Birth of the Olympic Games. Features of ancient Greek sports disciplines
Olympic Games from birth to decline. There are many legends about the origin of the Olympic Games. All of them are associated with the ancient Greek gods and heroes.
The most famous legend tells how the king of Elis, Ifit, seeing that his people were tired of endless wars, went to Delphi, where the priestess of Apollo conveyed to him the command of the gods: to arrange pan-Greek athletic festivals pleasing to them. After that, Iphitus, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus and the Athenian legislator and reformer Cliosthenes established the procedure for holding such games and entered into a sacred alliance. Olympia, where this festival was to be held, was declared a sacred place, and anyone who enters its borders armed is a criminal.
According to another myth, Zeus' son Heracles brought the sacred olive branch to Olympia and instituted the Games of Athletes to commemorate Zeus' victory over his ferocious father Cronus.
There is also a legend that Hercules, having organized the Olympic Games, perpetuated the memory of Pelops (Pelops), who won the chariot race of the cruel king Enomai. And the name Pelops was given to the Peloponnese region, where the "capital" of the ancient Olympic Games was located.
Religious ceremonies were an obligatory part of the ancient Olympic Games. According to the established custom, the first day of the Games was set aside for sacrifices: athletes spent this day at the altars and altars of their patron gods. A similar ceremony was repeated on the final day of the Olympic Games, when awards were presented to the winners.
At the time of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, wars stopped and a truce was concluded - ekecheria, and representatives of the warring policies held peace negotiations in Olympia in order to resolve conflicts. On the bronze disk of Ifit with the rules of the Olympic Games, which was stored in Olympia in the temple of Hera, the corresponding paragraph was recorded. “On the disk of Ifit is written the text of the truce that the Eleans declare for the time of the Olympic Games; it is not written in straight lines, but the words go around the disk in the form of a circle ”(Pausanias, Description of Hellas).
From the Olympic Games 776 BC. e. (most early games, the mention of which has come down to us - according to some experts, the Olympic Games began to be held more than 100 years earlier) the Greeks were counting a special "Olympic chronology", introduced by the historian Timaeus. The Olympic holiday was celebrated in the "holy month", beginning with the first full moon after the summer solstice. It was to be repeated every 1417 days that made up the Olympiad - the Greek "Olympic" year.
Starting as a competition of local importance, the Olympic Games eventually became an event of a pan-Greek scale. Many people came to the Games not only from Greece itself, but also from its colonial cities from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.
The games continued even when Hellas fell under the control of Rome (in the middle of the 2nd century BC), as a result of which one of the fundamental Olympic principles was violated, which allowed only Greek citizens to participate in the Olympic Games, and even some were among the winners Roman emperors (including Nero, who "won" chariot races drawn by ten horses). It affected the Olympic Games and began in the 4th century BC. e. the general decline of Greek culture: they gradually lost their former meaning and essence, turning from a sporting event and a significant social event into a purely entertainment event, in which mainly professional athletes participated.
And in 394 AD. e. The Olympic Games were banned - as a "remnant of paganism" - by the Roman emperor Theodosius I, who forcibly propagated Christianity. At the end of the 19th century
The Olympic Games were revived at the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin
The Olympic Games from inception to decline. There are many legends about the origin of the Olympic Games. All of them are associated with the ancient Greek gods and heroes. The most famous legend tells how the king of Elis, Ifit, seeing that his people were tired of endless wars, went to Delphi, where the priestess of Apollo conveyed to him the command of the gods: to arrange pan-Greek athletic festivals pleasing to them. After that, Iphitus, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus and the Athenian legislator and reformer Cliosthenes established the procedure for holding such games and entered into a sacred alliance. Olympia, where this festival was to be held, was declared a sacred place, and anyone who enters its borders armed is a criminal. According to another myth, Zeus' son Heracles brought the sacred olive branch to Olympia and instituted the Games of Athletes to commemorate Zeus' victory over his ferocious father Cronus. There is also a legend that Hercules, having organized the Olympic Games, perpetuated the memory of Pelops (Pelops), who won the chariot race of the cruel king Enomai. And the name Pelops was given to the Peloponnese region, where the "capital" of the ancient Olympic Games was located. Religious ceremonies were an obligatory part of the ancient Olympic Games. According to the established custom, the first day of the Games was set aside for