The Ancient Olympic Games Origins
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THE ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES ORIGINS ° Festival held in Zeus’ honor ° Part of it included athletics – Sanctuary of Zeus – Father of the Greek gods and goddesses ° Held at Olympia – Rural site in the Western Peloponnese THE YEAR WAS… ° 776 BC ° Koroibos – Won the first Stadion race – According to some, stadion race was the only event in the first 13 Olympics, or until 724 BC – Olympics were held every 4 yrs. for the next 12 centuries THOSE WHO CAME… ° The Games attracted participants from all over Classical Greece and Magna Grecia ° Those who participated shared common characteristics: – Same religious beliefs – Language – All male citizens of city- states DID YOU KNOW? ° The marathon was NOT an event in the ancient Olympic Games ° Was first introduced in 1896 in Athens ° Race commemorates the run of Pheidippides – Ancient “day-runner” – He was sent to Sparta to seek help during the Persian War – Said to have run 240 km in 2 days NUDITY AT THE GAMES? ° There are 2 stories relating to the question of nudity at the games ° By 8 th century nudity was common Orisppos/Orrhippos In 720 BC was said to first have introduced nudity when he lost his shorts in the stadion The Spartans Said to have introduced nudity in the 8th century BC because it was a Spartan tradition PROS…OR AMATEURS? ° Training was very important to the Greeks ° Usually wealthier citizens – Time to indulge and money to pay for trainers ° Training manuals, even do-it-yourself booklets were produced ° By Roman times, a sort of athletes trade union was set up – Secured privileges for members, such as freedom from taxes and military service – Looked after dependents RELIGION AND ATHLETICS ° Combination of religion and athletics may seem odd to us ° Was not to the Greeks for 3 reasons: – Funeral games at the burial of hero was tradition ° Homer, in the Iliad , describes those for Patroklos RELIGION AND ATHLETICS ° Skill and achievement of any kind were offerings to the gods – Gods were thought of as graceful and powerful beings – Appreciate these qualities in man RELIGION AND ATHLETICS ° The whole Greek society was marked by compositeness – Part of the reason for its excellence – Religion was associated with most areas of Greek life – Competitiveness should be linked with religion then PRIZES ° Athletic prizes included – Bronze tripods – Shields – Woolen cloaks – Olive oil – Valuable metals – Oxen – Cauldrons PRIZES ° At the Pan-Hellenic Festivals only prizes were wreaths of leaves – Olive at Olympia – Laurel at Delphi – Pine at Isthmia – Parsley at Nemea OLYMPIC ATHLETES ° 794 Olympic athletes known ° We have partial records from 776 BC-393 BC ° The victor list has over 1029 Olympic victories ° Koroibos of Elis was the first in 776 BC ° Zopyrus of Athens was the last in 385 AC ° Between the 2 dates there was a total of 291 Olympic Games MAJOR OLYMPIANS ° Leonidas of Rhodes – 12 victories – Stadion, Diaulos, Hoplitodromos ° Herodoros of Magara – 10 victories – Heralds ° Hermogenes of Xanthos – 8 victories – Stadion, Diaulos, Hoplitodromos ° Nero Of Rome – 6 victories – Heralds, Tragedy, Lyre, Tethrippon, Foals Tethrippon, 10 Horse Chariot WOMEN AT THE OLYMPICS? ° Women were there, but were not allowed in the central areas ° Women were not even permitted to watch the main games – Woman in disguise – Judges “let her off out of respect for her father and her brothers and her son, all who were Olympic victors” ° They had their own minor games – Held in honor of Hera, Zeus’ wife EVENTS AND YEARS INTRODUCED ° Stadion 776 BC ° Diaulos 724 BC ° Dolichos 720 BC ° Wrestling/Pentathlon 708 BC ° Boxing 688 BC ° Pankration/Horse Race 648 BC ° Hoplitodromos 520 BC ° Chariot Racing 384 BC and 268 BC OLYMPIC SCHEDULE ° The program at Olympia was: – Day 1: sacrifices, oaths, checking of athletes – Day 2: Morning: equestrian events. Afternoon: the pentathlon – Day 3: Morning: religious observances. Afternoon: boys’ events – Day 4: Morning: track events. Afternoon: wrestling, boxing, pankration race in armor – Day 5: Banquet and sacrifices EVENT CATAGORIES ° The events were divided into catagories – Men’s track and Field – Boy’s track and field – Equstrian for full grown horses – Equestrian for mules and mares – Equestrian for young male horses – Specialty events ° Heralds ° Trumpeters BOYS’ EVENTS ° Boys’ Events – 200 meter – Wrestling – Boxing ° Events restricted to ages 12 and 18 – How judges knew boys ages is not clear BOXING ° According to myth, Apollo invented boxing ° All boxers wore himantes ° No time limit, no weight limit – A match ended when one held up 1 or 2 fingers – Rest periods ° Klimax ° Melankomas of Karia CHARIOT RACING ° Chariot Racing – Most spectacular – Four-horse, two-wheeled chariots covereda distance of 200 m – Cutting in front of a rival was forbidden – Collisions and crashes frequent ° King of Kyrene of North Africa – Chariot was sole survivor of 41 starters and therefore won PENTATHLON ° Jason of the Argonauts ° 5 events combined – Jumping, running, discus, javelin, and wrestling ° Rules – Order of events unknown – Unknown if had to win all 5 or just 3 events to be the victor RUNNING ° Most significant and ancient sport ° Running held an important place in Greek society – Many myths deal with running (ie Herakles) ° Runners did not have special equipment ° To assure a fair start a hysplex was used OLYMPIC TRUCE ° A truce was established in the 9 th century BC by – Iphitos of Elis – Cleosthenes of Pisa – Lycurgus of Sparta OLYMPIC TRUCE ° Elis’ reign became a reality ° As the Games approached – Truce was announced by Spondophori ° During the period of the Truce – Athletes, artists, and their families could travel in safety to and from the Games HUH? ° Athlete: one who competes for a prize (althos = “contest” athlon = “prize ° Stadion: linear distance; 600ft. “the standing place” ° Hoplitodromos: a race in armor (hoplite) ° Diaulos: foot race equal to 2 lengths of the stadion ° Dolichos: a distance race varying from place to place ° Pankration: event combining wrestling and boxing; no himantes were used ° Altis: grove ° Hysplex: starting gate HUH? ° Klimax: A voluntary point in a long boxing match when 2 boxers took turns standing still while they hit each other; could not try and block blows ° Himantes: boxing gloves ° Palaestra: a place of wrestling ° Peloponnese: large peninsula which forms the southernmost part of mainland Greece ° Pentathlon: 5 events DID YOU KNOW? ° Statues were set up in the altis of Olympians who had been caught cheating/bribing at the games – All athletes walked by these to enter the events ° Greek Olympians were honored and “marketed” – Odes were composed by poets, statues were made, and coins with their images ODES ° Pinder – Famous 5 th century poet – Wrote an ode for Hiero to celebrate his victory in the horse race in 476 BC ° Such odes were commissioned by – Athletes – Athletes families – Rich political leaders THANKS TO… ° Google Images for the pictures ° These Were The Greeks by Amos and Lang ° Websites – The Real Story of the Ancient Olympic Games – The Ancient Olympics – Ancient Greece.