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

The ancient Hellenes had many gods. Perhaps no other nation had so many.

When people collided outside world with something incomprehensible and frightening, they came up with a new deity for this case and it became no longer so scary. Gods existed for all occasions.

By inventing them, the Greeks made the gods similar to 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 gloomy grumps, vengeful, lame, one-eyed...
The only thing that distinguished them from people was immortality.

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

Let's say, during the war it was not at all difficult, but there anyone could become a hero and it was not difficult to get lost among many. But so that there is only one winner...

And then people came up with Olympic Games.

The history of the Olympic Games

“Life is like games: some come to compete, others to trade, and the happiest come to watch.” This is how 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 city-states to constantly wage war among themselves.

And so, according to one of the legends, Iphit, king of Elis, the same one where Olympia was located, worried about the constant hostility and disgusting wars, 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 competitive games pleasing to the gods!”

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

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

The Greeks, at the suggestion of the historian Timeos, established a special “Olympic calendar, which was tied to the first full moon after summer solstice. Since then, once every four years, or every 1417 days, precisely on these dates, competitions began to be held at 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 special heralds were sent - spondophores, who announced that from the moment the Olympics began ekheriya - truce for the duration of the competition.

Typically, the Ekheria lasted two months according to the Eleatic calendar, which were called Apollonium and Parthenium. At this time, not only Olympia, but all of Elis were 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 break this rule were punished - a huge fine and ban to participate in the Olympics.

This is how the wise Iphit of Elis was able to stop internecine wars, forcing ardent opponents to put aside their weapons and go to a peace festival to take part in competitions or watch them and feel like not individual 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.

Venue of the first Games

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

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

It's quiet green Valley the Alpheus River at the very foot of Mount Kronos, where the oak grove Altis 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 the bans carried out and why?

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 religious rites of worship to the Olympian gods And
only then did they gradually degenerate into self-sufficient sports competitions.

According to custom, the first day of the Games was dedicated to Zeus and the patron gods: sacrifices were made to them, prayers were directed to them, honesty and incorruptibility were sworn to them, 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.

Exact date The first Olympics, of course, “sank into oblivion,” but, according to some assumptions, they were held starting from 776 BC. e. The first victory at the Olympic Games dates back to this year. During 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 Olympics were held. The Games of 393 were the final ones.

After which Emperor Theodosius the Venerable, who alone ruled 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.

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

Types of competitions

Initially, the first thirteen competitions featured running competitions.

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

In Olympia, the stage was 192.7 cm - it was believed that Hercules himself had such a long stride.
Then in 724 BC. e. a one-leg out 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 jump, discus and javelin throwing, and it all ended with wrestling.

Later, the most brutal type of competition appeared - wrestling without rules, or pankration, where they competed until the enemy asked for mercy by raising his finger. Sometimes such battles even ended in the death of one of the participants.

In 680, chariot racing was added.

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

• be a citizen of Greece, and free, and must speak Greek fluently: neither slaves nor barbarians were allowed to participate in competitions;
• to be a man: participation of women in competitions was prohibited;
• The most honorable citizens of Greece, called Hellanodics, controlled compliance with all the rules and regulations for 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 to prove their readiness for the competition.

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

The money collected from the athletes who committed the fines was used to cast statues (zans) in honor of Zeus, which decorated the alley in front of the stadium.

In his book "History" Herodotus describes such funny case which happened to Alexander the Great himself:

One day Great Alexander arrived in Olympia to take part in a running competition. The Hellenes who participated in the competition demanded that the Hellanodic judges exclude him from the list of participants, claiming 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 reached the finish line at the same time as the winner.

What was awarded

What did the Olympic 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 on the condition that they became Olympians at least 4 times.

But returning to their native cities, they turned into heroes.

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

Renaissance: the modern Olympic Games

And, although the natural elements and inexorable time tried very hard to make Olympia with its former glory disappear from the face of the earth, they still did not succeed completely. 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 - fist fighting and pankration.

And after 13 centuries, thanks to their labors, excavations began ancient monument. 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, descendants managed to revive the spirit of this sacred place.