sacrifices: athletes spent this day at the altars and altars of their patron gods. A similar ceremony was repeated on the final day of the Olympic Games, when awards were presented to the winners. At the time of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, wars stopped and a truce was concluded - ekecheria, and representatives of the warring policies held peace negotiations in Olympia in order to resolve conflicts. On the bronze disk of Ifit with the rules of the Olympic Games, which was stored in Olympia in the temple of Hera, the corresponding paragraph was recorded. “On the disk of Ifit is written the text of the truce that the Eleans declare for the time of the Olympic Games; it is not written in straight lines, but the words go around the disk in the form of a circle ”(Pausanias, Description of Hellas). From the Olympic Games 776 BC. e. (the earliest Games that have come down to us - according to some experts, the Olympic Games began to be held more than 100 years earlier) the Greeks were counting a special "Olympic chronology", introduced by the historian Timaeus. The Olympic holiday was celebrated in the "holy month", beginning with the first full moon after the summer solstice. It was to be repeated every 1417 days that made up the Olympiad - the Greek "Olympic" year. Starting as a competition of local importance, the Olympic Games eventually became an event of a pan-Greek scale. Many people came to the Games not only from Greece itself, but also from its colonial cities from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. The games continued even when Hellas fell under the control of Rome (in the middle of the 2nd century BC), as a result of which one of the fundamental Olympic principles was violated, which allowed only Greek citizens to participate in the Olympic Games, and even some were among the winners Roman emperors (including Nero, who "won" chariot races drawn by ten horses). It affected the Olympic Games and began in the 4th century BC. e. the general decline of Greek culture: they gradually lost their former meaning and essence, turning from a sporting event and a significant social event into a purely entertainment event, in which mainly professional athletes participated. And in 394 AD. e. The Olympic Games were banned - as a "remnant of paganism" - by the Roman emperor Theodosius I, who forcibly propagated Christianity. At the end of the 19th century The Olympic Games were revived at the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin.
Heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names are not forgotten to this day, occupied a special place in mythology, fine arts and life of the ancient Greek people. They were role models and ideals of physical beauty. Legends and poems were composed about these brave men, statues were created in honor of the heroes and called them by the names of the constellation.
Legends and myths of Ancient Greece: heroes of Hellas, gods and monsters
The mythology of ancient Greek society is divided into three parts:
1. Pre-Olympic period - legends about titans and giants. At that time, man felt defenseless against the formidable forces of nature, about which he still knew very little. Therefore, the surrounding world seemed to him a chaos, in which there are terrifying uncontrollable forces and entities - titans, giants and monsters. They were generated by the earth as the main acting force of nature.
At this time, Cerberus, a chimera, the serpent Typhon, hundred-armed hecatoncheir giants, the goddess of vengeance Erinia, appearing in the guise of terrible old women, and many others appear.
2. Gradually, a pantheon of deities of a different nature began to develop. Abstract monsters began to resist humanoid higher powers - the Olympic gods. This is a new, third generation of deities who entered the battle against the titans and giants and defeated them. Not all opponents were imprisoned in a terrible dungeon - Tartarus. Many were among the new Oceans, Mnemosyne, Themis, Atlas, Helios, Prometheus, Selena, Eos. Traditionally, there were 12 main deities, but over the centuries their composition has been constantly replenished.
3. With the development of ancient Greek society and the rise of economic forces, man's faith in own forces. This bold view of the world gave rise to a new representative of mythology - the hero. He is the conqueror of monsters and at the same time the founder of states. At this time, great feats are performed and victories are won over ancient entities. Typhon is killed by Apollo, the hero of ancient Hellas Cadmus founds the famous Thebes on the habitat of the dragon he killed, Bellerophon destroys the chimera.
Historical sources of Greek myths
We can judge the exploits of heroes and gods from a few written testimonies. The largest of them are the poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey" by the great Homer, "Metamorphoses" by Ovid (they formed the basis of the famous book by N. Kuhn "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece"), as well as the works of Hesiod.
Around the 5th century BC. there are collectors of legends about the gods and the great defenders of Greece. The heroes of Ancient Hellas, whose names we now know, were not forgotten thanks to their painstaking work. These are the historians and philosophers Apollodorus of Athens, Heraclid of Pontus, Palefatus and many others.
