How many Olympic Games were there in ancient Greece. The mysterious and unpredictable history of the Olympic Games

Mankind took from Ancient Greece not only democracy, but also the Olympic Games. It is not surprising that one of the most popular competitions of our time was born in Hellas, where the cult of the human body was at the highest level. In addition, the spirit of competition attracted the Greeks, so the inhabitants of Hellas preferred to fight not on the battlefields, but in sports.

When did the Olympic Games begin?

Historians have established that the first competitions, known today as the Olympic Games, were held in Greece in the 8th century. BC. Their main motto was the expression "Faster, higher, stronger." These words fully reflected what the Greeks were striving for during the competition.

The Greeks loved sports, constantly kept themselves in shape, which was due to objective reasons. Hellas was subjected to raids by neighboring countries, the Greek policies fought among themselves. Greeks who served in the army and navy had to be in excellent physical shape. Gradually, the cult of a beautiful athletic body became widespread among the inhabitants of all Hellas. Sports training was carried out in gymnasiums, classes in which were included in everyday education.

The participants of all competitions were only men. They were also spectators, women were not allowed into the stands. An exception was made only once for the priestess of the goddess Demeter, whose name was Hamina.

At the first Olympic Games, only athletes from the Peloponnese policy took part. Later, athletes from Corinth, Sparta and other cities of Greece, residents of Greek colonies in Central and Asia Minor, Sicily, and Phoenicia were allowed to participate in the competition. Gradually, athletes from other countries who were in Asia, Africa, and Europe began to take part in the Games.

In 394 AD, the Olympic Games were banned, since Greece was conquered by Rome, Christianity became widespread, which became the state religion in Hellas. At that time, the Games had already been held 293 times.

The Olympic Games were accompanied by national holidays that contributed to the development of Greek culture. On the day the competitions began, a common feast was held in the main temple of Zeus, which had the nickname Olympian. The temple stood on the Alfea River, and it was from here that the first competitions began, which turned into the Olympic Games. The exact start date of the Games is determined by a special list in which the organizers of the all-Greek sports competitions wrote down the names of the winners in the race. The oldest list begins with the date 776 BC. And this date is officially accepted in the history of counting Olympiads.

Thus, the Olympic Games were held every four years, when the first full moon came after the summer solstice.

Versions of the appearance of the Olympic Games

There are several options for why the Olympic Games appeared in Greece. The most popular are:

• The king of Phrygia named Pelops, who spent his childhood on Olympus, won the chariot competition. It was he who came up with the idea to hold such competitions regularly, once every four years.
• The son of Zeus, Hercules, organized a celebration for all the inhabitants of the kingdom of the ruler of Avgius, during which athletics competitions were held. And then decided that they become regular.
• Between Sparta and the rest of Hellas there was a constant struggle for dominance in the Peloponnesian peninsula. Once the rulers Liturgis (Sparta) and Ifit (the rest of Hellas) concluded a truce, during which the first Olympic Games were held. As the legend says, it was then that the place for the competition was established. The choice fell on the place of Olympia, which is located near Mount Kronos.

The terrain was suitable for competitions and suitable for spectators to watch sports games. A sports complex was built for athletes, which was a real architectural masterpiece for its time. It included a hippodrome, a stadium, baths, gymnasiums, sports grounds where the Greeks played ball, wrestled, and threw the discus.

rules

The games were managed by the inhabitants of Hellas, who were supposed to organize competitions, keep order, and ensure the reception of guests and athletes. Their right was once taken away by the inhabitants of Pisa, but most of Greece did not accept this. And again, Hellas began to manage the Olympic Games. The traditions and rules of sports competitions include:

• Hellas sent out to all the countries of the ancient Greek world the so-called "messengers of the world", who announced that the holy month of the holiday in honor of Zeus had come. This meant that all wars in the Peloponnesian peninsula had to be stopped.
• For the states-policies that violated the agreement on non-war, or the charters of the Games, then the participants of the policy were excluded from the competition altogether.
• Sin had to be atoned for by repentance and the payment of a fine. The money went to the maintenance of the temple of Zeus.
• Private residents of a particular state who violated the Games' charter had a choice of who to pay the fine. It was possible to choose at your own discretion - the policy where a person lives permanently, the Olympic temple of Zeus.
• The competition was watched by special judges, who were called elladoniki.
• Athletes to the judges had to declare in advance that they wanted to participate in competitions, as well as provide evidence that they were not deprived of their civil rights.
• Athletes had to take an oath that they would compete honestly, they would not use tricks.
• Also, the participants of the competition confirmed under oath that they had been engaged in gymnasiums for 10 months, devoting most of their time to gymnastic exercises, improving the spirit and body.

Embassies from the states-policies that took part in the Games had to go to Olympia along a special sacred road. Then all the participants in the competition were required to gather at the altar of Zeus, which was located in an olive grove. Animals brought from their native countries were sacrificed to the Supreme God of Mount Olympus and all the Greeks. Embassies were required to bring sacrificial bowls with them.

Sacrificial fire was stacked with firewood from poplar, on top of which they were poured with the fat of dead animals. While the fire was blazing, the athletes and other participants had to sing. As soon as the fire went out, the competition began.

What did the ancient Greeks compete in?

The following sports were represented at the Olympic Games:

• Fight.
• Fist fight.
• Horse racing.
• Running short and long distances.
• Pentathlon.