And the words of the Olympic motto: “Citius, Altius, Fortius” “Faster, Higher, Stronger!” They also inspire current Olympic champions to achieve glorious feats.

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 once every four years., symbolizing the beginning modern Olympics who preserved the traditions of the great ancient athletes.

The content of the article

OLYMPIC GAMES OF ANCIENT GREECE- the largest sports competitions of antiquity. They originated as part of a religious cult and were carried out from 776 BC. to 394 AD (a total of 293 Olympics were held) in Olympia, which was considered a sacred place by the Greeks. The name of the Games comes from Olympia. The Olympic Games were a significant event for all of Ancient Greece, going beyond the purely sporting event. Victory at the Olympics was considered extremely honorable both for the athlete and for the polis that he represented.

From the 6th century BC. following the example of the Olympic Games, other pan-Greek athletic competitions 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.

At the end of the 19th century. The Olympic Games were revived on the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin.

The Olympic Games from inception to decline.

There are many legends about the origins of the Olympic Games. All of them are associated with ancient Greek gods and heroes.

The most famous legend says how the king of Elis, Iphit, seeing that his people were tired of endless wars, went to Delphi, where the priestess of Apollo conveyed to him the command of the gods: to organize pan-Greek athletic festivals that suited them. After which Iphitus, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus and the Athenian legislator and reformer Cliosthenes established the procedure for holding such games and entered into a sacred alliance. Olympia, where this festival was to be held, was declared a sacred place, and anyone who entered its boundaries armed was declared a criminal.

According to another myth, Zeus's son Hercules brought the sacred olive branch to Olympia and instituted athletic games to commemorate Zeus' victory over his ferocious father Cronus.

There is also a known legend that Hercules, having organized the Olympic Games, perpetuated the memory of Pelops (Pelops), who won the chariot race of the cruel king Oenomaus. And the name Pelops was given to the Peloponnese region, where the “capital” of the ancient Olympic Games was located.

Religious ceremonies were an obligatory part of the ancient Olympic Games. According to established custom, the first day of the Games was set aside for sacrifices: athletes spent this day at the altars and altars of their patron gods. A similar ritual was repeated on the final day of the Olympic Games, when awards were presented to the winners.

During the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, wars stopped and a truce was concluded - ekeheria, and representatives of the warring policies held peace negotiations in Olympia in order to resolve conflicts. On the bronze disk of Iphitus with the rules of the Olympic Games kept in Olympia in the Temple of Hera, the corresponding point was written. “On the disk of Iphitus is written the text of the truce that the Eleans declare for the duration of the Olympic Games; it is not written in straight lines, but the words go along a disk in the form of a circle" (Pausanias, Description of Hellas).

From the Olympic Games 776 BC (most early Games, the mention of which has reached us - according to the calculations of some experts, the Olympic Games began to be held 100 years ago extra years earlier) the Greeks began counting a special “Olympic calendar” introduced by the historian Timaeus. The Olympic holiday was celebrated in holy month", beginning with the first full moon after the summer solstice. It was to be repeated every 1417 days that made up the Olympiad – the Greek “Olympic” year.

Beginning as a local competition, the Olympic Games eventually became a pan-Hellenic event. Many people came to the Games not only from Greece itself, but also from its colony cities from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

The games continued even when Hellas fell under the control of Rome (in the middle of the 2nd century BC), as a result of which one of the fundamental Olympic principles was violated, which allowed only Greek citizens to participate in the Olympic Games, and even some Roman emperors (including Nero, who “won” a chariot race drawn by ten horses). Affected the Olympic Games and began in the 4th century BC. the general decline of Greek culture: they gradually lost their former meaning and essence, turning from a sports competition and a significant social event into a purely entertaining event, in which mainly professional athletes participated.

And in 394 AD. The Olympic Games were banned - as a “relic of paganism” - by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, who forcibly introduced Christianity.

Olympia.

Located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Here was Altis (Altis) - the legendary sacred grove of Zeus and a temple and cult complex, which was finally formed around the 6th century. BC. On the territory of the sanctuary there were religious buildings, monuments, sports facilities and houses where athletes and guests lived during the competitions. The Olympic sanctuary remained the focus of Greek art until the 4th century. BC.