Origin of Heroes
First, let's find out who it is - the hero of Ancient Hellas. The Greeks themselves have several interpretations. This is usually a descendant of some deity and a mortal woman. Hesiod, for example, called demigods the heroes whose ancestor was Zeus.
It takes more than one generation to create a truly invincible warrior and protector. Hercules is the thirtieth in the family of the descendants of the main one, and all the power of the previous heroes of his family was concentrated in him.
In Homer, this is a strong and courageous warrior or a person of noble birth, who has famous ancestors.
Modern etymologists also interpret the meaning of the word in question in different ways, highlighting the general - the function of the protector.
Heroes of Ancient Hellas often have a similar biography. Many of them did not know the name of their father, were brought up either by one mother, or were adopted children. All of them, in the end, went to accomplish feats.
Heroes are called upon to fulfill the will of the Olympic gods and bestow patronage on people. They bring order and justice to the earth. They also have a contradiction. On the one hand, they are endowed with superhuman strength, but on the other hand, they are deprived of immortality. The gods themselves sometimes try to correct this injustice. Thetis kills the son of Achilles, seeking to make him immortal. The goddess Demeter, in gratitude to the Athenian king, puts his son Demophon into the fire in order to burn out everything mortal in him. Usually these attempts end in failure due to the intervention of parents who fear for the lives of their children.
The fate of the hero is usually tragic. Not being able to live forever, he tries to immortalize himself in the memory of people with exploits. Often he is persecuted by malevolent gods. Hercules tries to destroy Hera, Odysseus is pursued by the wrath of Poseidon.
Heroes of Ancient Hellas: a list of names and exploits
The first protector of people was the titan Prometheus. He is conditionally called a hero, since he is not a man or a demigod, but a real deity. According to Hesiod, it was he who created the first people, molding them from clay or earth, and patronized them, protecting them from the arbitrariness of other gods.
Bellerophon is one of the first heroes of the older generation. As a gift from the Olympian gods, he received the wonderful winged horse Pegasus, with the help of which he defeated the terrible fire-breathing chimera.
Theseus is a hero who lived before the great Trojan War. Its origin is unusual. He is a descendant of many gods, and even the wise half-snakes, half-humans were his ancestors. The hero has two fathers at once - King Aegeus and Poseidon. Before his greatest feat - the victory over the monstrous Minotaur - he managed to do many good deeds: he destroyed the robbers who lay in wait for travelers on the Athenian road, he killed the monster - the Krommion pig. Also, Theseus, along with Hercules, participated in the campaign against the Amazons.
Achilles is the greatest hero of Hellas, the son of King Peleus and the goddess of the sea, Thetis. Wishing to make her son invulnerable, she put him in the oven of Hephaestus (according to other versions, in or boiling water). He was destined to die in the Trojan War, but before that, to accomplish many feats on the battlefield. His mother tried to hide him from the ruler Lykomed, dressing him up in women's clothing and passing him off as one of the royal daughters. But the cunning Odysseus, sent to search for Achilles, was able to expose him. The hero was forced to accept his fate and went to the Trojan War. On it, he accomplished many feats. The mere appearance of him on the battlefield turned the enemies to flight. Achilles was killed by Paris with an arrow from a bow, which was directed by the god Apollo. She got into the only vulnerable spot on the body of the hero - the heel. honored Achilles. Temples were built in his honor in Sparta and Elis.
The life stories of some heroes are so interesting and tragic that they should be told separately.
Perseus
Heroes of Ancient Hellas, their exploits and life stories are known to many. One of the most popular representatives of the great defenders of antiquity is Perseus. He performed several feats that glorified his name forever: he cut off his head and saved the beautiful Andromeda from the sea monster.
To do this, he had to get the helmet of Ares, which makes anyone invisible, and the sandals of Hermes, which make it possible to fly. Athena, the patroness of the hero, gave him a sword and a magic bag in which to hide a severed head, because the sight of even a dead Gorgon turned any living creature into stone. After the death of Perseus and his wife Andromeda, they were both placed by the gods in the sky and turned into constellations.
Odysseus
The heroes of ancient Hellas were not only unusually strong and courageous. Many of them were wise. The most cunning of them all was Odysseus. More than once his sharp mind rescued the hero and his companions. Homer dedicated his famous "Odyssey" to the long-term journey of the king of Ithaca home.
