The Olympic Games : from past to present

OLYMPIA The first recorded Olympic Games took place in 776 years BC, but according to sources, took place much earlier, probably around the eleventh century BC Olympic Games were held in honor of Zeus and held periodically, every four years. Initially, lasting only one day, then the duration lengthened to 10 days. The oldest discipline was a race around the stadium, then came others , including the pentathlon , which included: running, jumping, discus throw and javelin. In 394 years the Emperor Theodosius the Great forbade the organization of the Games.

Olympia is one of the most important archaeological sites of Greece, a UNESCO Site. It is here held the first Olympic Games in 776 years BC Olympia was also the main place of worship of Zeus, from which comes the name of the city. It is located in the Peloponnese, in the region of Elis.

One of the most important monuments of the Olympic Stadium , along with the audience, which was located about 35 thousand people. On the adjacent hippodrome chariot races were held.As it appears in in the photo at the next, we see the ruins of temple. Every four years from this place the Olympic torch start the journey around the world

Pictures on the bottom are the ruins of the temple of Zeus. The temple contained a statue of Zeus. This Statue was made by the world-famous sculptor Phidias. He came from Athens. Born about 500 BC. He directed of construction of the Acropolis in Athens

Olympia in ancient times

The temple of Zeus

The colossal temple of Zeus Olympie, Doric style (64,2 m of length, 24,6 m of wide), was set up between 470 and 456 BC. It underwent several disasters, in particular a fire towards 426 BC, and an earthquake a century later, which destroyed it. The whole site was found buried under a coat of alluviums of several meters in thickness.This temple was built thanks to the booty brought back further to the victory against Pisa. Originally, the city of Olympia was not a city, but a sanctuary created by Pelops and Heracles. The sanctuary was connected with the Greek city

The statue of Zeus

This statue shows Zeus sitting on a throne. In his left hand he holds a scepter with an eagle. On his right hand stand the goddess of victory, Nike.

The stadium

The stadium is 192,27m of length. There are several tests: the first one consists in making a lap ( the dromos), the second two ( the diaulos) and the third 7,14 or 24 tours ( the dolichos). All the stadiums did not make the same length, some were longer than others.

The gymnasium

Gymnasium - in ancient Greece it was only partially roofed building and was designed for physical exercise.

Practising sports

Wrestling Wrestling matches were organized both as a separate event and as part of the pentathlon. Wrestling for boys was introduced in 632 BC.Wrestling was kept in check by several rules: blows were not permitted (this is boxing), nor holds on the male organs or biting. It was also forbidden to fight outside the sandpit. The athletes anointed their body with oil,

Boxing

Ancient Greek Boxing dates back to at least the eighth century BC and was practiced in a variety of social contexts in different Greek city-states. Gloved boxing bouts were a significant part of ancient Greek athletic culture throughout the early classical period.

The Legend of the Olympic Games

The first games started 3,000 years ago in Ancient Greece.The Olympic games were a religious festival to worship divinities.Zeus was for the Greeks, the greatest of all their gods and Pheidias of Athens, a famous Greek artist built a gold-and-ivory statue in his honor.One legend about the origin of the Olympic Games is around Zeus.One day Zeus fought his father, Kronos, for control of the world. They battled atop a mountain called Olympia in Greece. After Zeus defeated his father, a temple and an immense statue were built to honor him. Then religious festivals developed there as people came to worship Zeus and had activities like boxing, javelin throwing and marathon running. Women were forbidden to take part.Athletic competition became very important to the Greeks and there was peace during the Olympic festivals between Greek states at war. There were other great festivals of sport so the Olympic games came round in every four years.

One legend about the

Games revolves around

Zeus. There is a sanctuary

of Zeus at Olympia to

honour the most powerful

god. Zeus fights his father

Cronos on the top of a

mountain. Cronos is a

Titan. Zeus defeats his

father.

The Games also

There are many ceremonies during

the Games, especially the sacrifice to

Zeus of one hundred oxen donated

by the Eleans on the morning of the

middle day of the Olympic festival. A

temple and a statue are built in a

valley called Olympia.

Pindar, a great poet of

Greece, in his famous

Eleventh Olympic Ode to

victory, says Herakles, son of

Zeus started the Games.

One day a mortal named

Augeas makes unpleasant

remarks about Zeus, and so

angers Herakles who

organizes a wrestling match.

They meet on the plain

between the two rivers

Kladeos and Alpheos. After

the battle, Herakles walks

In the most ancient of old times, King Oenomaus was the tyrant who ruled the Olympian valley and surrounding territory. Like all fabled kings, Oenomaus had a daughter of incomparable beauty; like the others, he felt that no man was good enough for that daughter. Suitors came seeking her hand. Oenomaus had a trick of his own for disposing of these unwanted men, anxious to plight a troth with the daughter, Hippodameia. King Oenomaus, a strong athlete with agility and a superb master of the chariot race, challenged each suitor to a physical contest. The agreement was that each suitor could try to best the king-father, but should the suitor lose, he forfeited his life.

