In whose honor were the ancient Olympic Games held? The Birth of the Olympic Games

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. In total, 293 Olympics were held. The games were given so much great importance, 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 site of the games.

The competition was held in Olympia, in 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 remains from this temple except mentions in literature). 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 competitions themselves took place 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 was 212 meters long and 32 meters wide. There was also a hippodrome with a length of 700 meters and a width of 300 meters. Wreaths of olive leaves were placed on the winners' heads, and the games themselves were extremely important. political significance. Thanks to their spectacle and popularity, Hellenistic culture spread throughout the Mediterranean.

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.

Organization of the Olympic Games

All freeborn 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 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 competition and reached 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. During the 10–12 months before the start of the Games, athletes underwent intensive training, after which they passed a kind of exam of 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 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 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 place of honor.

Program of the Ancient Olympic Games

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

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

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

– at the 18th Olympic Games (708 BC), wrestling and pentathlon (pentathlon) competitions were held for the first time. The rules of wrestling prohibited striking, but pushing was allowed. The fight was divided into two main positions: standing and on the ground, or rather, soft ground sprinkled with sand.

The Pentathlon included stage running, discus throw, javelin throw, long jump and wrestling. All events were carried out on the same day in a certain order, starting with jumping. The jumping technique was unique: the athlete used dumbbells in his hands to increase the jump distance. Maximum range According to ancient authors, the jump 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. As modern researchers believe, based on images on ancient Greek vases, the athlete jumped without a running start, from a standing start.

– at the 23rd Olympic Games (688 BC), fist fighting was added to the competition program. Particular respect was given to fighters who managed to win without receiving a blow from their opponent. The fighters wrapped their hands with leather belts. The rules in fistfights 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 fight was not something exceptional. If the boxers got tired, a rest break was allowed. If even after rest the winner was not identified, then the boxers exchanged the agreed number of blows without defending themselves. The fight ended with the surrender of the opponent: the defeated one raised his hand when he was unable to resist.

– 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, colt racing also 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", meaning roughly "with all one's strength." Strangulation was permitted, and 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 is reminiscent of modern “fights without rules.”

- at the 65th Olympiad (520 BC) a hoplitodrome was added - running in fully armed or hoplite flight. The athletes ran two stages wearing a helmet, leggings and a shield.
Later, only the shield was left as a weapon. Athletes compete naked, as in other Olympic events with the exception of horse racing. The games ended with the running of the 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, and artists exhibited their works in the agora.

* 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 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 competitions. At first the competition in this age category included only running and wrestling; over time, pentathlon, fist fighting and pankration were added to them.

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

Olympionists

The winner of the Olympic Games (Olympian) 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 hardy and agile boxer Melankom from Caria, winner of the Olympic Games 49 AD. During the fight, he constantly kept his arms extended forward, due to which he avoided the enemy’s blows, while he himself very rarely struck back - 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 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.

History of Olympic Games

According to the most ancient legend, the Olympic Games arose during the time of Kronos, in honor of the Idean Hercules. According to myth, Rhea handed over the newborn Zeus to the Idean dactyls (Curetes). Five of them came from the Cretan Ida to Olympia, where a temple in honor of Kronos had already been erected. Hercules, the eldest of the brothers, defeated everyone in the race and was awarded a wreath made of wild olive for his victory. At the same time, Hercules established competitions that were to take place after 5 years, according to the number of Idean 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, some ancient authors associate the inclusion of chariot racing in the program of the Olympic Games with the myth that Oenomaus won a victory in a chariot race over the hard-hearted king of the city of Pisa. However, given that Pelops then killed his assistant Myrtilus, the son of Hermes, which angered not only Hermes, but also the other Olympic gods, it is unlikely that chariot racing was included in the Olympic Games in honor of Pelops.

The first historical fact associated with the Olympic Games is their resumption by the king of Elis, Iphitus, 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). From that time (according to some sources, the year of the resumption of the games was 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, the countdown from 776 BC was accepted. uh..

Resuming the Olympic Games, Iphitus established a sacred truce for the duration of their celebration, which was declared by special heralds, first in Elis, then in the rest 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 agreement from the Peloponnesian states to consider Elis a country against which war could not be waged.

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

Revival of the Olympic Games

In 1896, after a long break, the Olympic Games were held in Athens on 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 city where the Games are held during their opening, and it burns continuously until their end. The tradition of lighting the Olympic flame began to emerge during the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. The stadium of the Los Angeles Games was also on fire in 1932.

However, the Olympic torch relay was first held during the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. More than 3,000 runners took part in delivering the torch from Olympia to Berlin.

The flame was lit at the Winter Olympic Games in both 1936 and 1948, but the relay was first held in 1952 before the Winter Olympic Games in Oslo, and began not in Olympia, but in Morgedal.

The Olympic relay has repeatedly been the target of attacks in order to draw attention to various problems, including those not related to the Olympic movement. Therefore, the International Olympic Committee decided to terminate 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 the Olympic torch relay was proposed by Karl Diem (Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, 1936). The basis of the idea was the ancient Greek ritual - lampadodromy - an ancient Greek ritual running competition with burning torches. It was carried out in a number of cities of Ancient Greece. The greatest amount of information about this ritual concerns Athens. There, the torchbearers formed several competing teams, whose runners passed the torch to each other.

Ancient Olympic Games in Ancient Greece: sports, famous athletes of the Olympics, Interesting Facts in competitions, famous athletes among prominent Greeks.

The Ancient Olympic Games took place in Ancient Greece from 776 BC to 394 AD, when they were banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius. If we approach the chronology more precisely, it should be noted that the start date of the Ancient Olympic Games is conditional, since there are no exact facts confirming this date. According to the legends and myths of Ancient Greece, the first Olympic Games were organized by Hercules back in the 13th century BC. However, there is no evidence of this, so this date will remain in the realm of myths. Then there was a long break in the Games (or simply a lack of historical facts), after which a version appears about the resumption of the Games during the reign of Iphitus from Elis and Lycurgus from Sparta. However, there is no reliable data on the dates of the reign of these Greek kings, but presumably date back much earlier than the officially accepted date of the start of the Ancient Olympic Games. As a result, it was decided to consider the official and reliable date for the start of the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece to be 776 BC, when their winner, Korebus of Elis, was known - previously the Olympic Games were not numbered, but were called by the name of their winner, who was determined by running by 1 stage (192 meters)*.

* the first 13 Olympics of ancient Greece competitions consisted of only one type of competition - running for 1 stage. And the main winner of all the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece was the short-distance runner (in the modern Olympic Games, the winner of the men's sprint is also the most famous and recognizable Olympian).

Not everyone could participate in the Ancient Olympic Games, and the selection criteria were not only sporting achievements, but social status and gender (in the very first Games also nationality). Now about all this in more detail.

Only men could compete in the Games. Moreover, only men could be spectators. Only several centuries after the start of the Games of Ancient Greece could a woman become the winner in a chariot race, and even then thanks to the strange tradition of considering the winner not the rider, but the owner of the team. In such a curious way, the daughter of the Spartan king went down in history as the first woman to win the Olympics.

Not all men could take part in the Olympics, but only free men with full civil rights. In other words, slaves and those deprived of at least some civil rights were not allowed to participate in the Games.

At first, only Greek men were allowed to participate in the Olympics of Ancient Greece (with all the rights described above). Later, the Romans began to take part in the Games by right of conquerors*

* after 146 BC, when the Roman Empire completely subjugated Ancient Greece, the Greek language and traditions could not be supplanted by the Latin language and culture of Rome - the civilization of Ancient Greece was so well developed.

Even if you are a Greek man, free and with all civil rights, you still do not have much chance of becoming a participant in the Games. The fact is that 30 days before the start, you had to demonstrate your athletic skills at the Olympic Gymnasium (in the modern Olympic Games, an analogue of this is obtaining an Olympic license at various preliminary competitions).

The games lasted 5 days and consisted of 3 periods:

1. The first day is the presentation of athletes and judges, an oath and sacrifice to the gods, primarily Zeus. In the modern Olympic Games, the analogue is the opening of the Olympics.
2. From the second to the fourth day inclusive, competitions of athletes took place in various sports, which will be discussed in more detail below.
3. The last, fifth day of the Games was a celebration of the winners and a feast to mark the end of the holiday. In modern Olympic Games, the last day is also the solemn closing day of the Olympics. The winner of the Ancient Olympic Games received a wreath of olive branches as a reward, became a popular person in his homeland, and received various privileges (in Athens, their winners were sometimes even given small cash bonuses).

