The Olympian Festival

1481 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The history of olympic games essay

The Origin and Foundation

The Olympian games were founded in 776 BC. The Greek people used athletic victory as an outlet for their aggression. In a country filled with civil war this was a way to bind the nation together.

There are several myths about the establishment of the Olympic games:

Pelops & Hippodameia

King Oinomaos held a competition for suitors of his daughter, Hippodameia. In this contest, the young man was to challenge the king himself to a chariot race. The suitor, unarmed, had a head start. Then the king followed, carrying a spear. If the suitor won the race he also won Hippodameia's hand in marriage. If the suitor lost the race, it was because he lost his life. After twelve races, and twelve fatalities, Pelops challenges king Oinomaos. Before the race Pelops bribes the kings driver to replace a wooden pin on the chariot, with one made of wax. During the race Oinomaos' chariot falls apart, killing him. This leaves Pelops the winner of the race and Hippodameia. Pelops goes on to rule Elis and establish the first Olympic games.

Herakles as Founder

Herakles began the first games in honor of Zeus. While cleaning King Augeas' stables, Herakles diverted the Alpheios. The water from the river finished the job. King Augeas refused to pay Herakles for his work. Herakles came back to the with his army and defeated the king. In celebration, he started the Olympic games.

Zeus Vs Kronos

Rhea and Kronos are the parents of Zeus. When Zeus had grown older he challenged Kronos over the seat of heaven. Zeus and Kronos wrestled for supremacy. In honor of Zeus' victory, the other gods competed in games.

Preparations

One month before the Olympian festival, people from all over the Greek world came to the c...

... middle of paper ...

...is own statue into the Altis (sacred grove at Olympia). He also carried a full grown bull around the stadium then butchered it and ate it all in one day.

At the age of nine, Theagenes carried a bronze statue of a god home from school. This is how he first became famous for his strength. What followed was a list of victories in the Crown Games. At Olympia he won the pankration. Theagenes won three victories in the pyx at Delphi. Between the pyx and pankration he won nine victories at Nemea and ten victories at Isthmia. At Phthia he won the dolichos. In the end he achieved 1,400 victories. After death Theagenes' statue was worshipped for its healing powers.

Kyniska was the first woman to breed horses and the first woman to win an Olympic victory. Her horses won the chariot race.

Aristomache, also a female, won twice at epic poetry in at the Isthmian games.

Show More
Related

  • Apoxyomenos and the Role of Athletics in Ancient Greek Culture

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    Athletic events at this time were also closely related to the religious beliefs and practices of the Greek citizens. Each competition was devoted to a specific pagan god. For example, the patron of the Olympics was Zeus. The Greeks believed that the physical strength and ability of athletes was a direct gift from the gods (http://www.meiaconcerto.com/olympic/olympia/ideal_o.php, September 27, 2004). Therefore, each athlete competed not only in honor of his city-state, but also in honor of the gods.

    Read More

  • Olympic Games Dbq

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since 776 BCE, the Olympics have been a way for people of different cultures to come together and compete in friendly competition. In 1892 the first modern Olympics were held in Athens, although it had been over a thousand years since the last game it still had brought together an assortment of different religions and ethnic groups together. Many factors shaping the Olympic Games reflect the changes that have taken place in our world since the last game in 393 CE in Greece such changes include woman’s suffrage, global economy, world wars, and proving competency.

    Read More

  • Hubris And The Ancient Games

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Ancient Greece they formed the Greek Olympics in the year 776 B.C in which participants participate to honor the gods and demonstrate their physical abilities. What was amazing was that those who participated were only participating in honor and not prizes. Something that they would win was the olive wreath which was basically winning the honor and recognition of the people and the gods. Comparing to the ancient time and now is that there are now commercialized, endorsements, and sponsorships for athletes to represent companies in the Olympics. However, the Olympics still hold true to the idea that it is still a place for participants compete with the best in the world for the honor (gold,silver, and bronze medal). Also, if we look at the sculpture of the Diskobolos made by Myron of Eleutherae it represented the general athlete in motion and would symbolize the ancient times athlete. But something that is different about now and the Greek ...

    Read More

  • Power In Hesiod's Theogony

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gaia, one of the first Greek beings, gave birth to Ouranos by herself to “cover her all over, and to be an always safe home for the blessed gods.” (Theog. 127-8). She later married her son, Ouranos, and gave birth to Kronos. Ouranos hated all of his children from birth and banished them inside of Gaia so that they would never see the light (Theog. 157-8). Gaia, not happy with the way she and her children were being treated, used her cunning intelligence to create a plan that would destroy Ouranos. With the help of “crooked-minded Kronos” (Theog. 168), she was able to carry out her plan and have Ouranos castrated. By defeating his father, Kronos was able to rise to power. Later on in the Theogony, Kronos marries and has children with his sister, Rhea. Gaia and Ouranos strike fear in Kronos when they tell him that one of his children will succeed him (Theog. 460-5). Terrified that the prophecy will come true, Kronos turns away from the idea of family and swallows each of his children as they are born. The pattern continues over the course of five births, but Zeus, their sixth child, slips by. Rhea turns to her mother, Gaia, for advice when she is pregnant with Zeus. Gaia’s cunning plan is revealed when Hesiod writes, “Rhea wrapped a huge stone in a baby’s robe, and fed it to Sky’s wide-ruling son, lord of the earlier gods;” (Theog. 485-6). Rhea is able to trick Kronos and

    Read More

  • Ancient Greece´s View on Women

    1838 Words  | 4 Pages

    “It is universally accepted that 776 B.C. was the year the festival at Olympia, in honor of Zeus, became known as the Olympics, and the period of four years between celebrations became an Olympiad (Zimmerman 1984).” Yet the precise circumstances surrounding the creation of the ancient Olympics are still shrouded in mystery. Several myths encompassin...