The Greatest of the Greeks
The hero of Hellas (Ancient Greece), the myths about which are most famous, is Hercules. and a descendant of Perseus, he accomplished many feats and became famous for centuries. All his life he was haunted by the hatred of Hera. Under the influence of the madness sent by her, he killed his children and two sons of his brother Iphicles.
The hero's death came prematurely. Putting on a poisoned cloak sent by his wife Dejanira, who thought it was soaked in a love potion, Hercules realized that he was dying. He ordered a funeral pyre to be prepared and went up on it. At the time of death, the son of Zeus - main character Greek myths - was ascended to Olympus, where he became one of the gods.
Ancient Greek Demigods and Characters of Myths in Modern Art
The heroes of Ancient Hellas, the pictures of which can be seen in the article, have always been considered examples of physical strength and health. There is not a single art form in which the plots of Greek mythology were not used. And today they do not lose popularity. Of great interest to the audience were such films as Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans, the main character of which is Perseus. Odyssey is dedicated to a magnificent film of the same name (directed by Andrey Konchalovsky). "Troy" told about the exploits and death of Achilles.
A huge number of films, series and cartoons have been shot about the great Hercules.
Conclusion
The heroes of Ancient Hellas are still a wonderful example of masculinity, self-sacrifice and devotion. Not all of them are perfect, and many of them have negative traits - vanity, pride, lust for power. But they always rose to the defense of Greece if the country or its people were in danger.
Slide 1. "Ancient Greece - the birthplace of the Olympics."
Mountains and water, this is what surrounded the ancient Greek. Existence in such conditions requires from a person endurance, courage and quick response to changing conditions. The physical training of the male population ensured the strength and security of the policy itself, since it guaranteed good training and endurance of the members of the military militia. Perhaps that is why the Greeks were one of the first nations to have exercise and sports as part of their daily lives. And another important discovery was made by the Greeks: sport can reconcile enemies. It is with this noble goal that the Olympic Games were conceived.
Slide 2. Why the Olympic Games? Olympus or Olympia.
The Olympic holiday got its name from the area in which it took place. The center of the Olympic world of antiquity was the sacred district of Zeus in Olympia - a grove along the Alpheus River, not far from the Kladei stream that flows into it. Subsequently, near the sacred Olympia, the town of the same name grew up. In this beautiful town, almost three hundred times traditional all-Greek competitions were held in honor of the thunder god Zeus. (Additional information Appendix No. 1 Olympia - the cradle of sports.)
Slide 3. "Who invented the Olympic Games?"
Some modern researchers argue that the Olympic Games were held in honor of the harvest festival. Therefore, the winners were awarded with a wreath. The time of the Games - August-September, as it were, confirms this version. But ... There are many myths about the origin of the Olympic Games. Gods, mythical heroes, kings and rulers are considered their most honorable ancestors.
Ancient Greek legends associate the emergence of games with the names of the mythical heroes Hercules and Pelops. Later legends point to the conclusion between Ifit and Lycurgus - the rulers of the Greek states of Elis and Sparta - an agreement on the regular holding of pan-Greek friendship holidays in Olympia.
Slide 4. "Version I. Hercules."
According to mythology, the founder of the Games was the greatest hero of antiquity, Hercules, who established the competition of athletes after successfully clearing the stables of the Elidian king Avgii from a 30-year layer of manure. (Additional information Appendix No. 1 VI feat of Hercules).
Slide 5. “Version II. Pelops."
According to another legend, Pelops was considered the founder of the Games. He won the chariot race of the cruel king of the city of Pisa Enomai: he won the hand and heart of his beautiful daughter Hippodamia and, to celebrate, established sports competitions. (Additional information Appendix No. 1 The myth of the competition between Pelops and Oenomai).
Slide 6. Version III. Elis + Sparta.
If moving from fairy world into a real one, then the agreement between the Elidian king Ifit and the famous Spartan legislator Lycurgus is known, who at the end of the 9th century BC. e. agreed to establish the Olympic Games. (Additional information Appendix No. 1 Agreement between King Ifit and legislator Lycurgus.)
Slide 7. "Olympia is the venue for the Olympic Games."
“Good news! All to Olympia! The sacred world is declared, the roads are safe! May the strongest win!" These words were carried by thousands of messengers to all the cities of Ancient Greece in the year of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games became a nationwide event that united the whole of Greece, while before them Greece was a lot of states at war with each other.
Slide 8. "Historical fact".
