Ancient Greece – Olympics
The modern Olympics we see are based loosely on the Ancient Greece Olympics. While the basic idea of sporting events is common to both, there is much that is different.
Ancient Greece – Olympics
The original Olympics were actually only one part of four games held during the year. The others were the Nemean, Isthmian and Pythian Games. The Olympics, however, were by far the most famous. These games derived their name from Olympia, were they were held.
In ancient Greece, the Olympics were first held in 776 BC. The games were part of a religious festival in honor of the Greek gods. They were held in the temple sanctuary of Olympia in Peloponnesus, which is located in southern Greece. The games celebrated sporting achievement and excellence as well as victory. In fact, victory was the only thing celebrated. There was no silver or bronze medal awarded.
The origin of the games has not been conclusively determined. Greek legend has it that Zeus, himself, started the games. Other legends have it that Herakles founded the games. A third view is that they games were created as a memorial to Pelops, a hero. Whatever the reason, the games of Ancient Greece have certain stood the test of time.
In Ancient Greece, the Olympics were held on the second full moon after the summer solstice. This would have put them in July or August of each year. The games lasted for roughly 5 days. A truce was declared for the up to three months prior to the games so contestants could heal from battles and prepare themselves.
The original Olympics in Ancient Greece had only one event – the foot race. Not until the 18th Olympiad were individual events such as wrestling, horse riding, discus and javelin throwing were added. At its height, over 40,000 people would pile into a stadium in Olympia to watch the events.
Given the peaceful tone of the modern Olympics, it is somewhat surprising the pankration was one of the most popular events. It was essentially a brawl between as many contestants as entered, fighting all at the same time, with the last man standing declared the winner. All Olympic events were restricted to men, to wit, women could only watch.
The Ancient Greece Olympics reflected the nature of the culture. Ancient Greeks were very competitive, and the games were about the only no-war outlet for their passion.
