The Olympic Games are the world's most significant sporting events. They are held every four years. Every athlete dreams of winning these competitions. The origin of the Olympic Games dates back to ancient times. They were held as early as the seventh century BC. Why were the ancient Olympic Games called holidays of peace? In which country were they held for the first time?
The myth of the birth of the Olympic Games
In ancient times, these were the greatest national festivals. Who is the founder of the ancient Olympic Games is unknown. Myths and legends played a significant role in the social and cultural life of the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that the birth of the Olympic Games dates back to the time of Kronos, the son of the first god Uranus. In a competition between mythical heroes, Hercules won on the run, for which he was awarded an olive wreath. Subsequently, the winner insisted that a sporting event be held every five years. Such is the legend. Of course, there are other legends about the origin of the Olympic Games.
Historical sources confirming the holding of these festivities in Ancient Greece include Homer's Iliad. This book mentions a chariot race organized by the inhabitants of Elis, the area in the Peloponnese where Olympia was located.
Holy Truce
A mere mortal who played a significant role in the development of the ancient Greek Olympic Games was King Ifit. During his reign, the interval between competitions was already four years. Resuming the Olympic Games, Ifit declared a sacred truce. That is, during these festivities it was impossible to wage war. And not only in Elis, but also in other parts of Hellas.
Elis was considered a sacred place. It was impossible to wage war with her. True, later the Eleans themselves invaded neighboring areas more than once. Why were the ancient Olympic Games called holidays of peace? Firstly, the holding of these competitions was associated with the names of the gods, who were highly revered by the ancient Greeks. Secondly, the aforementioned truce was announced for a month, which had a special name - ἱεροΜηνία.
About the sports in the Olympic Games held by the Hellenes, scientists still have not come to a consensus. There is an opinion that initially athletes competed only in running. Later, wrestling and chariot racing were added to the sports in the Olympic Games.
Members
Among the citizens in ancient Greece were those who were subjected to public dishonor and contempt of others, that is, atymia. They could not become participants in competitions. Only respected Hellenes. Of course, the barbarians, who could only be spectators, did not take part in the ancient Olympic Games either. An exception was made only in favor of the Romans. At the ancient Greek Olympic Games, a woman did not even have the right to be present if she was not a priestess of the goddess Demeter.
The number of both spectators and participants was huge. If at the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece (776 BC) competitions were held only in running, then later other sports appeared. And over time, poets and artists got the opportunity to compete in their skills. During the festivities, even deputies competed with each other in the abundance of offerings to mythical deities.
From the history of the Olympic Games it is known that these events had a rather important social and cultural significance. Deals were made between merchants, artists and poets introduced the public to their creations.
Competitions were held on the first full moon after the summer solstice. It went on for five days. A certain part of the time was devoted to rituals with sacrifices and a public feast.
Types of competitions
The history of the Olympic Games, as already mentioned, is full of stories and legends. However, regarding the types of competitions, there are reliableintelligence. At the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, athletes competed in running. This sport was represented by the following varieties:
- Distance running.
- Double run.
- Long run.
- Running fully armed.
The first fist fight took place at the 23rd Olympiad. Later, the ancient Greeks added martial arts such as pankration, wrestling. It was said above that women did not have the right to take part in competitions. However, in 688 BC, special competitions were created for the most motivated women in ancient Greece. The only sport they could compete in was horse racing.
In the fourth century BC, a competition between trumpeters and heralds was added to the program of the Olympic Games - the Hellenes believed that aesthetic pleasure and sport had a logical connection. Artists exhibited their works on the market square. Poets and writers, as mentioned above, read their writings. Sculptors were sometimes ordered statues of winners after the end of the Games, lyrics in honor of the strongest and most dexterous composed laudatory songs.
Ellanodons
What were the names of the judges who watched the competition and awarded prizes to the winners. Ellanodons were appointed by lot. The judges not only presented the award, but also managed the organization of the entire event. At the first Olympic Games there were only two, then nine, and later ten. Beginning in 368 BC, there were twelve Hellanodons. Truth,later the number of judges was reduced. The Ellanodons wore special purple clothing.
How did the competition begin? Athletes proved to spectators and judges that the previous months were devoted exclusively to preliminary preparation. They took an oath in front of the statue of the main ancient Greek god - Zeus. Relatives of those wishing to compete - fathers and brothers - also took an oath. A month before the competition, the athletes demonstrated their skills in front of the judges at the Olympic Gymnasium.
The order of the competition was determined by drawing lots. Then the herald publicly announced the name of the contestant. Where were the Olympics?
Sanctuary of Ancient Greece
Where the Olympic Games were held, it is clear from the title. Olympia is located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. It once housed a temple and cultural complex and the sacred grove of Zeus. On the territory of the ancient Greek sanctuary there were religious buildings, monuments, sports facilities and houses in which the participants and guests lived. This place was the center of Greek art until the fourth century BC. Later, sports facilities were burned down by order of Theodosius II.
