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The Olympic Games in Antiquity

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The Olympic Games in Antiquity Olympia, Cradle of the Olympic Games

The Olympic Games as we know them today have a long history which goes back to ancient times.

Everything started in the Peloponnese, in Greece, some 3,000 years ago.

Sports competitions were organised at Olympia and were named after their location, hence their name of “Olympic” Games. Nobody knows exactly when they began, but the date of 776 BC is often referred to as the first written mention of the competitions.

These Games were held at the same place, every four years. This four-year period acquired the name “Olympiad”, and was used as a date system: time was counted in Olympiads, rather than years.

The Panhellenic Games

The Games organised at Olympia led to the development of the Panhellenic Games.
These included:
– The Games at Olympia (Olympic Games)
– The Games at Delphi (Pythian Games)
– The Games at Isthmia (Isthmian Games)
– The Games at Nemea (Nemean Games)

These Games were special because they brought the Greek world together (pan = all, hellene = Greek) at a time when Greece was not a single state, but a series of city-states (politically and economically independent communities). From Greece and the colonies (in Italy, North Africa and Asia Minor), people travelled to take part in or attend these Games, inspired by the shared feeling of belonging to the same culture or religion.

It should be noted that the four Panhellenic Games were never held during the same year.

It is difficult to know exactly what gave rise to these Games. Mythology is mixed up with history, and events which happened at the time were often explained as the consequences of divine intervention. This was the case for the Panhellenic Games, for which there are numerous stories attempting to explain their origin.

The Sacred Truce

On the occasion of the four Panhellenic Games, a sacred truce was proclaimed. Messengers (spondorophoroi) went from city to city announcing the date of the competitions. They called for all wars to be halted before, during and after the Games in order to enable the athletes, as well as the spectators, to travel to and from the Games sites in total safety. A climate of peace was considered important during the period of competition.

Games for the Gods

The Panhellenic Games were of major religious significance. Each of the Games was celebrated in honour of a specific god:
– Zeus, the king of the gods, at Olympia and Nemea
– Apollon, the god of light and of reason, at Delphi
– Poseidon, the god of the sea and of horses, at Isthmia

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

Overview of the Site at Olympia
Of the four Panhellenic Games, those at Olympia were the most important.

Olympia was not a town or city, but rather a sanctuary. The site consisted of a sacred area, the Altis, marked by a boundary wall, and a secular (non-religious) area.

The sacred area contained the temples, including the one to Zeus, the altars on which sacrifices were made, and the Treasuries, small buildings erected by the city-states in which precious offerings were kept (e.g. vases and statues).

The secular area was outside the boundary wall. It contained the training areas and competition sites, plus all the buildings used for the administration of the Games or to welcome important guests.

Only the priests and the staff responsible for looking after the sanctuary lived at Olympia. At the time of the competitions, the atmosphere was very different. In addition to the athletes and spectators, merchants of all kinds flocked to the site: the number of people present for the Olympic Games is estimated to have been over 40,000.

Festivals and contests elsewhere in Greece

In addition to the Panhellenic Games, major sports competitions were held in Athens. These were known as the Panathenian Games. They were part of the Great Panathenaea, the biggest festival in Athens, which was held every four years in honour of the goddess Athena.

Everywhere in Greece and the colonies, there were numerous local competitions, some better known than others. Each city made a point of organising them.

The status of the Panhellenic Games and the large number of local competitions illustrate the importance of physical exercise and the spirit of competition in Ancient Greek society.

Download The Olympic Games in Antiquity

PDF format, 1MB, 14Pages.

Introduction
Origins of the modern Olympic Games, in Olympia, Greece, 8th century BC - Sites of the Panhellenic Games: Olympia, Delphi, Isthmia and Nemea – History and Mythology: explanations of the birth of the Games – Application of the sacred truce: peace between cities - Overview of Olympia, the most important Panhellenic Games site - Athletics competitions elsewhere in Greece.

The Athlete
Identification of the athlete by his nakedness, a sign of balance and harmony – Gymnasium and palaestra: the education of the body and the mind – Hygiene and body care. Criteria for participation in the Games – Exclusion of women – Selection and training – On the way to Olympia – Athletes’ and judges’ oath – Cheating and fines.

Sports on the Programme
The Olympic programme as a reference – Foot races, discus, javelin, wrestling, pankration, pentathlon and horse races – Portraits of famous athletes - Music and singing: a particularity of the Pythian Games at Delphi.

Winners’ Rewards
Prizes awarded at the Panhellenic Games – Wreaths, ribbons and palm fronds – The personification of Victory: Nike, the winged goddess – Privileges of the winner upon returning home – Glory and honour – Prizes received at local contests – Superiority of a victory at the Panhellenic Games.

The End of the Games
Over 1,000 years of existence – Success of the Games – Spirit and values of the Olympic competitions – Period of decline – Abolition of the Games in 393 AD – Destruction of Olympia – Rediscovery of the site in the 19th century.

Visit The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Website

The International Olympic Committee (French: Comité International Olympique) is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on June 23, 1894. Its membership consists of the 205 National Olympic Committees.

Olympic Rings The IOC organizes the modern Olympic Games held in Summer and Winter, every four years. The first Summer Olympics organized by the International Olympic Committee held in Athens, Greece, in 1896; the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Until 1992, both Summer and Winter Olympics were held in the same year. After that year, however, the IOC shifted the Winter Olympics to the even years between Summer Games, to help space the planning of the two events two years apart from one another.