Facts about Ancient Olympics

Beginning

The ancient Olympic Games were started in the year 776 BC in honour of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods with only a foot race as its event. It was held at an interval of 4 years.

Ancient Greece Olympics Facts

Location

The ancient Olympics took place at the sanctuary of Olympia and its main stadium could house a huge number of people which are speculated to be up to 45000.

Myths

Another myth said that the Oracle prophesied that the king of Pisa, Oenomaus would be killed by the husband of her daughter, Hippodamia. So the king decreed that whoever wanted to marry his daughter would have to drive her away in a chariot which would be followed by the king in another chariot and if he caught up with them he would kill the suitor. The king’s chariot was supernaturally fast as it was a gift from Poseidon.

The daughter fell in love with Pelops and so before the race Pelops persuaded the king’s charioteer to replace the bronze axle pins of the king’s chariot with wax ones. So naturally when the race began, the wax melted killing the king in a fall from the chariot.

So Pelops organized the chariot races as funeral games in honor of the deceased king and also as a form of Thanksgiving to the gods so that he could be forgiven for his sins. The race was held at Olympia which inspired the beginnings of the ancient Olympic Games.

Another story refers to Heracles along with his friends racing at Olympia to entertain a baby Zeus and the winner were crowned with an olive wreath. The other gods are also said to have taken part in different sports like wrestling, jumping and running to have started the Games.

Other stories refer to the son of Zeus starting an athletic festival in order to honour his father, Zeus.

Only for Greeks

Unlike the modern Olympics, only Greeks were allowed to participate in the Olympics. It was a Panhellenic game rather than a worldwide game like we see today. Certain Romans were allowed after its capture by the Roman empire but most of the time, it maintained its Greek monopoly.

An Olympic Truce

Wars and conflicts between states were stopped temporarily and a truce was called during the Olympics so that athletes and pilgrims from the states could travel to the Olympics.

No Games for Women

Only free male citizens were allowed to take part in the ancient Olympics. Certain events did allow women but they were mostly artistic events rather than sporting events. We even get to know that women were even punished for witnessing athletic events.

A Political tool

The Olympics was even used as a political tool by the states as well as the athletes. The prestige and honour of the states were greatly intertwined with the Olympic games and winners from a state would bring great glory to that particular state. The winning athletes were greatly respected in ancient Greece and in many cases even their statues were erected, giving them a higher status. They would even get a voice in politics and they used this popularity to get political gains.

Only One Prize

We are accustomed to seeing three types of medals: Gold, silver and bronze being presented to the modern Olympic athletes for being in the top 3 of a particular event. But in the ancient games, only the winners were presented with an olive leaf crown to honour their victory.

Events

The first Olympics started with just a short foot race and then it was expanded to involve more sporting events. This included boxing, wrestling, pentathlon, chariot races, discus throw, and javelin throw. The events are still a part of the modern Olympics. Although they were not the same as today with sports like boxing and wrestling being much more bloody in ancient times it has heavily influenced modern times to continue these sports.

Deadly events

Many events like boxing and wrestling were very violent and bloody. The ancient boxing event is said to have ended when one of the contestants was dead or had surrendered. Similarly in wrestling, violence and bloodshed were very common. A sporting event known as Pankration was a combination of boxing and wrestling and is known to be one of the most violent sporting events. Only biting and eye gouging is said to have been forbidden and nothing else.

Nudity

Most people know that the Olympics Facts started out in Ancient Greece, but did you know that back then the athletes competed in the nude? (Though technically, they could wear penis restraints yes, you read that right). Or that one of the games was an ancient form of mixed martial arts? Or that a chef won the very first Olympic games?

Yes, that’s right ancient Olympic sportsmen (all men, by the way) ran, wrestled, and fought buck naked. The ancient Greeks had a tradition of doing things nude (they walked around in the buff in the bedroom and at parties called symposia*,

and they exercised without any clothes on) indeed, the word gymnasium came from the Greek word Gymos, which means naked. Why naked? Well, to appreciate and celebrate the male physique, of course, and as a tribute to the gods. Participants regularly anointed themselves with olive oil to enhance their looks and to keep the skin smooth!

In the sixth century, there was an actual attempt to make athletes wear loincloths, but this proved to be unpopular and soon afterward nudity regained its status as fashion in athletics.
*Great trivia for the next time you’re in a boring symposium: the original symposium is a nude drinking party (Sympotein is Greek for to drink together), complete with courtesans (basically sophisticated prostitutes).

Ancient Greece Olympics Facts

A Summer Games

The Olympics were held at the peak of the Greek summer as it was the quietest period of agriculture. With most of the population being engaged in agriculture, this allowed them to attend the games without sacrificing their economic gains.

The End

The last of the ancient Olympic games were held around 380 BC. The Olympics continued even after the Roman occupation but with rising natural disasters the site of Olympia had already gone into decline and it finally ended around the 4th century AD.

Games other than the Olympics

Those Greeks sure did love their sports! The Ancient Olympic Games were actually just a part of four sports festival called the Panhellenic Games:

The Olympic Games, the most important and prestigious game of them all, was held in honor of Zeus every four years near Elis.

Pythian Games was held every four years near Delphi in honor of Apollo

Nemean Games was held every two years near Nemea, in honor of Zeus

Isthmian Games was held every two years near Corinth, in honor of Poseidon