The Olympic Stadium was built gradually. He became the first in ancient Greece. In the fifth century BC, this stadium received about forty thousand spectators. For training, a gymnasium was used - a structure whose treadmill was equal in length to the one that was located at the stadium itself. One more platformfor preliminary preparation - palestra. It was a square building with a courtyard. Mostly athletes who competed in wrestling and fisticuffs trained here.
Leonidoion, which served as the Olympic village, was built in the fifth century BC according to the project of a well-known architect in ancient Greece. The huge building consisted of a courtyard surrounded by columns and included many rooms. The Olympic Games played an important role in the religious life of the Hellenes. That is why here the locals erected several temples and shrines. The buildings fell into disrepair after an earthquake that occurred in the sixth century. The hippodrome was completely destroyed during the flood.
The last Olympic Games in Ancient Greece took place in 394. Banned by Emperor Theodosius. In the Christian era, these events were regarded as pagan. The revival of the Olympic Games occurred after two millennia. Although already in the 17th century, competitions reminiscent of the Olympics were held repeatedly in England, France and Greece.
The revival of ancient Greek traditions
The forerunners of the modern Olympic Games were the Olympia, held in the middle of the 19th century. But they, of course, were not so large-scale and had little in common with the competitions, which in our time take place every four years. A significant role in the revival of the Olympic Games was played by the French public figure Pierre de Coubertin. Why did the Europeans suddenly remember the traditions of the ancient Greeks?
BIn the middle of the 17th century, archaeological research was carried out in Olympia, as a result of which scientists discovered the remains of temple structures. The work continued for more than ten years. At that time, everything related to Antiquity was popular in Europe. Many public and cultural figures became infected with the desire to revive the Olympic traditions. At the same time, the French showed the greatest interest in the culture of holding sports competitions in Ancient Greece, although the archaeological discoveries belonged to the Germans. This can be easily explained.
In 1871, the French army was defeated, which significantly undermined the patriotic spirit in society. Pierre de Coubertin believed that the reason was the poor physical preparation of the soldiers. He did not try to inspire his compatriots to fight against Germany and other European powers. The French public figure spoke a lot about the need to improve physical culture, but also advocated overcoming national selfishness and establishing international understanding.
First Olympic Games: new time
In June 1894, a congress was held at the Sorbonne, at which Coubertin presented to the world community his thoughts on the need to revive the ancient Greek traditions. His ideas were supported. On the last day of the congress, it was decided to hold the Olympic Games in two years. They were supposed to take place in Athens. The International Competition Committee was headed by Demetrius Vikelas. Pierre de Coubertin took officeGeneral Secretary.
The 1896 Olympic Games were the biggest sporting event ever. Greek statesmen put forward a proposal to hold the Olympic Games exclusively in their homeland. However, the committee decided otherwise. The location of the Games changes every four years.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Olympic movement was not very popular. This is partly due to the fact that at that time the World Exhibition was held in Paris. Some historians believe that the Olympic ideas were saved thanks to the intermediate games of 1906, held again in Athens.
Differences between modern and ancient Greek Games
Competitions have been resumed on the model of ancient sports competitions. The modern Olympic Games unite athletes from all states; discrimination against individuals on religious, racial, political grounds is not allowed. This, perhaps, is the main difference between the modern Games and the ancient Greek ones.
What did the modern Olympic Games borrow from the ancient Greek? First of all, the names themselves. The frequency of the competitions was also borrowed. One of the purposes of the modern Olympic Games is to serve the world, to establish mutual understanding between countries. This is in tune with the ideas of the ancient Greeks about a temporary truce during the days of the competition. The Olympic fire and torch are the symbols of the Olympics, which, of course, originated in antiquity. Some terms and rules for holding competitions were also borrowed from the ancient Greeks.
There are, of course, several significant differences betweenmodern Games and ancient ones. The ancient Greeks held sports events exclusively in Olympia. Today the Games are organized each time in a different city. In ancient Greece, there was no such thing as a "Winter Olympics". Yes, the competition was different. In antiquity, not only athletes, but also poets participated in the Olympic Games.
Symbolics
Everyone knows what the symbol of the Olympic Games looks like. Five fastened rings in black, blue, red, yellow and green. However, few people know that these elements do not belong to any particular continent. The motto of the Olympic Games sounds in Latin, translated into Russian means "faster, higher, stronger." The flag is a white cloth with rings. It has been raised at every Games since 1920.
Both the opening and closing of the Games are accompanied by a grandiose, colorful ceremony. The best organizers of mass events are involved in the development of the script. Famous actors and singers strive to participate in this spectacle. The broadcast of this international event attracts tens of millions of viewers to television screens around the world.
If the ancient Greeks believed that in honor of the Olympic Games it is worth suspending any hostilities, then in the twentieth century the opposite happened. Sports competitions were canceled due to armed conflicts. The games were not held in 1916, 1940, 1944. Russia has hosted the Olympics twice. In 1980 in Moscow and in 2014 in Sochi.
