Ancient Greek Civilizations Lesson 2: The Olympic Games

1. Travelers gathering for the Olympic Games Travelers came from every Greek city- state to watch the grand Olympic Games. The first Olympic Games were so grand—so large and magnificent—that people even came from faraway places such as Egypt and Spain. To get there, many sailed on ships, some rode on horses, some rode in chariots, and some even walked the whole way. The Olympic Games happened every four years in Olympia.

2. Travelers gathering for the Olympic Games During the Olympic Games, athletes—or people who play or do a particular sport—compete in various—and different—sporting events. This grand event was held to honor Zeus and the other gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus. To the ancient Greeks, this special event was sacred—the ancient Greeks thought the Olympic Games were holy. They had the Olympic Games to show their respect to the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. So, the ancient Greeks were willing to make the long journey—by chariot or on foot—from their city-state to Olympia.

3. Myron speaking to Pindar in carriage Among the travelers were two Greek men named Myron and Pindar. They were on their way to the sacred—and holy—site of Olympia. Myron was a sculptor who used his muscular arms to carve out grand statues of bronze and marble. Myron explained to his friend Pindar, “I could invite the athletes to my home and carve statues of them there. But I want my statues to show the exact moment when a runner starts to get ahead in a race or the exact time when a discus thrower is about to let go of that heavy stone. So I prefer to see those Olympic events with my own eyes. That way, my statues will show the athlete in action.”

4. Myron speaking to Pindar in carriage His friend Pindar the poet smiled and answered, “I, on the other hand, can write grand poems in honor of champions without ever seeing them compete. I am less interested in watching a runner cross the finish line. I am more interested in the effort and determination it took for him to get there. I like to write about the athlete’s determination—or decision to do something, like win—so that nothing can stop him until he reaches his goal.”

5. Pindar speaking to friend Suddenly a voice called out, “Pindar! What are you doing with that Athenian? Don’t you know we Thebans are still fighting a war against Athens?” Pindar saw that it was his friend from his city-state of Thebes. Pindar said to him, “My friend, you know that all such conflicts— or fights—are set aside during the time of the Olympic Games. Everyone can safely go to and return from the Olympic Games, so we can all peacefully take part in this grand event to honor Zeus and the other gods.”

6. Olympic events By the time Pindar and Myron reached Olympia, the Greek athletes were already there and ready to compete. All of the athletes were men. At that time women were not allowed to be at the Olympic Games. There were no events for women—only their horses were allowed to compete in the horse and chariot races. In the first Olympic Games, there were only footraces, or running races. Later came events like wrestling, boxing, racing horses and chariots, throwing the heavy stone discuss, and throwing the javelin, a type of long spear.

7. Ancient Olympian victor with laurel crown Victory in a competition gave the winners and the city-states they came from great pride. An Olympic champion received a ring of laurel leaves to wear on his head. He would be a hero in his city’s history. Many cities awarded a lot of money to their champions as well. But most importantly, all the Olympic athletes loved the sport in which they competed.

8. Photo of modern athletes Some things have not changed in the Olympics since they first started in ancient Greece thousands of years ago. Today there are still Olympic Games. Today, athletes from all over the world go to the Olympic Games to compete in different sports. The Summer Olympics are still held every four years, but now there is also the Winter Olympics, which are held every two years after the Summer Olympics. The location of the Olympic Games also changes each time. They have been in Seoul, Korea; Atlanta, Georgia; and Athens, Greece.

9. Photo of modern athletes Men—and now women—from all over the world travel to the chosen city to compete in the modern Olympic Games. Even if their countries are not getting along, people set aside their conflicts, just as in the ancient days, to participate in the grand Olympic Games.