![]() Oenomaus, the king of Pisa, had a daughter named Hippodamia, and according to an oracle, the king would be killed by her husband. Īnother myth of the origin of the games is the story of Pelops, a local Olympian hero. The other Olympian gods (so named because they lived permanently on Mount Olympus) would also engage in wrestling, jumping and running contests. He crowned the victor with an olive wreath (which thus became a peace symbol), which also explains the four-year interval, bringing the games around every fifth year (counting inclusively). Greek historian, Pausanias provides a story about the dactyl Heracles (not to be confused with the son of Zeus and the Roman god Hercules) and four of his brothers, Paeonaeus, Epimedes, Iasius and Idas, who raced at Olympia to entertain the newborn Zeus. These origin traditions have become nearly impossible to untangle, yet a chronology and patterns have arisen that help people understand the story behind the games. During the time of the ancient games their origins were attributed to the gods, and competing legends persisted as to who actually was responsible for the genesis of the games. To the Ancient Greeks, it was important to root the Olympic Games in mythology. Victors at the Olympics were honored, and their feats chronicled for future generations. The games were always held at Olympia rather than moving between different locations as is the practice with the modern Olympic Games. As long as they met the entrance criteria, athletes from any Greek city-state and kingdom were allowed to participate. The ancient Olympics had fewer events than the modern games, and only freeborn Greek men were allowed to participate, although there were victorious women chariot owners. Sculptors and poets would congregate each Olympiad to display their works of art to would-be patrons. ![]() The statue of Zeus at Olympia was counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Olympics also featured religious celebrations. The games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean. Politicians would announce political alliances at the games, and in times of war, priests would offer sacrifices to the gods for victory. The games became a political tool used by city-states to assert dominance over their rivals. The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. ĭuring the celebration of the games, the ekecheiria (an Olympic truce) was announced so that athletes and religious pilgrims could travel from their cities to the games in safety. The games likely came to an end under Theodosius II, possibly in connection with a fire that burned down the temple of the Olympian Zeus during his reign. Their last recorded celebration was in AD 393, under the emperor Theodosius I, but archeological evidence indicates that some games were still held after this date. They continued to be celebrated when Greece came under Roman rule, 2nd century BC. The games were held every four years, or Olympiad, which became a unit of time in historical chronologies. The originating Olympic Games are traditionally dated to 776 BC. They were held in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin. The ancient Olympic Games (Ὀλυμπιακοὶ ἀγῶνες Latin: Olympia, neuter plural: "the Olympics") were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states and were one of the Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. The palaestra of Olympia, a place devoted to the training of wrestlers and other athletes ![]()
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