    Read More

  • Kyniska of Sparta

    1295 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kyniska was born around 440 B.C.E in Sparta, an Ancient Greek city-state. She was the daughter and princess of a Eurpontid King, Archidamus II (“Genus Kyniska”, n.d., p.2). She was well known for one thing and one thing only, her Olympic victory. She won the 96th and 97th Olympic chariot race based off of official records (supportforstudents.msu.edu, n.d., p.1). She was also well known for a famous quote that was documented during one of her winning ceremonies.

    Read More

  • Post Olympics Economic Effects

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    The ancient Olympic Games originated in Greece in 776 BC and were started as a mark of respect to the Greek gods. But the ancient Olympic Games ceased in 393 AD, because the roman emperor Theodosius decreed that the ancient Olympic Games were a pagan cult. The modern Olympic Games started again in 1894 and continue to this day.

    Read More

  • The Panathenaic Festival

    1014 Words  | 3 Pages

    The festival attracted people from far and wide. It provided them with occasions for honoring the Gods with sacrifices and gifts, as well as being a time of relaxation, feasting, games, and prizes.

    Read More

  • Zeus And Odin

    1443 Words  | 3 Pages

    and Rhea, in fact the only son of these two to survive to adulthood. Zeus had

    Read More

  • Ancient Olympics

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...rces, but in the historic years their founder is said to be Oxylos whose descendant Ifitos later rejuvenated the games. According to tradition, the Olympic Games began in 776 B.C. when Ifitos made a treaty with Lycourgos the king and famous legislator of Sparta and Cleisthenes the king of Pissa (Coote p. 13). The text of the treaty was written on a disc and kept in the Heraion. In this treaty that was the decisive event for the development of the sanctuary as a Panhellenic centre, the "sacred truce" was agreed, that is to say the ceasing of fighting in the entire Greek world for as long as the Olympic Games were on. As a reward for the victors, the cotinus, which was a wreath made from a branch of wild olive tree that was growing next to the opisthodomus of the temple of Zeus in the sacred Altis, was established after an order of the Delphic oracle.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Sports In Panathenæa

    251 Words  | 1 Pages

    Other sports played in the Panathenæa games were a type of foot race where the competitor had to try to run with the armor they would usually trip and fall into each other, the winner of Panathenæa games would usually get crowded with wreaths of laurel leaves and were given pots filled with olive oil this made people want to participate in the games because they get honor no matter if they are poor or rich the people of Athens would recognize that person has a person with power and someone that is strong.

    Read More

  • Ancient Greek Sport Research Paper

    511 Words  | 2 Pages

    The origins of Greek sporting festivals may date to funeral games of the Mycenean period, between 1600 BCE and c. 1100 BCE.[17] In the Iliad there are extensive descriptions of funeral games held in honor of deceased warriors, such as those held for Patroclus by Achilles. Engaging in sport is described as the occupation of the noble and wealthy, who have no need to do manual labor themselves. In the Odyssey, king Odysseus of Ithaca proves his royal status to king Alkinoös of the Phaiakes by showing his proficiency in throwing the javelin. It was predictably in Greece that sports were first instituted formally, with the first Olympic Games recorded in 776 BCE in Olympia, where they were celebrated until 393 CE.

    Read More

  • How Did Ancient Greece Influenced Modern Sports

    502 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Olympic Games were started by the Greeks a long time ago. It was in the honor of Zeus, the kings of the gods and were part of a religious festivals. They started in 776 B.C. The games were held every four years in Olympia, which is located in southeast Greece. People came from all around Greece to take part or just watch the games. Events in the Ancient Olympic Games were boxing, chariot racing, riding, pentathlon, discus, javelin, jump, running, and wrestling. Events in modern Olympic Games are swimming, diving,

    Read More

  • What Is The Significance Of The Olympic Games Essay

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    How the Olympic Games arose was a very important part of Greek history. Though no one really knows how exactly these games began and how this whole competition came to be, there are clues to help us somewhat understand how these games and its history is used in today 's modern world. These games took part during the time Greece was facing its Dark Ages. It wasn’t until then that the Greeks learned once again how to read and write. This time though they used the Phoenicians alphabet, which is where our alphabet is derived from. Given that at this time they knew how to communicate is a

    Read More

  • The History Of The Olympic Games

    1381 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first Olympic games at Olympia were held in 776 BC. According to Hippias of Elis, who compiled a list of Olympic victors c.400 BC, the only event held at the first Olympics was the stadion footrace. Scholars have speculated that the games in 776 BC were not the first games, but rather the first games held after they were organized into festivals held every four years as a result of a peace agreement between the city-states Greece.

    Read More

More about The Olympian Festival

Open Document