The games began with running, which was one of the most ancient types of gymnastic exercises. The participants ran in batches, each of which consisted of four people. At the first Olympic Games, runners wore a belt, but then it was removed, and the athletes were left completely naked.

Simple running in competitions was quickly abandoned, making it more difficult. In particular, the athletes ran through the stage not once, but twice, and then eight in general. The “company” of running was wrestling, jumping, discus throwing and fisticuffs. Later than all appeared such a sport as chariot running. His appearance was associated with the presence of rich Greeks at the competitions and the complication of public life in Hellas itself.

From 776 BC e. Greece began to regularly hold the Olympic Games. These festivities were the most important element of the public life of the Hellenes. The winners of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece became the most famous and honorary citizens of their policy. Perhaps that is why every young man dreamed of taking part in the agony in order to demonstrate to everyone his strength and valor. During such festivities, an atmosphere of justice was created in which a person could demonstrate his skills, merits and become the best among the first.

History reference

Plato emphasized the essential role of sports in public life. The wide popularity of games was associated with the peculiarities of Greek society, where the most important regulator of people's behavior was the evaluation of a person by the team, his censure or encouragement.

It should be noted that the great importance of the Olympic Games is emphasized by the fact that during their holding even wars stopped in Greece. Citizens of not only mainland Hellas, but also the colonies came to the festivities. Writers and poets also gathered here to read their works to thousands of listeners.

The first ancient Greek Olympic Games lasted only 1 day, and later - at least 5. A special society of honorary citizens supervised the competition. Under their supervision, the participants of the games trained for about a month before the start of the agony.

History of the introduction of the Olympic Games

According to legend, the most famous competitions in the world date back to the time of Homer. The Greeks themselves told the story of the origin of these festivities in different ways. Some said that the competition was introduced by the supreme god after his victory over Kron. Others claimed that the father of the festivities was the son of Zeus - the ancient Greek hero Hercules.

Revived the Olympic Games in 776 BC. e. King Ifit. At that time, Greece plunged into a period of long wars and civil strife. In this regard, Ifit decided to turn to the gods. He went to Delphi to the famous oracle. Pythia, proclaiming the will of the gods, said that in order to save the people from wars and diseases, it is necessary to revive the Olympic Games. After that, the king invited the Spartan ruler Lycurgus to his place. They signed an agreement on a truce, which should be concluded at the time of the Olympic Games. Ifit proclaimed Olympia a holy city, where it was forbidden to enter with weapons.

Competitors

In order to understand who the winners of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece really are, it is necessary to figure out who could take part in these festivities. According to the established rules, only free men of Hellenic origin were allowed to compete, except for those who had ever been convicted or guilty of wrong deeds. In addition, slaves and foreigners could not participate in the agony. Also, women were not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. Moreover, they were even forbidden to visit them as spectators. The only exception was the priestess of the temple

Interesting facts about the participants of the Olympic Games

Not all freeborn Greeks could participate in the festivities. So, there were a number of rules that deprived working poor Hellenes (small landowners, artisans, merchants) of the right to compete in the Olympic Games. A citizen who decided to participate in the holiday had to prove that he had been stubbornly preparing for the competition for at least 10 months. He was required to train for 30 days under the guidance of the referees of the games. Also, the Greek had to participate in the sacrificial ceremonies. However, he paid all the expenses himself. Thus, participation in the Olympic Games was associated with a long break from the main activity and spending a lot of money, therefore, it is available only to fairly wealthy citizens.

Program in antiquity

During the first 13 Olympiads, the program included only running one stage, which was approximately 192.27 m.

Hippic (equestrian) agons were first held at the 25th Olympic Games. At first, chariots harnessed by 4 horses took part in them. To measure the distance at the hippodrome, there was one large stage (950 m). It is interesting that the winners of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece in equestrian competitions are the owners of the chariots, and not the participants of the agons.

An important part of the festival was the pentathlon. This program included running, wrestling, javelin and discus throwing. Athletes jumped into a hole with sea sand from a small height. At the same time, they held in their hands a special cargo - halters. Discus throwing has its origins in the military history of the Greeks. The weight of the gun was approximately 3-6 kg. The disk was made of stone, iron, bronze, tin and wood. Jumping and throwing competitions, as a rule, were accompanied by playing the flute, and the movements of the athletes were in harmony with the musical chords.

The Olympic Games are the largest all-Greek competitions, which were held every 4 years. The participants of these agons were divided into three age groups: youths, beardless and men. Interestingly, Pausanias counted 18 types of competitions for adults and 6 for boys. By tradition, the best athlete in any category was proclaimed immediately after the end of the competition at the stadium, and the awards were held on the last day of the festivities.

The winner of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece was called an Olympionist. An important part of these festivities was the honoring of the best athletes. This ceremony consisted of several parts and continued in the homeland of the athlete.

Thus, we examined how the winner of the Olympic Games was called in Ancient Greece. Next, we will talk about how the most outstanding athletes were revered.

How and with what were the winners of the Olympic Games awarded in Ancient Greece?

The awards ceremony was held in two stages. Immediately after the end of the competition, the herald announced the name and city of the winner to the entire stadium. After that, dolichodromes (messengers) were sent to his policy to tell all the inhabitants the good news. On the last day of the games, at the altar of Zeus, the winner of the Olympic Games and the city where he came from were also announced. The athlete climbed a bronze tripod accompanied by music. Then the winners of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece were awarded with a wreath. After this ceremony, sacrifices were held in honor of the athletes in the temple of Zeus.