Sports in the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece

The first and most important type of competition was running. At the first 13 Olympics, running was only for the sprint distance - 1 stage, which was equal to 192 meters.

The spectators liked the innovation of the previous Olympics, and from the 15th Games they added another running discipline - running 7 stages. This is already an average distance, the closest to which is the modern Olympic distance of 1500 meters.

After another 3 Olympics, on the 18th, 2 new sports disciplines were added - wrestling and pentathlon (or pentathlon).

The wrestlers had powerful physiques and extraordinary ordinary people force, legends were made about them (sometimes so fantastic that some can be safely added to the category “Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece,” or even directly to the section “Gods of Ancient Greece”). The rules of wrestling were safer than the rules of other Olympic martial arts - fist fighting and pankration, but these rules were often not respected, which made it possible for the toughest and most spectacular form to appear in the Olympic program - pankration.

The Pentathlon, as the name of the discipline suggests, included 5 types of competitions: long jump, discus throw, javelin throw, running (stage 1) and wrestling. With running, everything went according to the usual pattern - 192 meters. More or less everything is clear with javelin and discus throwing - whoever threw it further wins. The situation with the long jump is not entirely clear. The frescoes depict athletes jumping long from a standing position, and they had weights in their hands, but the ancient contemporaries of the athletes claimed that athletes jumped up to 15 meters in length (the jumping pit was also that long). It seems that the Greeks were masters of myths in athletics, too, and not just in describing the lives of local gods. Wrestling was the final test and was needed only in those cases when in the first 4 types of competitions it was not possible to achieve the required 3 victories.

The ancient pentathlon has no exact analogues in modern all-around sports (especially considering the presence of wrestling in the program). But, without a doubt, this is the most versatile form of sports.

The 23rd Olympics in Ancient Greece was represented by another innovation - the introduction of fist fighting into the competition program. It was a very spectacular and at the same time very dangerous type of competition, in which fighters could seriously injure each other and even kill each other. As a protective device, strips of rawhide were wrapped around the hands, which protected the striker’s hands more than the opponent’s body or head. The modern analogue of the ancient fist fight - boxing - is a much more humane sport, although not so long ago they stopped using helmets in amateur boxing to increase entertainment. The number of knockouts has increased, the public likes it... the famous Latin saying “panem et circenses” (bread and circuses) is relevant at all times.

The 25th Olympics of Ancient Greece received another type of competition - horse racing (at this Olympics only races on four horses - quadrigas) were allowed. Thanks to this innovation and the strange rules of awarding victory to the owner of the horses (and not to the rider), women had the opportunity to participate and win in the Ancient Olympic Games. It was the most expensive sport presented at the Games and was available only to very wealthy citizens of Ancient Greece or to kings and their relatives. Besides being expensive, it was a very dangerous sport. Imagine a hippodrome and 44 chariots starting at the same time. Then chaos began, which increased many times after the first reversal. Jockeys fell under the horses' hooves, chariots overturned or collided... Lermontov's phrase "horses and people mixed together..." could easily be applied to horse racing in Ancient Greece, if the poet could personally see all this action. There was a known case when out of 44 chariots that started, 43 were out of action during the race. Victory was awarded to the chariot, which simply managed to survive this horror.

40 years after the introduction of fist fighting into the program of the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece, another type of martial arts was added - pankration. This happened at the 33rd Olympics. At its core, pankration is a type of fight in which blows of all types and with all parts of the body were allowed (only blows to the eyes were prohibited), and all wrestling techniques were also allowed. There were deaths in fighting competitions (which, however, sometimes did not stop the Greeks from declaring a dead fighter the winner). There are more types of wrestling in modern Olympic sports, but the entertainment was most likely higher among the ancients. Pankration is not yet included in the program of the modern Olympic Games, but work in this direction has been going on for a long time.

At the same 33rd Olympics, horse racing (single) was added. The rules for determining the winner were as strange as for quadrigas - the owner of the horse became the champion of the Olympics, while the rider simply carried out the owner’s task, risking his life and often receiving serious injuries.

The last running discipline of the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece appeared much later, during the 65th Olympics, more than 150 years after the start of the first Olympics of antiquity. This was a running of heavily armed warriors (hoplites) over a distance in 2 stages. The weight of all the equipment initially exceeded 20 kilograms; subsequently, life was “simplified” for the athletes, leaving only a heavy shield (about 8 kilograms). In the modern Olympic Games there are no analogues to this type of running, but there is a similar army discipline (forced march in full gear). In a word, hoplite running is an applied military discipline, but given the constant wars of the Greeks with all their neighbors, and in the intervals between these wars they also fought among themselves just in case - a necessary thing, in a word.

At the 93rd Olympics, a new discipline was introduced in horse racing - chariot racing drawn by two horses.

The 96th Olympiad brought the last major additions to the Games - competitions of trumpeters and heralds, completely far from sports, appeared there. This was the only type of competition at the Games where judging was highly subjective. However, we need to talk about the judges separately...

“Who are the judges?”

And the judges at the Olympic Games of antiquity were free, respected citizens from the Greek historical region of Elis, in whose capital (Olympia) almost all the Games of that era were held.*

* in those years when Elis was at war with some other region of Ancient Greece, the Olympics were held in another city. True, the inhabitants of Elis did not recognize the champions of those Olympics that were not held in Olympia.

At the first 13 Olympics there were not very many judges - only 1 person. There was only one sports discipline - running for 1 stage, so the Greeks believed that one judge was enough. One discipline - one champion - one judge - a completely working scheme for the first competitions.

After running at the 2nd stage was added, another 1st judge was involved in the judging work - something like a panel of judges appeared. On the one hand, the work was not difficult - to see who came running first. On the other hand, up to 20 people could participate in the race at the same time. There were no stopwatches, as you understand, and there was no photo finish either. And one judge had to accurately determine who was the first to arrive among this massive sprint race. A very responsible job, in my opinion.

As types of competitions were added, the number of judges was added, and maximum amount there were up to 12 of them.

When wrestling, fist fighting, and pankration were added to the Olympic program, the work of a judge became not only responsible and nervous, but also dangerous. Judges began to be given sticks to strengthen their authority, so to speak (other martial arts participants were so excited that there was no other way to separate them). It was very important for the judges of wrestling, fist fighting or pankration not to miss the moment when it was necessary to stop the fight in order to prevent injury or even death to the athlete. But, unfortunately, it was not always possible to do this on time and such cases happened, and more than once.

The work of the judges also included the duty, 30 days before the start of the Olympics, to check the sportsmanship of those wishing to compete and select only the most worthy, otherwise the Olympics could turn into Babel pandemonium.

Since there were many more participants at the Olympic Games than judges, and there were also a large number of spectators in the stands (up to several tens of thousands), a special detachment of armed people (the prototype of a modern security service or police) was allocated under the command of the judges. So that everyone without exception could find out who the judge really was among all the people, the latter wore purple clothes. But the athletes cannot be confused with anyone, since at the early Olympics they generally competed naked (if such a tradition had been preserved to this day, the popularity of the Olympic Games would have been much higher).

Interesting facts in the history of the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece

The fame and popularity of the 3-time Olympic winner in pankration Doria from the island of Rhodes once saved his life when he was captured and sentenced to death - he was released for his Olympic merits.

At the 54th Olympics, a tragic and at the same time curious incident occurred: in pankration, victory was awarded to a fighter who died as a result of a choke hold. However, the opponent who strangled him managed to signal to the judge that he was giving up. The judge did not have time to react in time, as a result of which such an absurd decision was made to win.

At the 67th Olympics, in 512 BC, during a single race, the horse threw off its rider at the very beginning of the race, but itself came to the finish line first. No one was interested in the unfortunate rider, and the victory, as usual, was awarded to the horse (or rather, its owner).

The only woman in Ancient Greece who was able to “win” twice at the ancient Olympic Games was Kiniska (daughter of the Spartan king). Her horses won 2 Olympics in a row, and since she was the owner of these horses, she received the winner’s wreath.

The 211th Olympiad was held not in 65 (according to a 4-year cycle), but in 67, because the Roman Emperor Nero wished to participate in it, who planned his visit to Greece in 67. At the same Olympics, an ugly incident occurred in the awarding of chariot races - the chariot that started, but did not reach the finish line at all, won. And it was ruled by none other than the aforementioned Nero.

