The Ancient Olympics

Where did the Olympics come from? There are many different stories about the beginning of the Olympics. One myth says that Zeus himself started the games to celebrate his victory over his father Cronus for control of the world.

Why did the Greeks start the Olympics? The Ancient Olympic Games were part of a major religious festival honoring Zeus. A sacrifice of 100 oxen was made to Zeus during the festival. Athletes prayed to the gods for victory, and made gifts of animals, produce, or small cakes, in thanks for their successes. The games were the biggest event in their world.

When did the Olympics begin and end? The first Olympic Games at Olympia were held in 776 BC. The games occurred every four years until 393 AD, when they were stopped by the Christian Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I. The Ancient Olympic Games lasted for 1,169 years. If the Modern Olympic games were to last that long, they would still be held in 3066 AD! Entrance to Olympia

Why were the games held in Olympia? Olympia was one of the oldest religious centers in the ancient Greek world. Since athletic contests were one way that ancient Greeks honored their gods, it was logical to hold an athletic competition at the site of a major temple. Olympia is also convenient to reach by ship. Temple of Zeus

Who could compete in the Olympics? The Olympic Games were open to any free born Greek in the world. There were separate men's and boys’ divisions for events. Women could only enter their horses in events if they were the owners.

Were women allowed to attend the Olympics? Not only were women not permitted to compete personally, married women were also barred from attending the games, under penalty of death.

The First Olympic Games During the first Olympic Games a flame burned in honor of Zeus, lord of all the gods. Athletes only competed in one event, Stade Footraces.

The First Olympic Games The games were greatly expanded from a one- day festival of athletics and wrestling to, in 472 BC, five days with many events. Many athletic events were also added to the games including: wrestling, boxing, horse racing, long jumping, javelin, and chariot racing.

Boxing Ancient boxing had fewer rules than the modern sport. Boxers fought until one man was knocked out, or admitted he had been beaten. There was no rule against hitting an opponent when he was down. There was no weight classes within the men’s and boys’ divisions. Opponents for a match were chosen randomly. Men wore leather strips around their wrists which left their fingers free.

Pentathlon The pentathlon was a 5 - event combination of discus, javelin, jumping, running, and wrestling.

Wrestling Like the modern sport, an athlete needed to throw his opponent on the ground, landing on a hip, shoulder, or back for a fair fall. Three throws were necessary to win a match. Biting was not allowed. Attacks such as breaking your opponent's fingers were permitted.

Discus The discus throw was considered an important event. The discus was made of stone, iron, bronze, or lead, and was shaped like a flying saucer.

Javelin The javelin was a man-high length of wood, with either a sharpened end or an attached metal point.

Jump Athletes used lead or stone jump weights shaped like telephone receivers to increase the length of their jump.

Running There were 4 types of races at Olympia. The stadium race was the oldest event of the games. Runners sprinted for 1 stade, or the length of the stadium.

Running The other races were a 2-stade race, and a long distance run which ranged from 7 to 24 stades. The Greeks had one particular grueling event. This was a 2 to 4 stade race by athletes in armor.

Pankration This event was a grueling combination of boxing and wrestling. Punches were allowed, although the fighters did not wrap their hands with the leather strips. Rules outlawed only biting and gouging an opponent's eyes, nose, or mouth with fingernails. Attacks such as kicking an opponent in the belly, which are against the rules in modern sports, were perfectly legal.

Equestrian Events There were both 2 horse and 4 horse chariot races. Races were held with horses. The course was 6 laps around the track (4.5 miles), and there were separate races for full-grown horses and foals. Jockeys rode without stirrups.

Who were the Olympic Judges? The Olympic judges came from Elis, a local region which was part of Olympia. The Elean people had such a reputation for fairness that any cheating at the games was a shock.

What prizes did the Olympic winners get? A victor received a crown made from olive leaves, and was entitled to have a statue of himself set up at Olympia. The victor was treated like a celebrity by his home city.

Athens, Capital of Greece

The Acropolis

Inside the Acropolis

Olympia

The Wrestling Arena

Mount Olympus

The Olympic Flame

The Olympic Stadium