Honoring the winner in the native policy

No less solemnly, the winners of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece were revered in their native policies. The athlete entered the city through the main gate in the presence of all honorary citizens. In some policies, the olympionist got to his native land through a small one. It was made on purpose so that the Olympic victory would enter and never leave the city.

The outstanding athlete was revered in the main local temple. Also, the wreath of the winner of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece was transferred here for storage. In some cases, statues were erected in honor of the Olympionists and coins were minted. In addition, they were invited to the post of commanders and entrusted with the foundation of new colonies. After the death of the Olympionist, he could be revered as a god in his native city.

How were the winners of several competitions honored?

Athletes who achieved several victories at the Olympic Games were given special honors. The names of such Olympionists were engraved on the plates of the sacred grove of Altis. From 540 BC e. here it was allowed to erect a statue in honor of their own victory. Poets dedicated special odes to outstanding athletes - epinicia. Also, the names of the winners of the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece were entered in special tables - bassicals.

The most famous winners of the Olympic Games

A person who is not familiar with the history of these festivities may have a question: who was the first winner of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece? According to legend, a certain Koreb was awarded for the first time. He was a simple cook, but he managed to win the race. It was the name Koreb that was the first in the ancient Greek list of Olympionists.

One of the most famous runners is Astilos of Croton. He won eight times at different distances in four Olympic Games. Leoniod succeeded in surpassing Astilos. This athlete won twelve times in running at four Olympic Games.

Later, running was included in the pentathlon system. The best athlete was determined here in this way: the losers are eliminated after each competition. It should be noted that the first winner of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece in the pentathlon system is the Spartan Lampis.

Most Outstanding Wins

The most famous boxing champion was Diagoras from the island of Rhodes. He was the founder of a whole dynasty of athletes. In the middle of the 5th c. BC e. two of his sons became winners in the Olympic Games (the first - in a fist fight, the second - in single combat). According to legend, immediately after the award they went up to their father and put wreaths on his head, lifted him on their shoulders and carried him around the field. One of the spectators asked Diagoras what he expects from life, but the Spartan no longer heard the question. His heart stopped in a moment of triumph.

The most famous wrestler in the history of the Olympic Games is Milon from Croton. At the age of 14, he became the winner in youth competitions. Once in the adult category, Milon became the best wrestler 5 times.

Evagoras from Sparta and Cimon the Elder from Athens also earned fame all over the world, who, together with their four horses, won the hippic competitions three times.

Summing up

Thus, the Olympic Games originate from 776 BC. e., when Koreb was awarded a wreath for the first time. These festivities played a huge role in the life of the Greeks. Not only the inhabitants of mainland Hellas, but also the colonies came to see the competitions of outstanding athletes. The participants of the festivities, in turn, prepared for the competition for a long time. They not only worked hard physically, but also invested large sums of money in the organization of sacrifices. As we have already said, the winner of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece was called an Olympionist. Together with a laurel wreath, he received great honor and recognition not only in his native policy, but throughout Hellas.

The spirit of competition was fully manifested during various sports agony. It should be noted that these competitions were not mere entertainment that had nothing to do with religious rites. Agons were part of the festivities and were sacred.

Groups of athletes also came from the territories bordering the country. Gradually, the Olympic Games took a special place in the culture and traditions of the Greeks, and after centuries, the legends about the world of Olympionists did not fade away.

The games originated in Olympia

The settlement of Olympia is located on the Peloponnesian peninsula. From the legendary city, about 300 km to Athens and 130 km to Sparta. Around - the sacred grove of Zeus, known far beyond the borders of Greece. Olympia was formed in the 6th century. BC, there were always located here:

1. Cultural complex consisting of temples.
2. Cultural buildings.
3. Monuments.
4. Sports objects.
5. The so-called "Olympic Village" - houses in which athletes and visiting spectators lived during the competition.

During the reign of Emperor Theodosius II, Olympia was burned down, because this ruler forbade the games. This was around the middle of the 1st century. BC. A century later, the remains of Olympia were buried for a long time under a layer of sand and silt. An earthquake struck and the ancient city was plunged into darkness. Over time, it was wrapped up with new layers of soil, applied as a result of river floods.

Olympia saw the light again only in the 19th century. Archaeologists have discovered its ruins in the northeastern part of the Peloponnese. The eyes of the researchers opened a palestra (a training ground surrounded by a side), a stadium, a gymnasium (a building for sprint training). The largest of the finds is the gymnasium. This is the most massive building in Olympia. In addition to gyms, there were standard sports awards, statues of the most prominent strongmen, magazines with leaderboards, information about the dates and features of the Olympics. The huge stadium was built around the 325th century. BC. It could accommodate about 50 thousand spectators.

It is known that on the territory of the sports village there was a hippodrome, a colonnaded courtyard with jogging tracks, arenas for throwing all kinds of projectiles, complexes for wrestlers. There were also baths, showers, changing rooms.

The fame of the wonderful center of sports achievements - Olympia, spread to all corners, first of Greece, and then of the world. Poets composed their poems about it, singers sang about it, and numerous speakers spoke about it. “There is no other star nobler than the sun…”, wrote the ancient Greek poet Pindar in an ode dedicated to Olympia.

Games are one of the highlights

These largest and most popular competitions began their intensive development around 770 BC. Up to 400 BC Almost 300 Olympiads have been organized. Researchers associate the origin of games with the religious custom operating on the territory of the ancient state. According to the cult, people cajoled the gods, showing them their strength and dexterity. Hundreds of thousands of athletes and fans came to the Olympics. Leadership in the games gave great honor to the winner.