Soon after the ban on the Olympic Games, all these structures were burned by order of Emperor Theodosius II (in 426 AD), and a century later they were finally destroyed and buried by strong earthquakes and river floods.

As a result of those held in Olympia at the end of the 19th century. Archaeological excavations were able to discover the ruins of some buildings, including those for sports purposes, such as the palaestra, gymnasium and stadium. Built in the 3rd century. BC. palaestra - an area surrounded by a portico where wrestlers, boxers and jumpers trained. Gymnasium, built in the 3rd–2nd centuries. BC, is the largest building in Olympia, it was used for training sprinters. The gymnasium also housed a list of winners and a list of the Olympics, and there were statues of athletes. The stadium (212.5 m long and 28.5 m wide) with stands and seats for judges was built in 330–320 BC. It could accommodate about 45,000 spectators.

Organization of Games.

All freeborn Greek citizens (according to some sources, men who could speak Greek) 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 came to Olympia for this, the Hellenes, the participants in the competition, demanded his exclusion. These competitions, they said, were for the Hellenes, not for the barbarians. Alexander proved that he was an Argive, and the judges recognized his Hellenic origin. He took part in a running race and reached the goal at the same time as the winner” (Herodotus. Story).

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, athletes underwent intensive training, after which they passed a kind of exam by the Hellanodic Commission. After fulfilling the “Olympic standard”, future participants in the Olympic Games prepared for another month according to special program- already under the leadership of the Hellanodics.

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 fraud; the guilty athlete was also subject to a fine and corporal punishment. In front of the entrance to the stadium at Olympia, there were zanas for the edification of 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 The Thessalian Eupolus bribed three fighters who competed with him). In addition, persons convicted of committing 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 penalty of death, were forbidden to appear in Olympia during the entire festival (according to some sources, this ban applied only to married women). An exception was made only for the priestess of the goddess Demeter: a special marble throne was built for her in the stadium, in the most honorable place.

Program of the ancient Olympic Games.

At first, the program of the Olympic Games included only a stadium - running one stage (192.27 m), then the number of Olympic disciplines increased. Let's note some fundamental changes in the program:

- at the 14th Olympic Games (724 BC), the program included diaulos - a 2nd stage run, and 4 years later - a dolichodrome (endurance run), the distance of which ranged from 7 to 24 stages;

– at the 18th Olympic Games (708 BC), wrestling and pentathlon (pentathlon) competitions were held for the first time, which included, in addition to wrestling and the stadium, jumping, as well as javelin and discus throwing;

– at the 23rd Olympic Games (688 BC), fist fighting was included in the competition program,

– at the 25th Olympic Games (680 BC) chariot races (drawn by four adult horses) were added, 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 mid-3rd century BC, foal racing also began to be held) and pankration, a martial arts that combined elements of wrestling and fist fighting with minimal restrictions on “prohibited techniques” and in many ways resembling modern fighting no rules.

Greek gods and mythological heroes were involved in the emergence of not only the Olympic Games as a whole, but also their individual disciplines. For example, it was believed that running one stage was introduced by Hercules himself, who personally measured this distance in Olympia (1 stage was equal to the length of 600 feet of the priest Zeus), and pankration dates back to the legendary battle of Theseus with the Minotaur.

Some of the disciplines of the ancient Olympic Games, familiar to us from modern competitions, differ markedly from their modern counterparts. Greek athletes did not perform long jumps from a running start, but from a standing position - 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 allowed 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 discus) was carried out from a small elevation. In this case, the javelin 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 a boxing match continued until one of the opponents admitted defeat or was unable to continue the fight. There were very unique varieties of running disciplines: running in full armor (that is, 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 the competitions. At first, competitions in this age category included only running and wrestling; over time, pentathlon, fist fighting and pankration were added to them.

In addition to athletic competitions, an art competition was also held at the Olympic Games, which became an official part of the program from the 84th Games (444 BC).

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

Olympionists.