Champions in Ancient Greece who achieved the most outstanding results in the Olympic Games

1. Leonidas from the island of Rhodes is perhaps the most outstanding athlete of Ancient Greece. He won 4 (!!!) Olympics in a row, and won each of them in 3 running disciplines: 1st stage running, 2nd stage running and hoplite running (armed running). If we translate this to modern look awards, then 12 gold medals in sprint at 4 Olympics in a row. No runner has yet been able to repeat such an achievement in modern athletics.

2. Hipposthenes from Laconia was the first athlete of Ancient Greece who won victories at 6 Olympics. In 632 BC. The program of the Olympic Games included wrestling for young men (age limit - 20 years) and at his debut Olympics, young Hipposthenes tried on the winner's wreath for the first time. Then there were 5 more Olympics, and each time he climbed to the podium. A similar achievement was repeated only 92 years later by an athlete who will be discussed below.

3. Milo from the city of Croton was the second athlete of Antiquity who was able to win 6 Olympic Games in a row: first he won the wrestling competition in the junior category (although he was only 14 at that time and he fought with 20-year-old guys), and then won all 5 next Olympics in the adult category. He also took part in his 7th Olympics, but failed to win. Considering that there were no weight categories in wrestling, he was the absolute champion for 20 years in a row.

4. Another outstanding athlete from Croton, Astial, was able to win victories at 3 Olympics in a row, and at each of them in 2 sprint disciplines: running at the 1st and 2nd stages. Of course, Leonid from Rhodes is far from the absolute record, but the achievements are still impressive.

Famous people of Ancient Greece and other countries who became winners in the Ancient Olympics

Plato, one of the most famous philosophers of the ancient world, was a winner in pankration*

Philip II, the Macedonian king (father of Alexander the Great) was also a winner in the quadriga race (4-horse team)

Nero, the Roman emperor, was recognized as the winner of the race (he drove the chariot himself, but did not reach the finish line), and was also recognized as the best among heralds and actors (here the primacy can also be questioned, given his status as emperor, as well as Nero’s disposition)

Tiberius, Roman Emperor: at the 199th Olympiad his quadriga came first, making him the winner of the heats

* many mistakenly award the laurels of the Olympic winner in fist fights to the ancient Greek mathematician and thinker Pythagoras. This misconception is caused by the same names of the Greeks. In fact, among the Olympians there really was Pythagoras, and not just one, but as many as 3 Pythagoras, who became champions: the 1st Pythagoras won the 192-meter race back in 716 BC, i.e. 146 years before the birth of Pythagoras the scientist; The 2nd Pythagoras indeed became a champion in fist fighting, but also at a time when the most famous of all Pythagoras was not yet alive - 18 years before his birth. Well, the 3rd Pythagoras (also a runner and champion, and at 2 Olympics) won his olive wreaths 200 years after the death of the outstanding scientist of antiquity. So there really were 3 Pythagoras Olympic champions, but none of them were mathematicians who went down in history.

A similar misconception exists regarding the philosopher Democritus, when an athlete with the same name won the 1st stage race, but this happened several centuries after the death of the well-known thinker of Ancient Greece.

Advantages and disadvantages of the ancient Olympic Games compared to modern ones

The most serious and significant drawback of the ancient Olympic Games was the number of injuries to participants in the competition and frequent deaths.

Despite the fact that there were some rules for conducting competitions, they were often not observed in the heat of battle. But in general, the athletes’ actions were not particularly limited. For example, it took several Olympics for the judges to finally understand that it was necessary to prohibit breaking the fingers of opponents in wrestling matches specifically for the sake of achieving victory, because the winner was the one who was the first to catch the opponent’s finger (some wrestlers were even given the nickname “Finger” for similar method of fighting). And in chariot racing, no one had any idea about any safety precautions - the principle “I see the goal - I see no obstacles” was in effect there.

The main advantage of the Olympics in Ancient Greece was the lack of modern pharmacology at that time and the concept of “doping” simply did not exist. In this regard, everyone was initially equal, and they became winners only thanks to their physical and volitional qualities, as well as sportsmanship. The latter, by the way, was highly valued in martial arts, where there were no weight categories and it was necessary to win not just by brute force, but by technique and tactics of fighting.

The next advantage is the fairness of the judges (in most cases). Of course, there were mistakes and even incidents in determining the winner, but such blatant injustice that is happening at the modern Olympics is difficult to even imagine. Perhaps there were few types of competitions where victory was decided by the judging factor (except perhaps only non-sports events, such as competitions of heralds and trumpeters). But the main reason, I think, was honor, not money. In Ancient Greece there weren’t that many people at all, and there are literally too many respected people who were appointed judges for the Olympics. Therefore, no self-respecting judge will risk his reputation to “play along” with some athlete. And to strengthen this unwritten rule, punishments and serious monetary fines were applied against those who tried to behave dishonestly at the Games dedicated to the god Zeus (and violated their own public oath to the same god on the first day of the Olympics).

The third (and also very important) advantage of the Olympics of ancient times over modern games was the lack of serious material rewards. Yes, the winning athletes became popular and recognizable people in their homeland, poems were written in their honor, their profiles were minted on vases and coins, they were given various tax benefits and other incentives, but after winning the Olympics they did not become rich people. Sport at that time was not commercial, as it is now - these were really competitions of strength and spirit of Olympic participants, and not a way to earn money and advertise their Olympic sponsor.

In the form that has come down to our time, the Olympic Games have big story, which goes back to ancient times. It all started in the city of Peloponnese, in Ancient Greece, about three thousand years ago. The sporting competitions themselves were held in Olympia, and from this venue the name of the games themselves came from. The first written mention of the Olympic Games was in 776 BC, but no one knows exactly when they began. The games were held in the same city every four years. The period of four years was called the Olympiad, and was also used as a chronology system: this means that time was calculated in Olympiads, and not in years. This is how people lived in Ancient Greece.

Olympus is a high mountain located in northern Greece, and according to legend it was believed that only the Gods live there. The history of the very origin of the Olympic Games is interesting and shrouded in myths and legends, but what is known for sure is that it was Olympia that became the venue for them; it is a small town located in the south of Greece, in the western part of the Peloponnesian peninsula, in the region of Elis.

According to legends, the formidable Kronos ruled on this mountain; for fear that his own child would kill him, the formidable king swallowed all his offspring. Their unfortunate mother, when she gave birth to a child again, gave God a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes instead of a child. Instead, Rhea gave the baby Zeus to the shepherds. When the boy grew up, he became the mighty god Zeus the Thunderer, and also entered into battle with own father Kronos defeated him. From the womb of Kronos came the brothers and sister of Zeus; they, like Zeus, also later became gods. And it was in honor of this event that Zeus organized competitions, selfless and fair for the most dexterous, strong and courageous. These competitions were held in a beautiful oak grove, which was dedicated to Zeus, and there was also a personal temple in it, at which a place was set up for competitions and the Olympic Games. The competitions were always dedicated to Olympian Zeus.

According to other legends, Hercules, the son of Zeus, is considered the founder of the Olympic Games. Because it was in this place that Hercules performed one of his world-famous feats - he cleaned out the stables of the king of Elis, and in honor of his victory over Augeias he organized the first competitions.

The first program of the Olympic Games was limited only to the stadium where they competed in the one-stage race. Afterwards, the program was expanded to running in two stages, at 24 stages, then running with weapons was added, and after some time the pentathlon was added. They have already begun to compete in jumping, running, discus and javelin throwing, wrestling, chariot racing, and fist fights. The program began to include competitive games for children in 632 BC. Still, running one stage was considered popular. The winner became the main character of the games and was awarded the right to light a fire on the altar. The Olympian is the main winner of the games and received an olive branch as a reward. It was cut from an old tree with a golden ritual knife; the tree was believed to have been planted by Hercules himself. The name of the winner was carved on a marble slab, and monuments were erected to some of the most outstanding ones. The winner was also given expensive gifts residents of the city he represented provided free seats in the theater and were exempt from taxes. Everyone joyfully welcomed the return, it seemed like a triumphal procession.

From Rhodes it will most likely be easier to join numerous excursion groups. We traveled last year from Athens, everything was much simpler. In general, in modern Olympia everything is very good with transport, but in Ancient Olympia, not so much. The modern city has its own network of urban public transport and a bus station. It is also popular here to rent a car or motorcycle, as well as take a taxi. If you get there on your own, buses run daily from the Olympia bus station to Ancient Olympia, the schedule is indicated at each stop and at the ticket terminals. It is certainly more comfortable and faster to travel independently in a rented car.

