in the Panhellenic Games, four big events held every two or four years so that there was always a game each year. The other Panhellenic Games were the Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian Games. The Olympics were the oldest and most respected of these.

Only freeborn Greek men could compete in the Olympic Games, though some Greek women won as owners of chariots. It is unclear whether women were allowed to watch the games. Some say all women were not allowed in the sacred area, while others say young women could watch but married women had to stay on the south side of the river Alpheios. There is no clear proof that women were not allowed at other big Greek games.

Imperial period

Roman conquest of Greece

After the Roman conquest of Greece, the Olympics continued but became less popular. During this time, Romans focused on their own problems and paid less attention to their provinces. Most winners were from the local area, and there were few statues of winners in the sacred area, showing the games were not as well cared for.

In 86 BC, the Roman general Sulla took treasures from Olympia to help pay for a war. He was the only Roman to use force against Olympia. Sulla held the games in 80 BC to celebrate his victories over Mithridates. Only the stadion race was held because all the athletes had been called to Rome.

Augustus

Under Emperor Augustus, the Olympics began to grow again. Before he became fully powerful, his assistant Marcus Agrippa fixed the damaged temple of Zeus. In 12 BC, Augustus asked King Herod of Judea to help pay for the games.

After Augustus died, the Senate considered him a god and put a statue of him in Olympia. Later emperors who were also considered gods had statues placed there too. The stadium was repaired by his command, and Greek sports were supported.

Nero

A famous and unusual event happened during the rule of Nero. He wanted to win all chariot races in the big Greek games in one year, so he made the four main hosts hold their games in AD 67, moving the Olympics that were scheduled for 65. At Olympia, Nero fell from his chariot but still declared himself the winner. He also added music and singing contests to the Olympics and other games, and he won all of them, likely because judges were afraid not to.

Renaissance

In the first half of the second century, emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius helped the games grow again. The Olympics attracted many spectators and competitors, and winners became famous across the Roman Empire. This successful time lasted most of the second century. Philosophers, speakers, artists, religious teachers, singers, and many other performers came to the festival of Zeus.

Decline

The games became less popular in the 3rd century. Lists of winners end around 217, though some records show games continued until at least 385. Floods, earthquakes, and invasions damaged Olympia. The last known games were held under Theodosius I in 393, though some games may have continued after that.

Location

Olympia was located in the valley of the Alfeiós River in the western part of the Peloponnese. Today, it is about 18 kilometers from the Ionian Sea. The area, known as the Altis, was a special sanctuary for the ancient games. It included important buildings like the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Zeus, and the Pelopion.

During the games, the site became very crowded. Spectators set up tents because there were no permanent buildings for them to stay in. Ancient visitors often talked about the hot summer weather and many flies. The area did not have good water or cleaning systems until much later.

Religion and culture

The ancient Olympics were both a religious festival and a sports event. They were held to honor the Greek god Zeus. During the games, 100 oxen were sacrificed to Zeus on the middle day. The place where the games were held, called Olympia, became an important spot for worshipping Zeus. A big temple was built there by a Greek architect named Libon. Inside the temple stood a huge statue of Zeus, made of gold and ivory, created by the sculptor Pheidias. This statue was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Artists also played a big role in the Olympics. Sculptors, poets, painters, and other artists would show their work during the games. Poets would write special poems to celebrate the winners, and these poems were remembered for many years.

Politics

Establishment

Power in ancient Greece became centered on the city-state (polis) around the 8th century BC. Each city-state was a group of people who governed themselves. They all worshiped the same pantheon of gods, but each city focused on different gods and held special festivals. Because the city-states were close together, they often competed for resources. Even though they sometimes fought, they also needed each other for trade, protection, and sharing culture. In this setting, the Olympic Games allowed city-states to compete peacefully.

Starting in the 8th century BC, the city-states spread by creating new settlements, called colonies, around the Mediterranean and Black Sea. These new places helped Greeks feel connected not just to their own city but to all Greeks, or Hellenes.

Olympic truce

During the Olympic Games, a special truce called ekecheiria was declared. Three runners, known as spondophoroi, traveled from Elis to tell each city the truce had begun. During this time, armies could not enter Olympia, and serious fights or punishments were not allowed. The truce helped athletes and visitors travel safely to the games. Most city-states followed the truce, but sometimes there were problems. For example, during a big war between city-states, the games were still used to share important messages and ask the gods for help. Even with the truce, the games became a way for city-states to show off and sometimes caused political problems.