Over time, the authorities of other cities and towns in Greece wanted to hold similar games on their territory. So, there were games:

1. Isthmian.
2. Pythian.
3. Nemean.

But the Olympics have become the most popular. Scientists find references to them in the works of the most famous poets of Greece: Plutarch, Simonides, Pausanias, Herodotus, etc. In their works, they are associated with mythical gods, to whom the competition was dedicated: Zeus, Apollo, Poseidon, Hermes. The cult of Hercules, known for his 12 labors, was revered. The games were also dedicated to the ruling kings: Pelops, Lycurgus, Ifit.

Modern Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony

The Olympic Games began with a cult ceremony. All athletes on the first day of the Olympics did not train hard, but spent time at the sacrificial altars. The ceremony was repeated on the closing day of the competition, in addition to the presentation of awards to the winners.

While the Olympic Games continued, any wars stopped in the country, conflicts subsided. The warring parties used the time of the competitions to negotiate and conclude long-term truces.

The Olympic year lasted approximately 4 standard years. The competition cycle was repeated every 1400 days during the summer period. This chain was not interrupted during the subjugation to the Romans (200 BC). But at that time they violated the main principle of the games, and only Greeks were allowed to participate in them. It is known that Nero and a number of other Roman emperors became the winner of the competition. Over time, residents of other countries began to be allowed to compete.

How were the games?

Participated only those athletes who were the indigenous inhabitants of the country and were free. It has always been men. Later, not only the inhabitants of the Peloponnese competed, but also representatives of neighboring territories. Women (except for the priestess of the goddess Demeter) did not even have the right to appear in competitions. In addition to them, people who committed minor illegal acts, not to mention criminals, were not allowed to play.

Preparations for the games began about a year in advance. Athletes included in the lists of participants conducted training sessions under the supervision of the most respected and experienced athletes. Even before the start of the competition, a month before, the candidates passed the final exam (Olympic standard) in physical fitness. After that, they prepared even more intensively for sports battles. Everyone took an oath to follow the principles of honesty and to show decency during the competition. The guilty athletes were flogged.

Initially, the competition program was only sprinting. At the start for runners there were devices for better acceleration. They repelled from the marble slabs, while the hands received support in special recesses.

Later, the competitions consisted of: running at different distances, wrestling, pentathlon, fisticuffs, chariot racing, pankration (a type of martial arts), running in military equipment, horse racing. More than one olive branch, which was crowned in the temple of Zeus, had Leonidas from Rhodes (12 victories), Hermogenes from Xaif (10), Astilos from Croton (7).

The Olympic Games were highly dependent on the standard of living and the cultural component of Greece. If the country fell into decline, the competitions were not as stormy as always, but they were not canceled. In the years of Greece's prosperity, the competitions became bright, eventful and new records. Gradually, the Olympic Games acquired a touch of pathos and were more entertaining. In the 4th c. AD many of the traditions have been lost. It is also important that free games existed in parallel with the slave system. The greatest sporting event influenced the pedagogy, economy, military activities of the country. Games not only revealed the strongest, but also united the whole states. After being forgotten, this majestic competition was revived in the 19th century.

The Olympic Games of Ancient Greece, the largest sports competitions of antiquity, originated as part of a religious cult. The Olympic Games have been held at the sacred site of Olympia (hence the name of the games) since 776 BC. to 394 AD once every four years. A total of 293 Olympiads have been held. So much importance was attached to the Games that on the eve of the Olympics, wars were stopped and a sacred truce was declared so that athletes and spectators could freely get from their cities to the place of the games.

Competitions were held in Olympia, the northwestern part of the Peloponnese. There was a sanctuary of Zeus with his statue, which is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. (True, nothing but references in the literature from this temple is left). The sanctuary was a huge temple, reaching a height of 18 meters and a length of 66 meters. It was in it that the statue, made of ivory, was located. Its height was 12 meters.

The competition itself was held at the Olympic Stadium. In the 5th century BC e. it was expanded, modernized, and it began to accommodate 40 thousand spectators. Its sports field reached a length of 212 meters and a width of 32 meters. There was also a hippodrome with a length of 700 meters and a width of 300 meters. The victors were crowned with wreaths of olive leaves, and the games themselves were extremely important politically. Thanks to their showmanship and popularity, Hellenistic culture spread throughout the Mediterranean.

From the 6th c. BC. Following the example of the Olympic Games, other all-Greek competitions of athletes began to be held: the Pythian Games, the Isthmian Games and the Nemean Games, also dedicated to various ancient Greek gods. But the Olympics were the most prestigious among these competitions. The Olympic Games are mentioned in the works of Plutarch, Herodotus, Pindar, Lucian, Pausanias, Simonides and other ancient authors.

Organization of the Olympic Games

All free-born Greek citizens were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games. Slaves and barbarians, i.e. persons of non-Greek origin could not participate in the Olympic Games. “When Alexander wished to take part in the competition and for this he arrived in Olympia, the Hellenes, the participants in the competition, demanded his exclusion. These contests, they said, were for the Hellenes, not for the barbarians. Alexander, on the other hand, proved that he was an Argive, and the judges recognized his Hellenic origin. He took part in a running competition and came to the goal at the same time as the winner ”(Herodotus. History).