By the way, the Archaeological Museum of Olympia is open for visitors from 8:30 am to 15:00 pm. The museum houses a large and incredible collection of Olympic history. Admission is paid, the price of visiting is 9 euros per person.

By the way, the Archaeological Museum of Olympia is open for visits from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The museum houses a large and incredible collection of Olympic history. Admission is paid, the price of visiting is 9 euros per person.

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Chelyabinsk State Academy of Culture and Arts.

Faculty of Cultural Studies.

Department: Social and cultural activities.

Essay

Discipline: History of socio-cultural activities.

Topic: Olympic Games in ancient Greece.

Chelyabinsk 2015

Introduction

1. History of the Olympic Games

2. Rules, conditions, traditions of the Olympic Games in ancient times

3. Olympic Games program

4. Tradition of lighting the Olympic flame

5. The significance of the Olympic Games

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

All ancient Greek holidays and sports games are associated with the gods. The famous Olympic Games that Ancient Greece gave to the world were not the only ones in the era of antiquity. The origins of the first Olympiads are lost in antiquity, but in 776 BC. e. The name of the winner in the race was written on a marble plaque for the first time, so this year is considered to be the beginning of the historical period of the Olympic Games. The site of the Olympic festivities was the sacred grove of Altis in Olympia. The place was chosen very well. All buildings, both early and later - temples, treasuries, stadium, hippodrome - were erected in a flat valley framed by soft hills covered with dense greenery. Nature in Olympia seems to be imbued with the spirit of peace and prosperity that was established during the Olympic Games. In the Temple of Olympian Zeus there was a statue of the god created by the sculptor Phidias, which was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Thousands of spectators flocked to the sacred grove. In addition to the spectacle of athletic competitions, trade deals were concluded here, public performance poets and musicians, exhibitions of works by sculptors and artists. Here new laws and treaties were announced, and important documents were discussed. From the moment the holy month of games was announced, all warring parties ceased hostilities...

Purpose of the study: Historical analysis of the Olympic Games in the context of the development of ancient Greek civilization in the Hellenistic period.

1. History of Olympic Games

The origin of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece coincided with the time when history was made by myths and legends. From the works of ancient Greek historians, philosophers and poets that have come down to us, we learn that the Ancient Olympic Games are associated with the names of the folk hero Hercules, the legendary king Pelops, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus and the Hellenic king Iphitus.

The second ode of the ancient Greek poet Pindar says that the birth of the Olympic Games is associated with the name of Hercules. In 1253 BC. e. The Hellenic king Augeas ordered Hercules to clean the royal stables, which had not been cleaned for a year, in one day. Using his strength, Hercules changed the direction of the two rivers, passing them through the stables, so that the water helped him complete the work on time. When the king refused to fulfill his promise and give Hercules part of his horses, he killed the king and members of his family, organizing in honor of this a large competition dedicated to Zeus, which allegedly marked the beginning of the Olympic Games. (6)

Olympia was located in the Northwestern part of the Peloponnese, 20 km from Ionian Sea, 275 km from Athens and 127 km from Sparta. On the southern side it was washed by the Alpheus River, on the western side by the Kladey River, and on the northern side was Mount Kronos. In the east there was a lowland, flooded with the waters of Alpheus. The choice for the Olympic stadium near Mount Kronos is explained by the fact that the slopes served as a natural platform for spectators, which housed 40 thousand people and an arena of approximately 213x29 m. On the territory of Olympia there were: a hippodrome (730-336 m) where horse racing was held, gymnasium, a courtyard surrounded by a colonnade, with running tracks, areas for throwing, wrestling, various exercises, ball games, rooms for hygiene procedures, baths, etc.; living quarters for participants of the Olympic Games were adjacent to the gymnasium.(3)

It is known that only men from among free citizens took part in sports games, who were never brought to trial and never caught in dishonorable acts. Women were not allowed even as spectators on pain of death. They also had their own competitions - in running. Thanks to numerous texts and ceramic paintings, we now know what sports existed in Ancient Greece. Athletes competed only naked to demonstrate the beauty of their bodies.

This clearly demonstrated the physicality of ancient Greek culture. The cult of the body was so great that nudity did not evoke feelings of modesty. The rules prohibited killing an opponent, resorting to illegal techniques, and arguing with the judges. The winners were also awarded solemnly. The winners of the games (Olympians) were awarded wreaths made from wild plums that grew near the temple of Zeus. On the last day of the holiday, a solemn procession was held in honor of the winners, and the Olympian’s return to his hometown turned into an unworthy triumph. The whole city came out to meet him, the city authorities held a feast, and a statue of the winner was erected in the square: he became a national hero and was respected throughout his life.

The preservation of the tradition of organizing competitions for more than eleven centuries, despite wars, epidemics and other social upheavals, in itself speaks of the enormous social significance that the Games played in Ancient Greece.

The athletes of this period reflected, on the one hand, the strength and power of their native city, and on the other, the pan-Hellenic ideal of the comprehensive development and physical perfection of the individual. And it is deeply symbolic that for long and intense preparation, difficult trials in the competition, the winner at Olympia was awarded only a wreath of an olive branch. It was a symbol of selfless sports struggle. Honors and glory came to the winner as a sign of gratitude and love of his compatriots, that is, they were the result of public recognition. Initially, only residents of the Peloponnese took part in the Olympics. Then representatives of neighboring states - Corinth, Sparta, etc. - began to participate in them.

For human ambition, the Olympic Games provided a rewarding arena. All famous people and all those who thirsted for glory flocked here. After the Persian wars, Themistocles appeared in Olympia and during the ceremonies attracted the attention of the people. The philosophers Anaxagoras, Socrates, Aristippus and Diogenes also visited here; some of them taught the crowd with their moralizing sermons, others caused scandals with their cynical antics. Pythagoras and Plato were often present at the stage, who were keen on wrestling, especially since in their youth they themselves won victories in it. The orators Gorgias, Lysias, and Demosthenes often appeared here and gave the whole of Greece the opportunity to listen to examples of their art. The poets Pindar, Simonides and many others looked here for inspiration, and perhaps even clients.

Mixed with the great people were various charlatans, who evoked respectful amazement among the crowd of onlookers. The most original among such charlatans was, perhaps, Menecrates. (3)

2 . Rules, conditions, traditionstions of the Olympic Games in ancient times

Olympic celebrations took place every four years. It was the same moving holiday as, for example, Christian Easter. Its celebration took place from the 11th to the 15th day of Hieromenia, that is, the holy month, which began with the first new moon after the summer solstice. Thus, it fell at the end of June and the beginning of July of the new style.

Special ambassadors were sent from Olympia and went in groups to the distant shores of the Black Sea, to Egypt and the Spanish colonies, informing the Greeks about the day of festivities. At the same time, these ambassadors, who bore the name of Feori, proclaimed sacred peace.

Here are a few articles from this resolution:

1) All hostilities must cease in all countries as soon as hieromenia is declared.

2) For all peoples taking part in the festivities, the country where the sanctuary of Zeus is located must be inviolable.

3) Any foreign detachment entering the territory of Elis must lay down their arms.

4) Those who want to take possession of this territory or will not help the Eleans against the sacrilegious enemy, may they be struck by the curse of the gods.

5) A fine of 2 mines (about 75 rubles) per warrior will be imposed on all those who violate the truce.

6) In case of refusal to pay this fine, the perpetrators will be subject to excommunication.

7) Anyone who offends a traveler going to the Olympic festival will be subject to a curse and a fine.

Since the holiday gave rise to the organization of a large fair, along high road Along the walls of the fence, wooden barracks were lined, where all kinds of traders sat.

But the most serious attraction of the festivities were the religious ceremonies and games. Everyone donated according to their means. Rich people made up entire hecatombs. More modest pilgrims were content with sacrificing a ram, a kid, a few drops of wine, a few grains of incense. According to established rules, the Olympian gods entered into direct communication only with the citizens of Elis. The foreigners had to be represented by one of the Eleans. In addition, foreigners were subject to a special tax, but usually this obstacle did not stop even the poorest person. Therefore, pious people surrounded the altars from morning to evening, where libations of wine, incense and blood were poured out.(2)

The celebration took five days:

On the 1st day, the participants of the Games took an oath in front of the altar of Zeus to comply with all the rules of the competition, and sacrifices took place.