The winner of the Olympic Games received universal recognition along with an olive wreath (this tradition dates back to 752 BC) and purple ribbons. He became one of the most respected people in his city (for whose residents the victory of a fellow countryman at the Olympics was also a great honor), he was often exempted from government duties and given other privileges. The Olympian was also given posthumous honors in his homeland. And according to the one introduced in the 6th century. BC. in practice, the three-time winner of the Games could erect his statue in Altis.

The first Olympian known to us was Korebus from Elis, who won the race over one stage in 776 BC.

The most famous - and the only athlete in the entire history of the ancient Olympic Games who won 6 Olympics - was the “strongest among the strong,” the wrestler Milo from Croton. A native of the Greek colonial city of Croton (southern 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 youths. From 532 BC to 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. Olympian Milo was also a repeated winner of the Pythian, Isthmian, Nemean Games and many local competitions. Mentions of it can be found in the works of Pausanias, Cicero and other authors.

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

Astilus 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 running one and two stages at the Games from 488 BC to 480 BC). If at his first Olympics Astil competed for Croton, then at the next two - for Syracuse. Former fellow countrymen took revenge on him for his betrayal: the statue of the champion in Croton was demolished, and his former house turned into a prison.

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

Many Olympians were distinguished by exceptional physical properties. For example, the champion in the two-stadion race (404 BC) Lasthenes of Tebeia is credited with victory in an unusual competition with a horse, and Aegeus of Argos, who won the race on long distances(328 BC), after that, running, without making a single stop along the way, he covered the distance from Olympia to his hometown to quickly bring good news to fellow countrymen. Victory was also achieved thanks to a unique technique. Thus, the extremely durable and agile boxer Melankom from Cariya, winner of the Olympic Games of 49 AD, during the fight constantly kept his arms extended forward, due to which he avoided the enemy’s blows, while he himself extremely rarely struck back - in in the end, the physically and emotionally exhausted opponent admitted defeat. And about the winner of the Olympic Games 460 BC. in the dolichodrome of Ladas from Argos they said that he runs so easily that he does not even leave traces 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. Moreover, they competed not only in the fine arts. For example, Pythagoras was a champion in fist fighting, and Plato was a champion in pankration.

Maria Ishchenko

were held every two years in the Isthmian sanctuary, near Corinth in honor of Poseidon. According to legend, the games were founded by the Athenian hero Theseus, who wished to compete in this way with the founder of the Olympic Games, Hercules. However, according to the traveler Pausanias, the Isthmian Games were originally dedicated to the local hero Melikerdus-Palemon, the son of King Athamas.

Games in Ancient Greece

This version may have been created by the Corinthians, who exercised control over the sanctuary and wanted the Corinthian hero to be venerated during the holidays. The myth according to which Theseus was the founder of the games was created by the Athenians, who thus tried to be superior to their eternal rivals, the Corinthians. The Isthmian Games were reorganized in 582 BC. e. modeled after the Olympic Games. from the very beginning they acquired a pan-Greek character, and during their holding the so-called “Isthmian Truce” was in effect, i.e., peace was established between the cities that took part in the Isthmian games. In addition to athletic competitions, from the 5th century BC. e. Competitions in music, recitation, and painting began to be held. The winners received a pine wreath as a reward, with the exception of short period, when, under the influence of the Nemean Games, the reward was a wreath of celery.

Nemean Games

The Nemean Games were held in Nemea in honor of the god Zeus, the organization of which was initially under the control of the city. Cleon, and then Argos.
Moreover, from the 4th century BC. e. competitions were held more often in Argos than in the sanctuary of Nemea. The establishment of the holiday is associated with a local myth related to the king of Nemei-Lycurgus. Lycurgus was given a prophecy that his newborn son Ophelt would grow up strong and healthy if only he touched the ground before he learned to walk. But one day the nurse Ophelta Hypsipyla disobeyed the king’s order and left the child on the ground, placing her on a pile of wild celery. A snake crawling past bit the boy and died. In honor of the dead Ophelt, funeral games were immediately established, which became the prototype of the Nemean Games. The Panhellenic Nemean Games began in 573 BC. e. and were held every two years. The Olympic Games were a model for them, and later they also included music competitions. The competition judges wore black clothes as a sign of mourning for Ophelt

The content of the article

OLYMPIC GAMES OF ANCIENT GREECE- the largest sports competitions of antiquity. They originated as part of a religious cult and were carried out from 776 BC. to 394 AD (a total of 293 Olympics were held) in Olympia, which was considered a sacred place by the Greeks. The name of the Games comes from Olympia. The Olympic Games were a significant event for all of Ancient Greece, going beyond the scope of a purely sporting event. Victory at the Olympics was considered extremely honorable both for the athlete and for the polis that he represented.

