Journey to Olympia

The Olympics are held every four years for sportsmen and women from all over the world. The first Olympics of the modern period were held in Athens, Greece in 1896.The very first Olympics were held in Greece over 2800 years ago. The Games at Olympia were held every four years without a break for over one thousand years. From 776 BC to AD 395. More than two hundred and sixty Games, or Olympiads, were held. The Olympics are the world�s oldest and greatest sporting festival.

Even before the first known Olympics, games had long been held to honour Zeus, the god of the Olympians. The Olympic Games as they began in 776 BC were not just an athlete contest but a religious and spiritual festival. Athletes competed firstly to honour Zeus, and secondly to seek glory for themselves and the cities they represented. In each event there was only one winner. He was crowned with a wreath of olive leaves from a sacred tree. Ribbons of red wool were tied around his head, arms and thighs. There were no prizes of gold or money. Records were not kept. Some winners were remembered as �the boxer who was never wounded� or �the runner who won two races in a single sun�.

How Do We Know?

The Olympics at Olympia finally came to an end at about AD 395, nearly 1600 years ago. Our knowledge comes from several sources: Written records, Painted vases and pots, coins, bronze and marble statues, and friezes used to decorate buildings, and the ruins at Olympia itself.

Journey to Olympia

The statue of Zeus was made by the sculptor Pheidias out of gold, ivory, ebony, and precious stones. It�s one of the Seven Wonders of the World! A man doesn�t even come up to Zeus�s big toe! If he stood up he would go through the roof. There is a small platform for the judges and some drinking water for the spectators at the stadium. The hippodrome is where the chariot races take place. There are no seats. Everyone just stands or sits down on the grass. The judges and athletes all stay in Elis, training, for ten months before the games. It is then decided which athletes will compete.

Day One

This is the day of the opening ceremony. The athletes and judges have arrived from Elis. Inside the Council House the competitors for the horse racing and other events are being registered. Musicians and heralds have a competition with whoever�s note or voice goes the furthest. The winners are the official announcers and trumpeters for the rest of the games.

Today is the boy�s events, the events are: boxing, wrestling and pankration (wrestling with very few rules.) Boys from ages of twelve and eighteen are allowed to compete. But sometimes children who are not yet developed and teenagers who are very big are excluded. All of the boys are naked and have very burnt skin. The winner gets a palm branch and some flowers.

Day Three

This is the morning of the horse racing. Now we have the races: chariots pulled by 4 horses, races for full-grown horses only, races for mares only, and races for foals only. The main races go for twelve laps. Others eight and the foals only make three laps. Now comes the pentathlon. The events are: long jump, discus, javelin, stadion race (two hundred-metre sprint) and wrestling. The pentathletes would have to be the best athletes, because they have to be strong for wrestling and discus, and nimble and quick for the running, jumping, and javelin throwing.

Day Four

This is a holy day and a hundred oxen are slaughtered to honour Zeus. When the ritual sacrifice is complete the games will begin. Today is the day for the runners, there will also be the main wrestling, boxing and pankration. The stadion winner is special. His name will be given to this Olympic Games as a winner of the oldest race on the program. Next come the events which create frenzy among the crowds: wrestling, boxing and pankration. The last event is the race in armour and the purpose of this race is to remind men that the reason for keeping fit is for war.

Day Five

This is the last day of the Olympics. There is a procession of winners and each winner is crowned with a wreath made of sacred olive leaves.

Although women were not allowed at the Olympics Games in Olympia, (and it remained this way for one thousand years) they could enter their horses. Women had their own festival at Olympia, every four years, called the Games of Hera. There was only one event, the foot race that was held for three different age groups.

As time went by athletes at the Olympics began to compete for themselves and their cities and not to honour Zeus. The war between Greek cities found the Roman Empire growing. Soon Roman athletes were allowed to compete in the previously Greek only Olympic Games. The Greek mainland became part of the Roman Empire in AD 146 which eventually led to Rome hosting the 175^th Olympiad in 80 BC. Now there were Roman, Egyptian and Greek athletes. AD 267 was the beginning of the end of the Ancient Olympic Games. Wars, earthquakes, floods, fire and landslides finished the destruction of Olympia.

After Barron Pierre de Coubertin read a report about excavations in Olympia he decided to seek support to start a modern Olympiad. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece in 1896 and were successful. The second Games held in Paris in 1900 were a failure. The Games held in St Louis (1904) and London (1908) had really bad problems. The Olympics for 1916 in Berlin were cancelled due to World War 1. The 1948 Games in London and the 1952 Games in Helenski were both judged successes. Modern Olympics still have problems such as terrorism, political boycotts and athletes taking drugs.

The Olympic Symbol

The ancient Greeks invented the Olympic symbol of the five rings, which told that the games were held every fifth year. Barron Pierre de Coubertin said that the rings symbolised the five continents that took part in the Olympics. The colours � blue, yellow, black, green and red appear in the flags of the competing countries.