On the 2nd day, competitions were held in the boys group,

in the 3rd men's competition,

to the 4th cavalry district,

on the 5th day it ended with sacrifices and was dedicated to the solemn ceremony of presenting awards.

The name of the Olympian winner, the name of his father and fatherland were solemnly announced and carved on marble slabs exhibited in Olympia for public viewing. The Olympians were so famous that the year of the Olympiad was often named after the winner. Since the 7th Olympiad (752 BC), athletes have been awarded wreaths from the branches of the “olive tree of beautiful wreaths,” according to legend, planted by Hercules himself; from the 60th they were allowed to erect their statue in Altis. During the feast that followed the competition, solemn hymns-epics were sung in honor of the Olympians, composed by the famous poets Pindar, Simonides, Bacchylides and others. The ancient Greeks considered victory a sign of the deity’s favor, Zeus’s attention to the athlete and to the city where he came from. In their homeland, Olympians were exempt from all state duties and enjoyed places of honor in the theater and at all festivities; There are cases when Olympians were deified and revered as local heroes.

Judges and competition regulations. The leadership of all competitions belonged to the Hellanodics, or Hellenic judges. These were the officials of Elis, appointed for each Olympiad by lot from a limited class of citizens. There were ten of these judges. They began to perform their duties ten months before the start of the festivities. Going to Olympia, before entering the sacred enclosure, they performed ablution and slaughtered a pig as a sacrifice. In Bouleuteria they took the oath from the competitors, their families and teachers. The Hellanodics themselves swore to fulfill their duty before the altar of Zeus of Hercaean and tested athletes, children, horses and foals; they distributed them into categories, compiling a list of opponents for each competition.

Here are the main articles of the charter: 1) Slaves and barbarians are excluded from the games. 2) Also excluded: those who have been punished by court; all murderers, even those who committed a crime through negligence; people who are subject to sacrilege; all private individuals or citizens of those states who have not paid the fines imposed on them. 3) All participants in the competition must register in advance, within the time limits established by law, at the Elis gymnasium, perform a well-known test there and take the oath. 4) Those who fail to show up on time are not allowed to participate in the competition. 5) Married women are certainly forbidden to appear in Altis and at the competition sites during great festivities. 6) The teachers of the competitors during stage games are placed behind an adjacent fence and must remain completely naked there. 7) Under threat of loss of reward and imposition of a fine, it is prohibited to kill your opponent intentionally or through negligence in wrestling or in a fist fight. 8). It is prohibited to push your opponent or resort to any unfair techniques. 9) It is prohibited to intimidate your opponent and offer him a monetary reward so that he succumbs in the fight. 10) Punishment with rods threatens anyone who attempts to bribe judges. 11) It is prohibited to express public protest against the decisions of judges. 12) Any participant in the competition who is dissatisfied with the verdict of the Hellanodics may complain to the Olympic Council and seek the conviction of the guilty judges at his own peril and risk.

Any wrong action was punishable by a fine established by law and imposed by judges. Not only the competitor's family, but also his hometown were responsible for paying this fine.

Participants of the competition. Everyone who wanted to take part in the Games was included in special lists within a year of their opening. They swore an oath that they would prepare for the upcoming competition for at least ten months. With the exception of former Olympia winners and a few athletes who had worldwide fame. But most of the future participants in the competition spent the entire ten months intended for exercise in this gymnasium. They were housed in rooms adjacent to the gymnasium. The training took place in special schools, the stay in which was paid for by the participant himself. Then, 30 days before the opening of the Games, all potential participants arrived in Olympia for a centralized gathering; everyone had to pass a series of tests in the Elis gymnasium for 30 days; Athletes who arrived at the competition began training under the supervision of special judges (“hellanodiki”), who then dealt with the admission of athletes to the Games.

People from all over the Greek world took part in the competition. Despite the fact that in appearance the organization of the games was free, participation in the competitions was available only to citizens of the upper classes: only rich people had the opportunity to equip teams for the hippodrome, train horses for racing, and cover the costs associated with maintaining a large stable. The common people could not even take part in stage competitions due to the need for lengthy preparation, travel expenses and stay in Elis. Indeed, members of aristocratic families took part in the competitions at the hippodrome, and the competition on the stage took place between representatives of the bourgeoisie.

As the games approached, the athletes were transported to Olympia and settled in special rooms. Their entry into Bouleuterium took place with great pomp and in the presence of their fathers, brothers and teachers. Having entered there, the participants in the competition stretched out their hands to the altar of Zeus of Hercaean, where they indulged in burning the insides of a wild boar, and before the Hellanodics they took an oath to behave in accordance with the requirements of the charter. (5)

The first day opened with stage competitions. Long before dawn, all the pilgrims, distributed by nationality, crowded onto the slopes of the mountains. At sunrise, a trumpet sound was heard. The Hellanodics in red robes crossed the entire competition field and took their places opposite the start. Around them, in places of honor, sat officials and priests of Elis, public guests, representatives different states, all eminent foreigners. Nearby stood the throne of the only married woman, whose presence was allowed at this spectacle, namely the priestess Demeter-Hamina.(2)

3 . ProgramOlympic Games

The games took up most of the three days of the pilgrimage. 40 or 50 thousand people, who came from all over the world, experienced divine pleasure for an infinite number of hours, contemplating how people dealt fatal blows to each other with their fists, and horses competed in running speed. But what drew the Greeks to this spectacle was not the raw passion for the gambling of modern European horse racing. Aesthetic aspirations, the need to admire the two kings of nature - man and horse - in the flowering of their beauty and outburst of courage - this is what captivated the Hellenes. This pleasure was mingled with patriotic excitement. Each one addressed his eager prayers to the gods for the victory of his native city in these arenas where all the Greek peoples gathered. It goes without saying that the motivator of the competitors was, first of all, their personal pride. They sought to arouse admiration for their strength or luxury, but they were also pleased that with victory they would glorify their fatherland.

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. (1)

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).

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.

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.

Foot race.

But then the trumpets sounded again. A herald appears in the arena and loudly shouts: “Competitors in the race, come out!” One of the police commanders calls the athletes, and the herald introduces them to the crowd, telling them their name and place of birth, and asks if anyone disputes their dignity as a citizen and an honest man. One of the Hellanodics addresses the athletes and orders the unworthy to leave. Then the participants in the competition go to a special building located between the stage and the hippodrome, where they take off their clothes and rub themselves with oil. When they reappear naked, the urn of Zeus is brought into the arena, i.e. a silver vase containing wooden tablets with letters engraved on them. Each participant in the competition draws by lot one of the twenty places, which he will have to take. Alitarch selects these boards, checks them and takes the athlete to his place. A trumpet sounds and the four competitors begin to run.

All five groups of competitors, each consisting of four people, ran one after the other. The winners of this preliminary race would then compete. The judges pronounced their verdict, and the herald announced who was the final winner, the main Olympian, after whom the Olympiad was named.(4)

It was just a simple run. With a double run, it was necessary to start running from the place of the Hellanodics and return again to them. During the six-run, you had to run six times along the entire arena. Like running and different kinds The struggle became more and more difficult.

Running with weapons.

It was delayed towards the end of the games. This competition consisted of running a stage twice in military weapons. Initially, this run was carried out in full armor, that is, with a shield, spear, helmet and legguards, but little by little this burden was relieved, and in the 4th century they went out only with a shield. (4)

Struggle.

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;

In a simple fight they went out with their bare hands. The winner was the wrestler who knocked down his opponent three times in such a way that he touched the ground with his shoulder blades. The question of who the competitors had to fight with in the pair was decided by lot. Two letters A, two letters B, etc. were placed in the urn. Those who took out the same letter fought with each other; then, also by lot, the winners were paired together. They did this until there was only one winner left. These rules were followed both in fist fighting and in the so-called pankrat.

At the 23rd Olympic Games (688 BC), fist fighting was included in the competition program. When going out to fist fight, the wrestlers put a special bronze cap on their heads, and wrapped their fists with leather belts with metal bumps. It was fierce fight. When preparing to strike, the wrestler at the same time took precautions: he protected his head with raised hands, tried to ensure that the opponent was blinded by the sun; then with all his might he hit his opponent’s ribs, face and various members with his fist, as if clad in iron. Usually they came out of this struggle disfigured, crippled, bleeding; often it ended in death. The fight continued until one of the opponents admitted defeat.

Pankrat.