The organization of the ancient Olympic Games included control not only over the course of the Games themselves, but also over the preparation of athletes for them. Control was exercised by the Hellanodics, or Hellanodics, the most authoritative citizens. For 10-12 months before the start of the Games, the athletes underwent intensive training, after which they passed a kind of examination by the Hellanodic commission. After fulfilling the "Olympic standard", the future participants of the Olympic Games prepared for another month according to a special program - already under the guidance of the Hellanodics.

Principle of the Olympic Games

The fundamental principle of the competition was the honesty of the participants. Before the start of the competition, they swore an oath to abide by the rules. The Hellanodics had the right to deprive the champion of the title if he won by fraudulent means, the offending athlete was also subject to a fine and corporal punishment. In front of the entrance to the stadium in Olympia, there were zanas as a warning to the participants - copper statues of Zeus, cast with money received in the form of fines from athletes who violated the rules of the competition (the ancient Greek writer Pausanias indicates that the first six such statues were erected in the 98th Olympiad, when Evpolus the Thessalian bribed three wrestlers who fought with him). In addition, persons convicted of a crime or sacrilege were not allowed to participate in the Games.

Entry to the competition was free. But only men could visit them, women, under pain of death, were forbidden to appear in Olympia during the entire festival (according to some sources, this ban only applied to married women). An exception was made only for the priestess of the goddess Demeter: for her in the stadium, in the most honorable place, a special marble throne was built.

Program of the Ancient Olympic Games

At first (from the 1st to the 13th Olympiads) there was only one sport in the program of the Olympic Games: the stadium - running for one stage (192.27 m). Then the number of Olympic disciplines grew. Let's note some cardinal changes in the program:

- at the 14 Olympic Games (724 BC), diaulos was included in the program - running for the 2nd stage. The runners ran one stage - a pole was installed there -, ran around it and returned back to the start.

- at the 15th Olympiad (720 BC) - an additional dolichodrome (endurance run) was included, the distance of which ranged from 7 to 24 stages (1344 - 4608 m).

- at the 18 Olympic Games (708 BC), wrestling and pentathlon (pentathlon) competitions were held for the first time. The rules of wrestling forbade strikes, but pushes were allowed. The fight was divided into two main positions: in the rack and on the ground, or rather, soft ground sprinkled with sand.

The pentathlon included stadion running, discus throwing, javelin throwing, long jump and wrestling. All events were held on the same day in a certain order, starting with jumps. The jumping technique was distinguished by its originality: the athlete used dumbbells in his hands to increase the distance of the jump. The maximum distance of a jump according to ancient authors reached 15 m. It is not known whether this was an exaggeration of the authors or the jump consisted of several stages, like a modern triple jump. According to modern researchers based on images on ancient Greek vases, the athlete jumped without a run, from a place.

- at the 23rd Olympic Games (688 BC), fisticuffs were added to the competition program. The fighters who managed to win without getting hit by an opponent were especially respected. The fighters wrapped their hands with leather straps. The rules in fisticuffs prohibited grabbing an opponent, tripping and kicking, however, this type of competition was considered the most dangerous and the death of an athlete in a duel was not something exceptional. If the boxers got tired, a rest break was allowed. If, after the rest, the winner was not revealed, then the boxers exchanged the agreed number of blows without defending themselves. The duel ended with the surrender of the opponent: the loser raised his hand when he was unable to resist.

- at the 25th Olympic Games (680 BC), chariot races were added (drawn by four adult horses, over time this type of program expanded, in the 5th–4th centuries BC chariot races drawn by a pair of adult horses began to be held , young horses or mules).

- at the 33rd Olympic Games (648 BC), horse racing appeared in the program of the Games (in the middle of the 3rd century BC horse racing began to be held) and pankration - hand-to-hand combat, in which blows were combined arms and legs and wrestling technique. "Pankration" comes from the Greek words "pan" and "kratos", that is, it means roughly "with all the power." Choking was allowed, biting and eye gouging were prohibited. This type of competition was introduced into the Olympic Games in honor of the mythical founder of the games, Hercules, who managed to defeat a huge lion by strangling it with his bare hands, because the lion's skin was invulnerable to weapons. In many ways, it resembles modern “fights without rules”.

- at the 65th Olympiad (520 BC), a hoplitedrome was added - running in full armor or running hoplites. Athletes ran two stages in a helmet, leggings and with a shield.
Later, only the shield was left of the weapons. Athletes compete naked as in other Olympic sports, with the exception of horse racing. The games ended with a run of hoplites.

- at the 84th Olympiad (444 BC), in addition to athletic competitions, an art competition was held for the first time, which became an official part of the program.

- At the 96th Olympiad (396 BC), competitions between trumpeters and heralds were added to the program of the Games, as a logical consequence of the combination of sports and aesthetic pleasure in the views of the Hellenes. It is known that during the Olympic Games, writers and poets read their creations aloud, artists exhibited their works in the agora.

* Some of the disciplines of the ancient Olympic Games, familiar to us from modern competitions, are markedly different from their current counterparts. Greek athletes did not long jump from a run, but from a place - moreover, with stones (later with dumbbells) in their hands. At the end of the jump, the athlete threw the stones sharply back: it was believed that this allows him to jump further. This jumping technique required good coordination.

* Throwing a javelin and a discus (over time, instead of a stone one, athletes began to throw an iron disc) was carried out from a small elevation. At the same time, the spear was thrown not for distance, but for accuracy: the athlete had to hit a special target. In wrestling and boxing, there was no division of participants into weight categories, and the boxing match continued until one of the opponents recognized himself as defeated or was unable to continue the fight. There were also very peculiar varieties of running disciplines: running in full armor (i.e. in a helmet, with a shield and weapons), running of heralds and trumpeters, alternating running and chariot racing.

