ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES
• These are anagrams of the various contests. Can you find them? . linjave pujm ______
ritorachaec ______
losdaiv ______
datoisn ______scusid stlerwngi ______
raorhcese ______
xobngi slihodos ______
• Which of these take place in modern times? 1...... 2...... 3...... 4...... 5...... To remember: ✔ The ancient Olympic Games ✔ The pankration was a started in 776 B.C. combination of wrestling and boxing. ✔ Long jump, javelin, running, discus and wrestling make up the ancient ✔ Milo from Croton was crowned pentathlon. Olympic victor seven times. ✔ In the chariot-races the winner’s ✔ Kallipateira was the mother, wife wreath was given to the owner of and sister of Olympic victors. In the horse, not to the driver of the order to watch the Games, she chariot. disguised herself as a man.
• What has impressed you most about the Olympic Games? Would you like to describe it? Panhellenic Games in ancient times
The most important games in antiquity were the Games at Olympia. But there were other games too, like the Pythian, the Nemean and the Isthmian. Every athlete’s dream was to be crowned victor in all these games and be called “periodonikes” for this achievement.
Olympic Games
In honour of Zeus Place: Olympia Prize: A wreath of wild olive (kotinos)
Pythian Games
In honour of Apollo Place: Delphi Prize: A wreath of laurel • Use natural materials to make wreaths for the victors of all the panhellenic games.
Isthmian Games
In honour of Poseidon Place: Isthmus of Corinth Prize: A wreath of pine
Nemean Games
In honour of Zeus Place: Nemea Prize: A wreath of wild celery The journey made by the ancient athlete
Diagoras, Milo and Pythagoras have decided to take part in the Olympic Games. Each one starts from his own city, but they visit other sanctuaries on the way.
ñThasos ñK roton
ñDelphi Athens Nemeañ ñOlymbicñ
ñPodos
• How would you plan the journey made by Diagoras the Rhodian via Isthmia, Milo from Croton via Nemea, and Pythagoras the Thasian via Delphi, to Olympia? Plan the journeys in ancient as well as in modern times. How long would each journey take now and then? What would the conditions of the journeys be like then and now? • Which places did they pass through, what dangers did they meet, how did they overcome difficulties? Trace their trips on the map. Starting from your own town, what is the shortest way to reach Olympia, passing through two sanctuaries? • In the table below there are hidden words connected with the ancient games. Many of these form a zigzag. Can you find them?
H ERAIA NPZLHZ EUS E DISGQ AISTHMIAM L FKCUS FDGSRUCN I
L BJKJA VEXPLNSNG
A LNOUM PLNOKNGOY N OD I KA IIONKILQM H LJWRE SNJ DANQPN M YMP I A TXPOPGZSA
H ERCUM LEZPHOROS K OTI L Y INGOETART A PLNEM EANMRALD I K PEOST RU J OTY TTC
I YASMT ECEMUS I AS P THIAN UXAU I I S NO
M ESIQK ON L TXC H S E
TRUCE, ISTHMIA,ALTIS, SPONDOPHOROS, OLYMPIA, RUNNING,WRESTLING, DISCUS, JUMP,KOTINOS, NEMEA, PYTHIA, HERAIA, GYMNASTICS, HERALD, HELLANODIKAI, MUSIC, HERCULES, JAVELIN, ZEUS. «The Light of Olympia» Tell them all to start for Olympia. Thousands thousands thousands of youths swars of bodies white black yellow, to go and cleanse themselves near the Palaistra from yesterday from today from tomorrow, to annoint with oil their souls and minds and then to enter from the wide open gate into the Stadium to contend. Not in slaughter and fire not with the knife and the iron that burns not for the destruction of man by man not for causing new dead new maimed new wretched, but for boxing and the spear for jumping the discus the race the wrestling for the four-horsed chariot for Virtue, beside Kastor or Antipatros Diagoras or Alkibiades which will unite the ancient world with the present with the future with the everlasting and it will conquor Ares once more for the last time. There in the clearing Olympia vigilant day and night weaves for each A wreath of wild olive of Greek peace of Peace of the whole world.
Takis Doxas (extract)
One of the most beautiful poems that have been written on the Olympic Games is «Light of Olympia» by Takis Doxas.
• Can you read it aloud? • What is the poem’s message? Discuss it with your classmates and your parents. • The Olympic Games are a source of inspiration. Can you write a poem or paint a picture dedicated to the ancient games?