From the 6th century BC. following the example of the Olympic Games, other pan-Greek athletic competitions 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.

At the end of the 19th century. The Olympic Games were revived on the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin.

The Olympic Games from inception to decline.

There are many legends about the origins of the Olympic Games. All of them are associated with ancient Greek gods and heroes.

The most famous legend says how the king of Elis, Iphit, seeing that his people were tired of endless wars, went to Delphi, where the priestess of Apollo conveyed to him the command of the gods: to organize pan-Greek athletic festivals that suited them. After which Iphitus, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus and the Athenian legislator and reformer Cliosthenes established the procedure for holding such games and entered into a sacred alliance. Olympia, where this festival was to be held, was declared a sacred place, and anyone who entered its boundaries armed was declared a criminal.

According to another myth, Zeus's son Hercules brought the sacred olive branch to Olympia and instituted athletic games to commemorate Zeus' victory over his ferocious father Cronus.

There is also a known legend that Hercules, having organized the Olympic Games, perpetuated the memory of Pelops (Pelops), who won the chariot race of the cruel king Oenomaus. And the name Pelops was given to the Peloponnese region, where the “capital” of the ancient Olympic Games was located.

Religious ceremonies were an obligatory part of the ancient Olympic Games. According to established custom, the first day of the Games was set aside for sacrifices: athletes spent this day at the altars and altars of their patron gods. A similar ritual was repeated on the final day of the Olympic Games, when awards were presented to the winners.

During the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, wars stopped and a truce was concluded - ekeheria, and representatives of the warring policies held peace negotiations in Olympia in order to resolve conflicts. On the bronze disk of Iphitus with the rules of the Olympic Games kept in Olympia in the Temple of Hera, the corresponding point was written. “On the disk of Iphitus is written the text of the truce that the Eleans declare for the duration of the Olympic Games; it is not written in straight lines, but the words go along a disk in the form of a circle" (Pausanias, Description of Hellas).

From the Olympic Games 776 BC (the earliest Games, the mention of which has reached us - according to some experts, the Olympic Games began to be held more than 100 years earlier) the Greeks were counting a special “Olympic chronology” introduced by the historian Timaeus. The Olympic holiday was celebrated in the “holy month”, beginning with the first full moon after the summer solstice. It was to be repeated every 1417 days that made up the Olympiad – the Greek “Olympic” year.

Beginning as a local competition, the Olympic Games eventually became a pan-Hellenic event. Many people came to the Games not only from Greece itself, but also from its colony cities from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

The games continued even when Hellas fell under the control of Rome (in the middle of the 2nd century BC), as a result of which one of the fundamental Olympic principles was violated, which allowed only Greek citizens to participate in the Olympic Games, and even some Roman emperors (including Nero, who “won” a chariot race drawn by ten horses). Affected the Olympic Games and began in the 4th century BC. the general decline of Greek culture: they gradually lost their former meaning and essence, turning from a sports competition and a significant social event into a purely entertaining event, in which mainly professional athletes participated.

And in 394 AD. The Olympic Games were banned - as a “relic of paganism” - by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, who forcibly introduced Christianity.

Olympia.

Located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Here was Altis (Altis) - the legendary sacred grove of Zeus and a temple and cult complex, which was finally formed around the 6th century. BC. On the territory of the sanctuary there were religious buildings, monuments, sports facilities and houses where athletes and guests lived during the competitions. The Olympic sanctuary remained the focus of Greek art until the 4th century. BC.

Soon after the ban on the Olympic Games, all these structures were burned by order of Emperor Theodosius II (in 426 AD), and a century later they were finally destroyed and buried by strong earthquakes and river floods.