Pankrat was a combination of wrestling and fist fighting. The fighter had the right to strike, knock him to the ground and squeeze his opponent’s throat, but it was forbidden to use his teeth and put metal armlets on his hands. Often the opponent was deprived of the opportunity to act with a special technique in which fingers were twisted or broken.

Pentathlon.

Pentathlon included five different competitions: jumping, discus and dart throwing, simple running and wrestling. The last two tests have just been described. When competing in jumping, they entered a special embankment; To increase the jump, the competitors swung weights. Thanks to this, jumps reached enormous sizes - as they say, up to 50 feet.

Children's competitions were an exact repetition of adult competitions. However, for a long time, pentathlon was excluded from them, as the competition was too difficult for a young age.

Chariot race.

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);

The oldest competitions at the hippodrome were chariot races drawn by two or four horses. These competitions have always remained the most favorite in Greece.

It was necessary to go around the pole at the start twelve times. In a later era, teams of mules and chariots with a pair of horses, as well as with a pair or four foals, began to appear.

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.

The reward for victory went to the owners of the horse or chariot, and not to the riders or coachmen.

We do not know in what order these competitions took place. In ancient times, they all ended on the same day. As their program grew, they began to last three days. For the opening, children's exercises were arranged, and the adults' run was scheduled for the next morning. Afternoon - wrestling, fistfight and pankrat. Horse racing took place in the morning of the third day, and pentathlon and running with weapons took place in the afternoon. But exceptions have been made to this rule several times.

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 the 4th century, two more competitions were invented: heralds and trumpeters.

The games held at Olympia gave rise to Panhellenic Games which also included:

Games at Delphi (Pythian Games)

Games in Corinth (Ancient Greek Folk Festivals)

Games in Nemea (Nemean Games).

All four of the Panhellenic Games inherited the organization and principles of the Olympic Games and were never held within the same year.

In addition to the Panhellenic Games in Olympia, major competitions were held in Athens. They are known as Panathenaic Games.

These Games were part of the Great Panathenaia, the largest festival in Athens, held every four years in honor of the goddess Athena.

Throughout Greece and the colonies there were local competitions, some more famous than others. Each city attached great importance to their organization.(1)

Olympic.

After each competition, the name of the winner, his father and the name of his homeland were announced by the herald. The athlete or chariot owner approached the judges. The next Olympics was named after the athlete who won these competitions. The Olympians (winners of the Games) were crowned in the temple of Zeus with an olive branch cut with a golden knife in the sacred grove. The Olympic motto consists of three Latin words - Citius, Altius, Fortius. Literally it means “Faster, higher, braver.” However, the more common translation is “Faster, higher, stronger” (in English - Faster, higher, stronger) (5)

Then relatives, friends, compatriots, acquaintances and unfamiliar admirers greeted him, threw flowers at him and lifted him onto their shoulders. The awards were distributed on the last day of the holiday. Initially, precious things, tripods, and expensive materials served as rewards. Subsequently, simple wreaths of wild olive, decorated with ribbons, began to be distributed; These wreaths were made from the branches of an olive tree, planted, as they said, by Hercules himself. It grew near the temple of Zeus, where the ceremony of distributing awards took place. The Hellanodics laid wreaths on the heads of the victors in the presence of officials and Elis priests, as well as in front of representatives of all Greek countries. Then a procession took place. The Hellanodics moved ahead, then the new Olympians, accompanied by civil and spiritual authorities, public guests and deputies of various nationalities, as well as statues of the gods; they descended into Altis, where an enthusiastic crowd awaited them. They moved slowly in their bright clothes, with wreaths on their heads, with palm branches in their hands, to the sound of flutes and singing.

As the procession approached the altar of the 12 gods, the winners, surrounded by the assembled crowd, performed sacrifices and prayers of thanksgiving. Then the procession set off again. Now it moved to the prytaneum, where the citizens of Elis were preparing a great feast, to which all the privileged officials of Olympia, priests, proxenes and feors were invited. The crowd gathered at the door eagerly listened to the joyful cries that reached it. As soon as the names of the winners were entered into the list of Olympians in the gymnasium, the glory of the winners seemed to receive final recognition.

With this, the celebration officially ended, but usually it continued for several more days due to the generosity of the winners, who in turn invited their relatives, friends and compatriots to the feast. Alcibiades also invited all the pilgrims to his feast.

Beginning in the 6th century, the victors acquired the right to dedicate a statue to Altis. Initially, some figure of an imaginary person was most often erected for this purpose; but every athlete, crowned three times, could erect his own image.

Such portrait statues were usually commissioned from the best sculptors. The costs associated with this were borne by the winner himself, his family, teacher or hometown. “The most precious possession,” said one proverb, “is the golden statue at Olympia.”

The winner's return to his homeland was accompanied by the greatest celebrations. Surrounded by a large retinue of friends and curious people, he rode in a purple robe on a quadriga. A certain Exenetus from the city of Agrigentum made his entry accompanied by an infinite number of chariots, three hundred of them drawn by white horses. First, the procession headed to the temple of Zeus, to which the winner had to dedicate his wreath. Then, with the singing of a hymn and the sound of trumpets, it moved into the prytanium. A magnificent national feast was organized in honor of the new hero.

The anniversary of this event was celebrated over a long period of time. On this day, Olympionist appeared in the sanctuary of Zeus, put on his wreath again, walked with his relatives and friends throughout the city, visited temples and gave everyone the opportunity to admire him. The state granted him various privileges. Two statues were often erected in his honor - one in Olympia, and the other in the public square, in the temple or in the gymnasium of his native city. A painted portrait of him was exhibited under the porticoes. In memory of Olympic victories in many countries, and especially in Sicily, special coins were knocked out. In Athens, the winner was given a prize of 500 drachmas, in other places he received a lifelong pension, in Argos - a bronze shield, in Pellene - a woolen mantle. He, apparently, was destined in advance to perform public duties, in particular, to manage a gymnasium. He enjoyed a place of honor in the theater, as well as at festivals and during battles. Sometimes the state took it upon itself to build his tomb. The horses that won were ensured a well-fed existence and a happy old age. At burial they received honors in the form of a large burial mound with a pyramid on top.

At the time of the winner's return or on the anniversary of his victory, some great poet, for example, Pindar, Simonides, was commissioned to write a triumphal ode, performed like an opera, accompanied by music and dancing. In these odes, not only the hero himself was glorified, but also his parents, ancestors, his sovereign and fatherland, the deities and heroes of his country and Olympia.

The Olympian's pride knew no bounds. Thanks to his momentary success, he fell into the ranks of the first people of his era. He became an important person, sometimes acted as an intermediary between various states, and was sure that he would be mentioned in history. Legends were created around his name. They even went so far as to begin to give him divine honors; The deification of some of the Olympians began during their lifetime: Euthymius of Locris made libations and sacrifices to his own image. (3)

4 . TradOlympic flame lighting ceremony

olympic game competition tradition

The Olympic flame is one of the symbols of the Olympic Games. The tradition of lighting the Olympic flame existed in Ancient Greece during the ancient Olympic Games. It served as a reminder of the feat of the titan Prometheus, who, according to legend, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to people.

Prometheus showed compassion for people and stole fire from the workshop of the divine blacksmith Hephaestus, which he carried out secretly in a reed. Along with fire, he took the “wise skill” from Hephaestus and taught people to build houses, ships, cut stone, smelt and forge metal, write, and count.

As the myths say, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to chain Prometheus to the Caucasus rock, pierced his chest with a spear, and a huge eagle flew every morning to peck the titan’s liver, which grew again every day. Prometheus was saved by Hercules. Since fire had a divine meaning for the Greeks, it burned in many of the sanctuaries of Olympia. He was constantly on the altar of Hestia (goddess of the hearth). During the Olympics, glorifying Zeus, lights were also lit in the temples of Zeus and Hera.

In 776 BC, athletes began to compete at the ancient Olympic Games. Especially for their opening, the fire was lit and transported to the finish line. The process of delivering the Olympic flame meant maintaining the purity and strength of the natural elements in a continuous state. This was taken care of by 10 Athenian tribes (tribal associations), which allocated 40 trained young men for this process. Young people carried the torch from the altar of Prometheus straight to the Athenian altar. The distance was 2.5 kilometers.

History shows that in other cities of Hellas there was a cult of Prometheus, and in his honor Prometheus races were held - competitions of runners with burning torches.

The figure of this titan remains to this day one of the most striking images in Greek mythology. The expression “Promethean fire” means the desire for high goals in the fight against evil. Wasn’t that the same meaning that the ancients had when they lit the Olympic flame in the Altis Grove about three thousand years ago?