* From the 37th Games (632 BC), young men under the age of 20 began to participate in competitions. At first, competitions in this age category included only running and wrestling, over time, pentathlon, fisticuffs and pankration were added to them.

* Initially, the Olympic Games took one day, then (with the expansion of the program) - five days (this is how long the Games lasted during their heyday in the 6th-4th centuries BC) and, in the end, stretched out for a whole month.

Olympionics

The winner of the Olympic Games (olympionik) received universal recognition along with an olive wreath (this tradition went from 752 BC) and purple ribbons. He became one of the most respected people in his city (for the inhabitants of which the victory of a fellow countryman at the Olympics was also a great honor), he was often released from state duties and given other privileges. Olympionics were given posthumous honors in their homeland. And according to the introduction in the 6th c. BC. In practice, the three-time winner of the Games could put his statue in Altis.

The first Olympian known to us was Koreb from Elis, who won the race for one stadia in 776 BC.

The most famous - and the only athlete in the history of the ancient Olympic Games who won 6 Olympiads - was "the strongest among the strong", the wrestler Milo from Croton. A native of the Greek city-colony of Croton (south of modern Italy) and, according to some sources, a student of Pythagoras, he won his first victory at the 60th Olympiad (540 BC) in competitions among young men. From 532 BC by 516 BC he won 5 more Olympic titles - already among adult athletes. In 512 BC Milon, who was already over 40 years old, tried to win his seventh title, but lost to a younger opponent. Olympionic Milo was also a repeated winner of the Pythian, Isthmian, Nemean Games and many local competitions. Mentions of him can be found in the works of Pausanias, Cicero and other authors.

Another outstanding athlete - Leonidas from Rhodes - at four Olympiads in a row (164 BC - 152 BC) won in three "running" disciplines: in running for one and two stages, as well as in running with weapons.

Astil from Croton entered the history of the ancient Olympic Games not only as one of the record holders for the number of victories (6 - in the race for one and two stages at the Games from 488 BC to 480 BC). If at his first Olympics Astil played for Croton, then at the next two - for Syracuse. Former countrymen took revenge on him for betrayal: the statue of the champion in Croton was demolished, and his former house was turned into a prison.

In the history of the ancient Greek Olympic Games, there are entire Olympic dynasties. So, the grandfather of the fisticuff champion Poseidor from Rhodes Diagoras, as well as his uncles Akusilai and Damaget were also Olympionists. Diagoras, whose exceptional stamina and honesty in boxing matches won him great respect from the audience and were sung in the odes of Pindar, witnessed his sons' Olympic victories in boxing and pankration, respectively. (According to legend, when the grateful sons put their champion wreaths on their father’s head and lifted him on their shoulders, one of the applauding spectators exclaimed: “Die, Diagoras, die! Die, because you have nothing more to wish from life!” And the excited Diagoras died immediately in the arms of his sons.)

Many olympians were distinguished by exceptional physical data. For example, the champion in the race for two stages (404 BC), Lasfen of Thebea, is credited with winning an unusual horse race, and Aegeus of Argos, who won the long-distance race (328 BC), after that with a run , without making a single stop along the way, he covered the distance from Olympia to his hometown in order to quickly bring good news to his countrymen. Victories were also achieved due to a kind of technique. Thus, the extremely hardy and agile boxer Melancom from Caria, the winner of the Olympic Games in 49 AD. during the fight, he constantly kept his arms outstretched forward, due to which he avoided the opponent’s blows, and at the same time he rarely retaliated – in the end, the physically and emotionally exhausted opponent admitted his defeat. And about the winner of the Olympic Games 460 BC. in the dolichodrome of Ladas of Argos, it was said that he ran so lightly that he did not even leave footprints on the ground.

Among the participants and winners of the Olympic Games were such famous scientists and thinkers as Demosthenes, Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Hippocrates. And they competed not only in the fine arts. For example, Pythagoras was a champion in fisticuffs, and Plato was in pankration.

History of Olympic Games

According to ancient legend, the Olympic Games originated in the time of Kronos, in honor of the Idean Hercules. According to the myth, Rhea gave the newborn Zeus to the Idean dactyls (Kuretes). Five of them came from Cretan Ida to Olympia, where a temple had already been erected in honor of Kronos. Hercules, the eldest of the brothers, defeated everyone in the run and was awarded a wild olive wreath for the victory. At the same time, Hercules established competitions, which were to take place after 5 years, according to the number of idea brothers who arrived in Olympia.

There were other legends about the origin of the Olympic Games, which dated them to one or another mythical era. For example, the inclusion of chariot races in the program of the Olympic Games, some ancient authors associate with the myth that won the chariot race over the hard-hearted king of the city of Pisa Enomai. However, given that Pelops then killed his assistant Myrtilus, the son of Hermes, which caused the wrath of not only Hermes, but also other Olympic gods, it is unlikely that chariot racing became part of the Olympic Games in honor of Pelops.

The first historical fact associated with the Olympic Games is the renewal of them by the king of Elis Ifit and the legislator of Sparta, Lycurgus, whose names were inscribed on a disk kept in the temple of Hera in Olympia back in the time of Pausanias (2nd century AD). Since that time (according to some data, the year of the resumption of the games is 728 BC, according to others - 828 BC), the interval between two successive celebrations of the games was four years or an Olympiad; but as a chronological era in the history of Greece, a countdown from 776 BC was accepted. uh..