As a result of those held in Olympia at the end of the 19th century. Archaeological excavations were able to discover the ruins of some buildings, including those for sports purposes, such as the palaestra, gymnasium and stadium. Built in the 3rd century. BC. palaestra - an area surrounded by a portico where wrestlers, boxers and jumpers trained. Gymnasium, built in the 3rd–2nd centuries. BC, is the largest building in Olympia, it was used for training sprinters. The gymnasium also housed a list of winners and a list of the Olympics, and there were statues of athletes. The stadium (212.5 m long and 28.5 m wide) with stands and seats for judges was built in 330–320 BC. It could accommodate about 45,000 spectators.

Organization of Games.

All freeborn Greek citizens (according to some sources, men who could speak Greek) 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 came to Olympia for this, the Hellenes, the participants in the competition, demanded his exclusion. These competitions, they said, were for the Hellenes, not for the barbarians. Alexander proved that he was an Argive, and the judges recognized his Hellenic origin. He took part in a running race and reached the goal at the same time as the winner” (Herodotus. Story).

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, athletes underwent intensive training, after which they passed a kind of exam by the Hellanodic Commission. After fulfilling the “Olympic standard”, future participants in the Olympic Games trained for another month according to a special program - already under the guidance of the Hellanodics.

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 fraud; the guilty athlete was also subject to a fine and corporal punishment. In front of the entrance to the stadium at Olympia, there were zanas for the edification of 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 The Thessalian Eupolus bribed three fighters who competed with him). In addition, persons convicted of committing a crime or sacrilege were not allowed to participate in the Games.

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

Program of the ancient Olympic Games.

At first, the program of the Olympic Games included only a stadium - running one stage (192.27 m), then the number of Olympic disciplines increased. Let's note some fundamental changes in the program:

- at the 14th Olympic Games (724 BC), the program included diaulos - a 2nd stage run, and 4 years later - a dolichodrome (endurance run), the distance of which ranged from 7 to 24 stages;

– at the 18th Olympic Games (708 BC), wrestling and pentathlon (pentathlon) competitions were held for the first time, which included, in addition to wrestling and the stadium, jumping, as well as javelin and discus throwing;

– at the 23rd Olympic Games (688 BC), fist fighting was included in the competition program,

– at the 25th Olympic Games (680 BC) chariot races (drawn by four adult horses) were added, 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 mid-3rd century BC, foal racing also began to be held) and pankration, a martial arts that combined elements of wrestling and fist fighting with minimal restrictions on “prohibited techniques” and in many ways reminiscent of modern martial arts.

Greek gods and mythological heroes were involved in the emergence of not only the Olympic Games as a whole, but also their individual disciplines. For example, it was believed that running one stage was introduced by Hercules himself, who personally measured this distance in Olympia (1 stage was equal to the length of 600 feet of the priest Zeus), and pankration dates back to the legendary battle of Theseus with the Minotaur.

Some of the disciplines of the ancient Olympic Games, familiar to us from modern competitions, differ markedly from their modern counterparts. Greek athletes did not perform long jumps from a running start, but from a standing position - 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 allowed 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 discus) was carried out from a small elevation. In this case, the javelin 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 a boxing match continued until one of the opponents admitted defeat or was unable to continue the fight. There were very unique varieties of running disciplines: running in full armor (that is, 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 the competitions. At first, competitions in this age category included only running and wrestling; over time, pentathlon, fist fighting and pankration were added to them.

In addition to athletic competitions, an art competition was also held at the Olympic Games, which became an official part of the program from the 84th Games (444 BC).

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

Olympionists.

The winner of the Olympic Games received universal recognition along with an olive wreath (this tradition dates back to 752 BC) and purple ribbons. He became one of the most respected people in his city (for whose residents the victory of a fellow countryman at the Olympics was also a great honor), he was often exempted from government duties and given other privileges. The Olympian was also given posthumous honors in his homeland. And according to the one introduced in the 6th century. BC. in practice, the three-time winner of the Games could erect his statue in Altis.

The first Olympian known to us was Korebus from Elis, who won the race over one stage in 776 BC.