During the summer solstice, competitors and organizers, pilgrims and fans paid homage to the gods by lighting fire on the altars of Olympia. The winner of the running competition was given the honor of lighting the fire for the sacrifice. In the glow of this fire, rivalries between athletes, a competition of artists took place, and a peace agreement was concluded by envoys from cities and peoples.

That is why the tradition of lighting a fire and later delivering it to the competition site was resumed.

The modern ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame is performed in Olympia by eleven women portraying priestesses. The actress, dressed as a ceremonial priestess in ancient robes, lights the torch in the same way as was done at the Games of antiquity. It uses a parabolic mirror to focus the sun's rays onto one point thanks to its curved shape. The energy from the sun creates a large amount of heat, which ignites the fuel in the torch when the priestess brings it to the center of the mirror.

The fire is carried in a pot to the altar in the ancient Olympic Stadium, where it ignites the torch of the first runner of the relay.

In addition to the main torch, special lamps are also lit from the Olympic flame, designed to store the fire in case the main torch (or even the fire at the Games themselves) goes out for one reason or another.

The Olympic flame symbolizes purity, the attempt to improve and the struggle for victory, as well as peace and friendship.

(The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources)

5. The significance of the Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were the unifying center of the entire Hellenic world; the sacred ambassadors of the theory represented all Greek states at Olympia. The Olympic Games were especially revered by Greeks from distant places, whom they helped to maintain contact with the metropolis. Many Greek cities hosted games similar to the Olympic ones or built temples of Olympian Zeus (in Athens, Chalcedon, Akragant, Syracuse, etc.).

Artists and poets came to Olympia; since the 50th Olympiad, the custom of reading literary works and reciting poetry at the Olympic Games has been established. Herodotus, returning from the East, read chapters of his “History” here; Socrates conducted his conversations in Olympia, walking there from Athens; Plato, Empedocles, Sophocles, Isocrates, Demosthenes and others spoke with their works. During the Olympics, the Greek states announced the conclusion of important treaties, sealing them with oaths at the altars of the gods and notifying them all of Greece. The name, solemnly announced at the Olympic Games, became known throughout the Greek-speaking world. At the turn of the 4th-3rd centuries BC. e. the historian Timaeus of Sicily proposed calculating the years according to the Olympiads, four-year time periods, from one Olympiad to another.

By the 2nd century BC. e. The games are losing their luster, becoming more and more a local event. In 85 BC e. The Roman commander Sulla, who allowed his soldiers to devastate the treasuries of Olympia, moved the Games to Rome (175th Olympiad-80 BC), but after 4 years they resumed in Greece. The competition was restored with great pomp by the Roman Emperor Augustus. Germanicus received a wreath at the games, Tiberius in 4 BC. e. became the winner in the chariot race. In violation of all the age-old rules, Emperor Nero announced the games 2 years earlier than scheduled, ordered the destruction of the statues of all previous Olympians and introduced singing competitions, in which he became the first “winner.” After his murder, the games were declared void. In 394, the 293rd Olympic Games were banned as a pagan festival by decree of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I the Great.

In April 1896, on the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin, the First Olympics took place in Athens, marking the beginning of the modern Olympic movement.

Conclusion

Greek civilization is one of the most ancient in the world. She left an indelible mark on world history. It is still admired by philosophers, poets, mathematicians, sculptures, architects and, of course, athletes.

THE OLYMPIC GAMES OF ANCIENT GREECE are 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.

The ancient Olympic Games performed important cultural, pedagogical, economic, military and political functions. They contributed to the unification of the policies, the establishment of a sacred truce, the spiritual and physical training of youth and, ultimately, the prosperity of ancient Greek civilization.

The Olympic Games are now often used not so much for the sake of the ideals of peace and mutual understanding, but rather to satisfy national claims, personal ambitions, and commercial interests. The world is far from homogeneous.

And, nevertheless, the Olympic movement even today is a deterrent to conflicts between peoples.

Bibliography

1. Brabich V.M. Spectacle of the Ancient World.-1971.

2. Giro Paul. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LIFE OF THE GREEKS. Pilgrimage to Olympia. 1994

3. Giro Paul. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LIFE OF THE GREEKS. Olympic Games. 1994

4. Ryabkov. V.M. Anthology of forms of cultural and leisure activities. Ancient world. Ancient Greece.2006

5. Sokolov G.I. Olympia. - M., 2010.

6. Shanin Yu.P. Heroes of ancient stadiums. 1974

7. The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

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The Olympic Games are the oldest and most popular sporting events in Ancient Greece. For the first time (although, according to legend, this attempt is the third) they took place in 776 BC. e. and were part of a festival dedicated to Zeus. The Greeks considered the year of the first Olympics to be very important for themselves, and therefore the ancient Greek calendar began with it.

However, there is evidence of the emergence of the Olympics from another cult - sports games in honor of Pelops (first attempt). Here it is appropriate to take a small step towards Greek myths to remind readers of the history of this hero. Pelops was the son of the notorious Tantalus - the same one who is still experiencing torment in the kingdom of Hades. Pelops' childhood was marked by a terrible death and miraculous salvation - his father, blinded by permissiveness (he was the son of Zeus), decided to test the insight of the Olympian gods, invited them to a feast, one of the dishes at which was prepared from Pelops. Having comprehended the evil intent of Tantalus, the gods did not touch the terrible dish, only Demeter, grieving over the loss of her daughter Persephone, did not pay attention and ate the boy’s shoulder. However, Hermes revived the child with his charms, and Hephaestus made him a new shoulder from ivory. Tantalus was punished, and young Pelops received power in his hometown of Sipylus. But he did not have to rule for long - the powerful king of Troy went to war against him. The defeated Pelops was forced to leave his homeland (without forgetting his treasures). Accompanied by a detachment of fellow countrymen, he went to the south of Greece, where he settled on the peninsula that still bears his name - the Peloponnese. Having once seen the daughter of the king of the city of Pisa, Oenomaus, the beautiful Hippodamia, Pelops wished to marry her. But it must be said that this desire was not original, but the terrible prediction to Oenomaus about his death at the hands of his son-in-law was an obstacle to this event. Having no equal in all of Greece in the art of driving a chariot and owning the fastest horses in the world, Oenomaus offered applicants for the hand and heart of his daughter races across the entire Peloponnese - from Pisa to Corinth. The defeated groom paid for the loss with his life. But even this did not stop those interested - Hippodamia was so good. Oenomaus nailed the heads of the unfortunate victims of beauty to the gates of his palace. This cup would not have passed our hero, but... Having inherited pride, deceit and ingenuity from his father, Pelops made a knight's move - having promised the charioteer Oenomaus Myrtil mountains of gold, the son of Tantalus secured his promise not to insert checks into the axles of the chariot, which was supposed to delay King Pisa is on the road. The idea was a great success - at full speed the wheels came off their axles, the chariot overturned, and the proud Oenomaus died ingloriously in the dust of the route he had conquered more than once. The winner solemnly returned to Pisa, took Hippodamia as his wife, and at the same time sat on the throne of the father-in-law he had killed. Everything would be fine, but then Myrtil remembered who Pelops should be grateful to for the prize that he had so unexpectedly received, and demanded as much as half the kingdom (according to another version - the first wedding night with Hippodamia). Tantalus's greed and deceit awakened again in Pelops. History does not know by what kind of trick Pelops lured Myrtila onto a high rock, but the result of the meeting was sad - the newly-minted monarch pushed the charioteer into the sea. According to Greek tradition, Myrtilus managed to do the only thing he had time for during the fall, namely, to curse Pelops and all his offspring. In honor of his beloved, Pelops established these games, according to Pausanias, “more brilliant than anyone before him.”

Archaeologists have found confirmation of the connection between the cult of Pelops and the Olympic Games. At the so-called sacred site of Zeus in Olympia, the city where the games were held, they discovered the remains of a sanctuary of Pelops around the end of the 2nd millennium BC. e.