Resuming the Olympic Games, Ifit established a sacred truce for the duration of their celebration, which was announced by special heralds, first in Elis, then in other parts of Greece. At this time, it was impossible to wage war not only in Elis, but also in other parts of Hellas. Using the same motive of the holiness of the place, the Eleans obtained from the Peloponnesian states the agreement to consider Elis a country against which it was impossible to wage war.

The Olympic Games were banned in the 1st year of the 293rd Olympiad (394) by the Christian emperor Theodosius as pagan. Rebuilt again in 1896.

Revival of the Olympic Games

In 1896, after a long break, the Olympic Games were held in Athens at the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin. The range of sports has expanded significantly.

History of the Olympic flame

The Olympic flame is one of the most exciting modern symbols of the Olympic Games. This fire is lit in the host city of the Games during the opening of the Games, and it burns continuously until the end of the Games. The tradition of lighting the Olympic flame began to emerge during the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. The fire also burned at the stadium of the Games in Los Angeles in 1932.

However, the Olympic torch relay was first held during the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. More than 3000 runners participated in the delivery of the torch from Olympia to Berlin.

At the Winter Olympics, the fire was lit in both 1936 and 1948, but the relay race was first held in 1952 before the Winter Olympics in Oslo, and did not originate in Olympia, but in Morgedal.

The Olympic relay race has been repeatedly attacked in order to draw attention to various issues, including those not related to the Olympic movement. Therefore, the International Olympic Committee decided to stop the international stages of the Olympic torch relay, and limit it only to the territory of the country hosting the Olympics.

The idea of ​​holding an Olympic torch relay was proposed by Karl Diem (Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, 1936). The idea was based on the ancient Greek ritual - lampadodromy - an ancient Greek ritual race in running with burning torches. It was held in a number of cities of ancient Greece. The greatest number of information about this ritual concerns Athens. There, the torchbearers formed several rival teams, the runners of which passed the torch to each other.

“Even the gods are powerless against human glory” - these words of the great Johann Friedrich Schiller are the best suited to the history of the ancient Olympic Games, and here's why ...

The ancient Hellenes had many gods. Perhaps, no other people had so much.

When people encountered something incomprehensible and frightening in the outside world, they invented a new deity for this case and it became not so scary. Gods existed for all occasions.

Inventing them, the Greeks made the gods look like themselves: with the same advantages and disadvantages as ordinary people. The gods could be old and young, beautiful and ugly, good and evil, cheerful drunkards and sullen grumblings, vengeful, lame, one-eyed...
The only thing that distinguished them from people was immortality.

But soon people themselves wanted to become like gods, and that's when it turned out that they can achieve immortality only in the memory of their descendants, having accomplished some feat.

For example, during the war it was not difficult at all, but there everyone could become a hero and it was not difficult to get lost among the many. And so, so that the one and only winner ...

And then people came up with the Olympic Games.

History of the Olympic Games

“Life is like games: some come to compete, others to trade, and the happiest to watch.” So Pythagoras of Samos determined the significance of the Olympics in the life of the ancient Greeks.

The spirit of rivalry determined the way of life of the city-states of Hellas, and forced the inhabitants of the Greek policies to constantly wage wars among themselves.

And so, according to one of the legends, Ifit, the king of Elis, the very one where Olympia was, worried about constant hostility and disgusting wars, he decided to go to the Delphic Oracle in order, according to his predictions, to protect his people from attacks and robberies. The answer was given to him: "Your people will be saved by rival games pleasing to the gods!"

Then the smart ruler goes to his neighbor - king of warlike Sparta, Lycurgus, and tells him about the predictions of the Oracle, and the Spartan sovereign not only agrees with this prophecy, but also takes Olympia under the protection of Laconia, declaring it a neutral land.

So, by their decision, agreed with the rulers of other small fragmented states, the Olympic Games are established, dedicated to the main Olympian god Zeus.

The Greeks, at the suggestion of the historian Timeos, established a special “Olympic chronology”, which was tied to the first full moon after the summer solstice. Since then, once every four years, or every 1417 days, it was on these dates that competitions began to be held in Olympia.

The exact date and time of the opening of the holiday in Olympia was announced long before it began.

All Greek city-states were notified, where they sent special heralds - spondophores, who announced that from the moment the Olympics began ekcheriya - a truce for the duration of the competition.

According to the Eleatic calendar, the ekcheria usually lasted two months, which were called Apollonium and Parthenium. At this time, not only Olympia, but the whole of Elis was proclaimed a “zone of peace”, where everyone could arrive without fear for their lives, since there were almost no cases of violation of the truce, and those who dared to violate this rule were punished - a huge fine and a ban to participate in the Olympics.

This is how the wise Ifit of Elis was able to stop internecine wars, forcing ardent opponents to put aside their weapons and go to a peace festival to participate in competitions or look at them and feel like not separate citizens of one state, but a single people.

There were other similar holidays in Ancient Greece: in Corinth - Isthmian, in Delphi - Pythian, and in Nemea, where Hercules fought with a stone lion - Nemean.

But the most significant for all of Hellas were, of course, the Olympic Games.

Location of the first Games

Even the place chosen for them, named Olympia to remind of the proximity to the gods and their home - the divine Mount Olympus.

This marvelous place is located in the southwest of Greece, in the Elis region of the largest Greek peninsula - the Peloponnese.