The most famous - and the only athlete in the entire history of the ancient Olympic Games who won 6 Olympics - was the “strongest among the strong,” the wrestler Milo from Croton. A native of the Greek colonial city of Croton (southern 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 youths. From 532 BC to 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. Olympian Milo was also a repeated winner of the Pythian, Isthmian, Nemean Games and many local competitions. Mentions of it can be found in the works of Pausanias, Cicero and other authors.

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

Astilus 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 running one and two stages at the Games from 488 BC to 480 BC). If at his first Olympics Astil competed for Croton, then at the next two - for Syracuse. Former fellow countrymen took revenge on him for his betrayal: the statue of the champion in Crotone was demolished, and his former home was turned into a prison.

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

Many Olympians were distinguished by exceptional physical properties. For example, the champion in the two-furlong race (404 BC) Lasthenes of Tebeia is credited with winning an unusual competition with a horse, and Aegeus of Argos, who won the long-distance race (328 BC), then ran , without making a single stop along the way, he covered the distance from Olympia to his hometown in order to quickly bring the good news to his fellow countrymen. Victory was also achieved thanks to a unique technique. Thus, the extremely durable and agile boxer Melankom from Cariya, winner of the Olympic Games of 49 AD, during the fight constantly kept his arms extended forward, due to which he avoided the enemy’s blows, while he himself extremely rarely struck back - in in the end, the physically and emotionally exhausted opponent admitted defeat. And about the winner of the Olympic Games 460 BC. in the dolichodrome of Ladas from Argos they said that he runs so easily that he does not even leave traces 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. Moreover, they competed not only in the fine arts. For example, Pythagoras was a champion in fist fighting, and Plato was a champion in pankration.

Maria Ishchenko

The history of the Olympic Games dates back to Ancient Greece. The first historical mention of this event dates back to 776 BC. It is interesting that the Olympic Games in ancient times were held not only as sports, but also as a religious ceremony. Initially, the games were held every four years and lasted only one day. According to one legend, Hercules became the first participant in the ancient Greek Olympic Games.

Ancient Greek Olympia was the only place where the Olympic Games of antiquity took place. This largest sanctuary in the Peloponnese was not chosen by chance - it took the form of a natural amphitheater, which was located among wooded plains and slopes, between the rivers Claudia and Alpheus. Due to the convenient location of the settlement of Olympia, participants from distant lands arrived for the games by ship.

Historical documents indicate that the Olympic Games in ancient times were held only in Peaceful time- a month before the start of the games, a truce was declared between all warring cities so that all participants could safely arrive in Olympia. Any city that violated the truce law was punished by banning its athletes from participating in further competitions.

Olympia not only hosted the Olympic Games - history tells that it was also the site of an ancient Greek religious festival. During the religious ceremony, the people praised Zeus, as well as the fallen heroes. The games themselves began with prayer and ritual sacrifice.

In the year when the Olympic Games were to be held, in ancient times messengers with torches were sent to all corners of Greece to announce a truce. Many centuries later, carrying the torch became an integral ritual preceding the start of the modern Olympic Games.

Only freeborn Greeks or slaves who received liberation and pardon could be applicants for the championship in the competition. Sports competitions were organized separately for men and separately for boys. The boys were grouped into several categories based on their age, size and strength.

Although women were prohibited from participating in physical competitions, they could show their skills in equestrian competitions, but to do this they had to own a chariot or horse.

The Olympic Games in ancient times initially included in their regulations only five types of sports competitions: javelin throwing, discus throwing, long jump, wrestling and running. Subsequently, horse racing, chariot racing, boxing and pankration were added. On the first day of the Olympics, religious ceremonies were held, and ancient Greek athletes took an oath to adhere to fair rules of the game. The competitions themselves began the next day.

The winners of the competition were crowned with crowns made of olive leaves from the Temple of Zeus. In addition, the winner could sculpt his own statue in Olympia. After returning to his native land, glory and honor awaited the champion - he received various privileges in the form free food And best places at public events.

At the Olympic Games only first prizes were provided, so sports in Ancient Greece from the very beginning early childhood was cultivated and revered in the same way as liberal arts education.