Greece owes its second attempt to resume the Olympic Games to Hercules. As we remember, the sixth labor of Hercules was the cleansing of the “Augean stables” - the barnyard of Augeas. (Oh, and Hercules’ employer, Eurystheus, had a fantasy.) Augeas was the son of Helios and the king of Elis. His wealth was innumerable, and especially his herds. Three hundred white-footed bulls, two hundred as red as purple, twelve as snow-white as swans, and one as shining as a star (funny, but there is not a word about horses in the legends). It is not surprising that the stables of the royal house were very neglected. And it was this garbage dump that Hercules offered to cleanse Augeas in just one day and a tenth of his herds. Augeas agreed to such a lucrative offer and, as it turned out, made a mistake. Hercules, without wasting time, directed the flows of two Elis rivers - Alpheus and Peneus - to the barnyard, and then simply restored the walls destroyed by water. Here we are again faced with downright pathological Greek greed - Augeas did not want to part with his favorite animals and kicked out Hercules. The latter turned out to be a very vindictive guy; a few years later he invaded Elis with a large army and killed his debtor. In honor of the victory, Hercules made traditional sacrifices to the gods, planted a grove of olives (later Olympians were crowned with wreaths from the branches of this particular grove) in honor of Pallas Athena and established the Olympic Games.

But these are all legends, and here is what history says about the third - most successful - attempt. The first Olympics were a very local event and did not attract too many participants or spectators - only residents of Elis and Sparta: the names of the winners of the first eleven Olympic Games belong to the natives of the Western Peloponnese. By the way, it is traditionally believed that the rules and procedure for the games were established by Lycurgus (ruler of Sparta, which exercised protectorate over Elis), Cleosthenes (ruler of Pisa) and Iphitus (ruler of Elis). The text of this treaty on the Olympic competitions was imprinted on a bronze disk, which was mentioned in the 4th century BC. e. reported by Aristotle and who in the 2nd century. BC e. Pausanias saw. In the very first Olympics there was only one competition - a short-distance race for young men of 1 stage (185 m). History has also preserved for us the name of the first Olympian winner (from the Greek Nike - goddess of victory) - it was the cook from Elis Koreb.

Since 660 BC. e. - that is, from the 30th games - all residents of mainland Greece were allowed to participate in the competition, and after 10 games (40 years) residents of the Greek colonies began to take part in the Olympics. The Olympic Games gained wide popularity, and the winners could count on a generous prize, honors and national fame. The Olympionist was “crowned” with a textbook olive wreath (the branches of which were cut with a golden knife by a boy, the son of free and living parents) and was awarded a palm branch. Plutarch wrote that the Athenian who won the Olympic Games received 500 drachmas as a reward, which was a very considerable amount. Also, sculptures were erected in honor of the winning athletes - sometimes in Olympia itself at the sanctuary of Zeus, sometimes in the hero’s homeland. However, according to Pliny, these sculptures were similar only to the three-time winners of the Olympics, while the rest could only be content with an idealistic image in their honor. The Motherland did not remain indebted to its heroes - they usually received a number of economic and political privileges, including exemption from all state duties, and in some cases were even deified. In addition to the listed awards, Olympians could count on free lunches at the city government until the end of their days, which, you see, is more pleasant and useful than a statue that also has no actual resemblance. Copper statues of Zeus (called zanami in the Doric dialect), dedicated to disgraced participants (for example, those convicted of fraud, bribery, etc.) of the games, were made with money received in the form of fines and placed on the sides of the road leading to the Olympic stadium. The Greeks were very fond of material reminders of events.

From the 15th Olympiad - 720 BC. e., Sparta, which had the character of a military-organized clan union, becomes the dominant state in terms of the number of winners. From the 15th to the 50th Olympiad (720-576 BC), the names of 71 winners were preserved, of which 36 were Spartans. For example, a certain Spartan Hyposthepus is known. For the first time he won the wrestling among youths, later moving to the “adult” category, and there he won over the course of five Olympics. In other words, he competed successfully in wrestling competitions for 24 years.

In Sparta, special attention was paid to the physical education of citizen-soldiers in order to consolidate their dominance over the conquered local residents with the help of weapons and military force. The Spartans were generally distinguished by very strict standards of behavior, as well as their strict observance. For example, admitting defeat was considered incompatible with the honor of a Spartan. In connection with this, the Spartans were forbidden to publicly compete in fist fighting and pankratium competitions, because according to the rules of these competitions, the participant had to either win or admit defeat. There is also a legend about an old man who was late for the start of the competition. Very unsuccessfully, he tried to find at least some place for himself among the spectators who showered him with ridicule and insults. These attempts led him to a group of Spartans sitting on the “tribunes” - the slopes of Kronos Hill. As one, the Spartans stood up, giving way to the old man. Touched, he said: “All Greeks know the rules of decency, but only the Spartans follow them!”

During the era of Greek colonization, the influence of Olympia gradually spread to Asia Minor and the adjacent islands. At the 23rd Olympics, Onomast from Smyrna won the fist fight, who also developed the rules for the competition of fist fighters. At the 46th Olympiad, the winner in the race was Polymnestor of Menestos, about whom they say that he overtook a hare in the pasture.

The hegemony of the Spartiates in the lists of winners ends by the 50th Olympiad. Among the Western Greek cities, Croton, founded in southern Italy, stands out. The famous Milo of Croton was a six-time Olympic wrestling champion (532-512 BC) and a six-time Pythian Games champion. Contemporaries compared him to Hercules and Achilles, his phenomenal strength became a legend. The audience roared with delight when he, carrying a live bull on his shoulders, appeared at the stadium. Having then killed the bull with one blow to the head, Milo ate it entirely during the day. Milon of Croton died very stupidly - having decided to once again test his strength, he got stuck in a split tree and was devoured alive by wolves. In total, in the period from 564 to 510. BC e. on the list of winners we find 13 Crotonians. There was even a proverb that the last of the Crotonians is equal to the first among the rest of the Greeks.

Pentathlon champion 444 BC. e. Ikk from Tarsus later became a coach and glorified his name (in addition to victories, of course) with the first manual on training athletes in the history of sports. Recommendations for a special diet, avoidance of excesses, and a ban on sexual relations immediately before competitions were very innovative for that time. Only here is a ten-time champion of the games between 328 and 292 BC. e. Herodorus of Megara probably did not read Ikk's recommendation. It is said that during his regular training he ate 15 pounds of bread and meat at a time and drank several gallons of diluted wine.

It is quite natural if readers have a question: where are these champions known by name? Sophist, mathematician and astronomer of the 5th century. BC e. Hippias published for the first time a list of the winners of the Olympic Games that had taken place over three centuries. Julius Africanus also lists the winners of the Olympic Games up to his time, that is, before 217 AD. e - the 249th Olympiad inclusive. Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea, bishop and historian, without mentioning this anywhere, rewrote Africanus' list in his Chronicle a century later.

The Olympics began to be numbered only 600 years after they began. In the 2nd century. BC e. the astronomer and geographer from Alexandria Eratosthenes developed an accurate chronological table in which he dated all political and cultural events known to him by the Olympics (that is, by the four-year periods between the games), relying on the list of Olympic winners he compiled. His nine-volume Chronographiai covered the period from the destruction of Troy (dated by the author to 1184/83 BC) to the death of Alexander (323 BC).

The highest flowering of the Olympic Games occurred in the 6th-4th centuries. BC e. - The Olympics are becoming a pan-Greek holiday, and Olympia is the center of the entire sports world. Among other things, the Greco-Persian wars of the first half of the 6th century. BC e. managed to unite (albeit briefly) the Greek cities that were warring among themselves, and the Olympics were the personification of this unity. Also, the system of physical education, popularized by the Olympic Games, bore fruit: the Greeks were clearly more successful in fights, the skills of running, fist fighting, and pankratiya were useful in battles.

The popularity and success of the Olympic Games led to the fact that by the beginning of the 6th century. Similar competitions began to be held in other parts of Greece. In 590 (or 582) BC. e. The Pythian Games were reorganized at Delphi in 573 BC. e. - Nemean Games in Argolis, in 572 BC. e. - Isthmian Games near Corinth. All these games were held every two or four years in such a way that there would be some kind of competition every year. An athlete who won all four games during one period received the title of periodonics. History has preserved the names of athletes who became periodonists even several times. The above-mentioned Milon of Croton takes first place among them - he was a periodonist six times. There are 46 periodonics on the list of Olympic winners.

During the same period, the title of “triast” appeared - a triple winner who won three competitions at once, held on the same day - in running, double running and running with weapons. The title of Triaste was twice won by the Rhodian Leonidas, who received 12 winner's wreaths at 4 Olympics in a row.

It is quite obvious that competitions that are so popular could not do without certain, specially developed rules and conditions for their conduct. Well, a long history certainly contributed to the birth of traditions.