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In this lesson we will be exploring the first Olympics in Ancient Greece.

Pelops was a prince who sought the hand of Hippodamia, the daughter of King Oinomaos. Oinomaos challenged Pelops to a chariot race. He announced that if Pelops won he would win the hand of his daughter in marriage. However, if he lost Pelops would be beheaded, and his head would be used to adorn the king’s palace. The race began, but just as Oinomaos was about to overtake Pelops, the wax melted, the wheels fell off his chariot, and Oinomaos was thrown to his death. Pelops married Hippodamia and held the first games in the shadow of Mount Olympus to celebrate his victory. With the help of his charioteer, Myrtilos, Prince Pelops came up with a plan to beat Oinomaos. Together they secretly replaced the bronze linchpins of the King's chariot with linchpins made of wax.

After that a great athletics festival, in honour of the Greek gods Zeus and Hera, was held at Olympia every four years. Men came from all over Greece to compete. They had to be free men (not slaves) and be able to speak Greek. Every athlete took an oath in front of the statue of Zeus saying that they had been in training for 10 months.

The games were celebrated every four years for more than a thousand years, until people converted to Christianity and the games were banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius in 393 AD, who saw them as pagan.

A flame was lit by the sun and kept burning until the end of the Games. Nowadays the Olympic flame is lit at the site of Olympia by women wearing ancient- style robes using a curved mirror.

The athletes represented city states from across the Greek empire. The two biggest rivals were the Athenians and the Spartans. The Spartans: They strived to win at all costs, by lying, cheating, whatever it took, as long as they didn’t get caught. It was important to beat the citizens of Athens, even if they didn’t win, so they plotted secretly with other Greek city-states to sabotage any Athenian chance of victory. They would cheer only for their fellow Spartans at each event. The Athenians: They knew that their archrivals, the Spartans, would do anything to win, but Athenians would never stoop to such behaviour. Athenians were shining examples of all that is fine and noble, clever, creative and courteous.

Athletes in the ancient Olympic Games took part in the nude. The word ‘gymnasium’ comes from the Greek word ‘gymnos’ meaning nude. The exact meaning of ‘gymnasium’ is ‘school for naked exercise’!

After the games, the athletes cleaned themselves by rubbing oils over their bodies and scraping off the mix of oil, sweat and dirt with a strigil.

Women were not allowed to compete in the games, and only priestesses were permitted to watch them, because the games were dedicated to the God Zeus, father of Gods and men. As time went on women were able to compete in the Heraean games which were held in honour of Zeus’s wife Hera. They were held in the Olympic stadium before the men’s games.

When t he Olympic Games first started there was just one event, the stadion, a sprint measuring 192 metres, the length of the stadium. Later they introduced the pentathlon, a combination of five events: discus, javelin, jumping, running and wrestling… … as well as boxing and chariot racing….

…. and pankration, which was a gruelling combination of boxing and wrestling. Only biting and gouging an opponent's eyes, nose, or mouth with fingernails were disallowed. Other brutal moves, such as kicking an opponent in the belly, which are against the rules in modern sports, were perfectly legal.

The Marathon was not an Olympic event in ancient times. In 490 BCE, Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, ran from Marathon to Athens (about 25 miles) to tell the Athenians that they had won a battle against the invading Persians. Unfortunately the journey was very hilly and rocky, and Pheidippides arrived in Athens with bleeding feet, completely exhausted. He just managed to tell the Athenians the good news before he fell to the ground dead.

In 1896, at the first modern Olympic Games, a race of approximately the same length was held in commemoration of Pheidippides.

At the ancient Olympics a wreath of olive branches was placed on the winner's head. The olive tree was the sacred tree of Athens. Medal winners were given olive wreaths in the Olympic games of 2004, which were held in Athens, Greece.

Milo of Croton – an Olympic celebrity Milo, six times Olympic wrestling champion, enjoyed demonstrating his strength. He would hold a pomegranate in his hand and ask people to try to take it away from him. Even though he was holding it tight, he never damaged the fruit. Sometimes, he would stand on a greased iron disk and challenge others to push him off it. Another of his favourite tricks was tying a cord around his forehead, holding his breath, and breaking the cord with his bulging forehead veins. Who is destined to become a celebrity in the London Olympic games of 2012?

Glossary dedicated – devoted, committed pagan – someone who believes in an ancient religion (or no religion) sacred – holy Commemorate – honour, celebrate Brawn – muscle, strength.

Activities to complete this lesson include : Rate this lesson here.here Click on the image above to view and/or download learning activities. Grecian art. Dialogue between an Athenian and a Spartan Debate – Is brain better than brawn?