Such a challenge deterred many suitors; but there were others who so coveted the fair Hippodameia, and her father's rich kingdom, that they accepted the terms of the king. None won. All died. All died, that is, until a Phrygian prince, named Pelops, came along. He used his conniving mind as well as his magnificently trained body, accepted the king's offer, and asked that the contest be a chariot race. In the light of the full moon in September, Pelops met the king's charioteer, Myrtilus, under the wild olive trees on the Hill of Kronos. There the dastardly Pelops offered a bag of gold to the traitorous Myrtilus if, on the next morning, the charioteer would

loosen the linchpin on the king's chariot.

The gold sparkled in the moonlight; the charioteer's merciless heart beat with greed; he accepted the offer of Pelops. When the sun was high the next day, Pelops and Oenomaus stepped into their chariots behind horses champing at the bit. The starting signal was given. Both men lashed their four horses. With the king's court shouting and cheering, the two men

Pelops' victory is shrouded in legend but many Greeks were certain that the event marked the founding of the Olympic Games. Proponents of the legend pointed to the fact that the southern half of Greece is called the Peloponnese, the island of Pelops. Again fact mingles with fantasy.

Religious celebrationsIn ancient Greece, the Olympics were not simply a set of athletic events as they are today; instead, they were a sort of religious ritual and the games were dedicated to Zeus the father of the Greek gods. Therefore the magnificent Temple of Zeus and not the stadium was the focal point of Olympia.

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.Inside the temple a spectacular gold and ivory cult statue of Zeus enthroned, was placed. The statue was made by the sculptor Pheidias and was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; it stood over 42 feet high.A spiral staircase took visitors to an upper floor of the temple, for a better view of the statue.

Athletes made regular sacrifices to Zeus (typically pigs or sheep, or other animals), in hopes that he would recognize them and honor them for their skill and talents. They believed their training honored the gods, and victory was a sign of favor from a deity. The

The games were held on sacred ground in front of the temple dedicated to the god. There were ceremonies and little rituals all the way through the five day event.

On the first day, during opening ceremonies, athletes lined up before a giant statue of Zeus, and swore an oath to him in his Temple. The athletes vowed that they were eligible to participate in the games and that they would obey the Olympic rules while competing. Judges, trainers, and even the

The second day of the games began early with the chariot races followed by the horse races.

Spectators then hurried to the stadium to watch the pentathlon.

Spectators then hurried to the stadium to watch the pentathlon.

These contests lasted until evening and marked the end of the first day of the festival.

•The third day of the games began with a sacrifice to Zeus, which was the most solemn moment of the entire festival. A herd of 100 bulls were slaughtered by assembled priests after a procession to the Great Altar of Zeus. The thighs of the killed bulls were burned as a sacrifice while the remains of the bull was used in the victory banquet at the end of the games. The remainder of the day was the boys’

The fourth day was all sports with not public sacrifices or ceremonies.

Foot races, wrestling and boxing events, and the pankration (combination of wrestling and boxing) took place.This day marked the end of the athletic events of the Olympic festival.

On the fifth day the victory banquet was held. It started with a procession to the Temple of Zeus, where each winner was awarded of prizes. The winners received their wreath of live branches from olives.

Meat and wine were feasted late into the night and, by morning, the athletes, trainers, and families left for home.

Poems and Texts on the Olympic

Games

Texts were about

WinningDiet

Winners

Antiphon Tetralogy 2.3.6He believed that the danger from the indictment was not less but greater than this one here, as I will prove to you. Let us accept that he had the same expectations of being convicted or acquitted in both lawsuits. He had no hope of the indictment being brought before the court while his opponent was still alive. For the latter would not have obeyed him. But he did not expect to get to the present trial either; for he thought he could kill his opponent without being events). In martial sports, there could only be one winner - no second or third prize were allowed. Glory was

key and winning was the only goal.

Pindar Isthmian 4.45-49For he is similar to the spirit of loud-roaring lions in boldness as he

labours, and in skill he is like a fox who, stretching out, restrains the

eagle's swoop. One must do anything to render the opponent powerless.

FOOD

These are the texts on the diet of the athletes, giving specific instructions about which foods should be preferred or avoided -including warnings against drunkenness and other excesses. The idea of asceticism and abstinence while engaged in training and competition is prominent.

Unknown poem (contemporary)The Olympic GamesThe Games of LifeNot about troubleNot about strifeIt’s not the winning,It’s the taking part,It’s all aboutWhat’s true to heartIt’s not the loosing,It’s all nations unitingIt’s not about warbut peace invitingNot about troubleNot about strifeJust the OlympicsThe Games of life.

Resources

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/http://www.partecipiamo.it/olimpiadi/storia.htmhttp://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/olimpiadi-antiche_(Enciclopedia-dello-Sport)/http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/mediterranean/olympicgames.htmlhttp://www.studyenglishtoday.net/lesson21.htmlTRUDY RING-NOELLE WATSON-PAUL SCHELLINGER, Southern Europe: International Dictionary of Historic Places, Routledge, 2013,

pp.491-493