This is a quiet green valley of the Alpheus River at the very foot of Mount Kronos, where the Altis oak grove rustles, which, after the construction of the Temple of Zeus, like the entire sanctuary of Olympia, was also dedicated to the main Olympian god.

How were they carried out and why were they banned?

At the very beginning of the history of the Games, the competition of athletes was not the end in itself of the Olympic festivities. They were an integral part of the religious rites of worship of the Olympic gods and
only then did they gradually degenerate into self-sufficient sports competitions.

As usual, the first day of the Games was dedicated to Zeus and the patron gods.: sacrifices were made to them, prayers were sent to them, they were sworn in honesty and incorruptibility, sports victories were dedicated to them.

The Greeks believed that it was a great pleasure for the gods to contemplate the agility, strength and beautiful trained bodies they demonstrated.

The exact date of the first Olympics, of course, "sank into oblivion", but, according to some assumptions, they were held starting from 776 BC. e. It was this year that the first victory at the Olympic Games dates back. During the excavations, a marble slab was found, on which the name of the very first Olympic champion was carved - Elidian cook Koreb and the date of this victory is 776.

In total, 293 ancient Olympiads were held. The Games of 393 were the final ones.

After that, the emperor Theodosius the Monk, who ruled single-handedly the entire eastern part of the Roman Empire, which by that time included Olympia, chose Christianity as the state religion, and banned all pagan cults, including the Olympic Games.

Shortly after the ban on the Olympics, all temple and sports facilities were burned by order of Theodosius II (in 426 AD), and a hundred years later they were completely destroyed by strong earthquakes and river floods.

Types of competitions

Initially, in the first thirteen competitions, running competitions were arranged.

The length of the distances was measured in steps or stages - doesn't it remind everyone of the familiar word stadium? It was from the stage (step) that the name of the building where the competitions were held came from.

In Olympia, the stage was 192.7 cm - it was believed that Hercules himself had such a long step.
Then in 724 BC. e. a run of one stage there and one back, or "double", was added to the program.

In 720, the running distance increased to 24 stages, and in 708 BC. e. pentathlon competitions were added: running, long jumps, discus and javelin throwing, and everything ended with wrestling.

Later, the most cruel type of competition appeared - wrestling without rules., or pankration, where they competed until the moment when the enemy asks for mercy by raising his finger. Sometimes such fights even ended with the death of one of the participants.

In 680, chariot races were added.

To become a participant in the ancient Olympic Games, it was necessary:

• be a citizen of Greece, and free, and be sure to speak Greek fluently: neither slaves nor barbarians were allowed to participate in competitions;
• being a man: participation in competitions by women was not allowed;
• the most honorable citizens of Greece, called Hellanodiki, controlled the observance of all the rules and regulations of the Olympics.

Athletes wishing to take part in the Games began to prepare a year before the start of the Olympics.
And then, a month before the start of the competition, they had to demonstrate their skills to the judges in order to prove their readiness for the competition.

The Hellanodics also ensured that all competitions were held honestly, without fraud. If the slightest shadow of suspicion of fraud fell on the winner, he was deprived of the title of champion, fined a huge amount and subjected to public flogging with rods.

The money that was levied from the offending athletes went to the casting of statues (zan) in honor of Zeus, which adorned the alley in front of the stadium.

In his book "History" Herodotus describes such a curious incident that happened to Alexander the Great himself:

Once the Great Alexander arrived in Olympia to take part in the running competitions. The Hellenes who participated in the competitions demanded that the Hellanodic judges exclude him from the list of participants, arguing that he was a barbarian, not a Greek. Then Alexander had to provide evidence of his origin. He was allowed to compete, and according to Herodotus, he came to the finish line at the same time as the winner.

What was awarded

What did the Olympian winners receive for their efforts?

Only olive wreath, from the sacred grove of Altis, decorated with purple ribbons, and a name carved on a marble plaque, or a statue made by the best Greek sculptors, for example, Phidias, and then, provided that they became Olympians at least 4 times.

But when they returned to their native cities, they turned into heroes.

They were worshiped almost like gods were showered with expensive gifts, freed from state duties, and fed for the rest of their lives.

Rebirth: Modern Olympics

And, although the elements of nature and inexorable time did their best to make Olympia with its former glory disappear from the face of the earth, they still did not succeed in this to the end. Ancient Olympia did not disappear without a trace.

The glory of the Olympic competitions was immortalized in the works of the great Hellenes: Plato and Aristotle, Socrates, Demosthenes, Pythagoras, who not only wrote about their favorite games, but also took part in them, for example, Pythagoras and Plato participated in the most difficult competitions - fisticuffs and pankration.

And after 13 centuries, thanks to their labors, excavations of the ancient monument began to be carried out. The first excavations at Olympia began in 1829 and continue to this day.

And although today it is no longer possible to restore many masterpieces, such as the sculpture of Zeus the Thunderer, made by the great Phidias from gold and ivory, which was rightfully considered in ancient Greece one of the seven wonders of the world, the descendants managed to revive the spirit of this sacred place.

And the words of the Olympic motto: "Citius, Altius, Fortius" "Faster, Higher, Stronger!" inspire the current Olympic champions to glorious deeds.

Thousands of pilgrims try to visit the revived Olympia, especially in those days when, just like many centuries ago, the sacred Olympic flame is lit here every four years, symbolizing the beginning of the modern Olympics, which have preserved the traditions of the great ancient athletes.