Events

The ancient Olympic Games began with a single foot race and grew to include up to twenty-three different contests. Most events were for men only, but women could compete by entering horses in the equestrian events. Youth events started in 632 BC. We know about how these events were performed mainly from paintings on old vases. Athletes trained in two special areas: one for runners and pentathletes, and another for wrestlers and boxers.

At first, athletes wore a simple loincloth called the perizoma. Later, many competed naked, which the Greeks thought showed they were different from other people. One story says the first naked runner was Orsippus, who chose to run without his clothes because it was easier. Over time, this became a common practice.

Running

The very first event was the stade, a short sprint of about 192 metres (630 feet). Later, a longer race called the diaulos was added, which was about twice that distance. An even longer race, the dolichos, came next, and it could be up to about 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) long. The last running event was the hoplitodromos, where runners wore full military armour and raced about 400 to 800 metres (0.25 to 0.5 miles).

Combat

Wrestling, called pale, was one of the early events. To win, a wrestler needed to throw their opponent three times. Throws counted if any part of the body touched the ground, except if both fell.

Boxing, or pygmachia, began in 688 BC. Boxers used long leather strips wrapped around their hands. They focused on head and body punches, and body blows were either not allowed or not common. The Spartans claimed to invent boxing but later stopped participating in it.

The pankration was a popular mix of boxing and wrestling. Athletes used kicks, holds, and chokes, but biting and eye-gouging were not allowed. It was seen as very tough but less dangerous than boxing.

Discus

The discus throw was similar to today’s event. The discus was usually made of bronze and weighed about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) with a diameter of roughly 21 centimetres (8.3 inches).

Long jump

In the long jump, athletes swung small weights called halteres. There were no strict rules about how to jump, but some evidence suggests they might have run a short distance before jumping.

Pentathlon

Main article: Ancient Olympic pentathlon

The pentathlon included five events: running, long jump, discus throw, javelin throw, and wrestling. It is believed to have started in 708 BC. All events happened in one day, but we do not know the order or how the winner was chosen, except that wrestling was always the last event.

Equestrian events

Horse racing and chariot racing were highly valued because only wealthy people could afford horses. There were different types of races, including races with four-horse chariots, two-horse chariots, and horses with riders. The four-horse chariot race was the first equestrian event, introduced in 680 BC. The two-horse chariot race came later, in 408 BC, and the race with a rider began in 648 BC. Riders had to balance without saddles or stirrups.

Pausanias mentions that races for carts pulled by mules and trotting races were added later but eventually stopped. The trotting race was for mares, and riders would jump off and run beside the mares near the end.

The first woman to win an Olympic event was Cynisca, a horse trainer and princess, because the winner was considered the person who provided the horses, not the one driving the chariot.

In 67, the Roman Emperor Nero tried to race a chariot but fell off. Even so, he was declared the winner because it was thought he would have won if he had finished.

Famous athletes

Main article: List of ancient Olympic victors

Some well-known athletes from the ancient Olympic Games include:

• Running:

  • Coroebus of Elis (first Olympic champion)
  • Orsippus (first to compete without clothes)
  • Leonidas of Rhodes (winner in multiple races)
  • Chionis of Sparta (three-time race and jumping champion)
  • Astylos of Croton (winner in several races)
  • Alexander I of Macedon (race winner)

• Combat:

  • Milo of Croton (six-time wrestling champion)
  • Diagoras of Rhodes (boxing champion) and his sons
  • Theagenes of Thasos (champion in boxing, wrestling, and running)

• Equestrian:

  • Cynisca of Sparta (first woman to win an Olympic event)
  • Pherenikos (famous racehorse)

• Other:

  • Herodorus of Megara (ten-time trumpet champion)

Olympic festivals in other places

Main article: Ancient Greek Olympic festivals

People in many parts of the Greek world started holding their own games called "Olympic games" to honor the original games at Olympia. Some of these games are only known from old writings and coins, but others, like the one in Antioch, became very famous. Later, when talking about the main Olympic games, people sometimes added the name Pisa to make it clear which ones they meant.