Whatever the myths say, we have to trust the historians who claim that the Olympic Games originated in 776 BC. in Ancient Greece. (Please remember this year, this knowledge will be useful to us later).
Slide 9. "Olympics = 4 years."
From the Olympic Games 776 BC the Greeks were counting a special "Olympic chronology" introduced by the historian Timaeus. The Olympic holiday was celebrated "between the harvest and the grape harvest." It was to be repeated every four years that made up the Olympiad - the Greek "Olympic" year. Therefore, the Olympics is a period of four consecutive calendar years. The name of the Olympionist was called the four-year period between the year of his victory and the subsequent Olympic holiday.
Thus a custom was established in Greece, according to which, once every four years, the Greeks put their weapons aside and went to Olympia to admire the harmoniously developed athletes and praise the gods.
Slide 10. “Everyone is visiting us!”
Most of the states of Hellas sent sacred ambassadors to participate in these holidays. The mass of the public gathered not only out of curiosity and thirst for spectacles, but also for commercial purposes, since here, thanks to the confluence of people, there was a very lively trade in all kinds of goods. Orators, poets and philosophers came here to publicly read their works. Artists paraded their works, states promulgated and exhibited to the public treaties and other important letters. In a word, the Olympic Games served as a very important unifying event for the Hellenes, forcing them to forget, at least for a while, all the strife from which the Hellenes suffered.
Slide 11. "5 days."
The first games were held at the end of June and lasted only one day. Over time, the Olympics went on for five days. Participants arrived a month before the opening of the holiday and began training under the supervision of judges, who allowed only the strongest to compete. The sacrifice to Zeus was made on the first day of the holiday. From the second day, competitions began, first for boys, and then for adults. The 5th day ended with sacrifices and was dedicated to the solemn awards ceremony.
Slide 12. "Appearance."
Competitors at first had a belt around their hips, but since the 15th Olympiad it has become customary to compete naked. The naked body was not considered something shameful - on the contrary, it showed how hard the athlete trained. It was shameful to have an unsportsmanlike, untrained body.
The word "gymnastics" comes from the ancient Greek "gymos", meaning "naked".
Slide 13. "The chef is the first champion."
The first, known by name, Olympic champion was the cook Koreb or Koroib from the ancient Greek city of Elis. It is not known what kind of culinary specialist he was, but he ran great, which he proved at the stadium of the holy city of Olympia in 776 BC. e.
It was "the first year of the first Olympiad", from which the reckoning began ancient world, and which forever became the year of the name of the first Olympionist - the winner, who was ahead of everyone at the 192-meter distance.
Slide 14. "Olympic Zeus".
The Olympic Games, held for 300 years in honor of the god Zeus, were very popular among the people. Despite this, there was no main temple of Zeus in Greece, and only in 470 BC. began to collect donations for its construction. The construction of the temple took about 10 years. The Greeks decided to invite the famous Athenian sculptor Phidias to create a statue of Zeus.
The twelve-meter statue of Zeus was made in gold and ivory - and became one of the seven wonders of the world. It is not surprising that the temple, which contained such a treasure, was a source of glory and pride for all the Hellenes, and that one who did not see the Olympian god was considered unfortunate! (Additional information Appendix No. 1 Statue of Olympian Zeus).
Slide 15. "Olympic competitions".
The only competition for several Olympics was stage running. In the 14th Olympiad (724 BC), a double run was introduced, and in the 15th Olympiad, a long run. , in the 23rd (688) - fisticuffs and from the 33rd Olympiad (648) - pankration. In the 65th Olympiad (520), running in armor was introduced (in a helmet and with a shield on the hand, later only with a shield). (Additional information Appendix No. 1 Program of the Olympic competitions.)
Slide 16. "Instead of medals - an olive branch."
According to tradition, the winner of the games in Olympia was proclaimed immediately after the end of the competition in the stadium or hippodrome. The award ceremony was held on the last day of the Olympic celebration. The herald loudly announced the name of the winner, the name of his father and the name of the city where he came from. Ancient champion athletes were awarded: olive wreaths, olive oil in amphorae.
Each champion became a national hero throughout Greece. In their homeland, olympionists were exempted from all state duties and enjoyed places of honor in the theater and at all festivities. All his life he was the center of attention and enjoyed the invariable respect of his compatriots.
Slide 17. "The Olympic Games are a men's holiday."
Only men had the right to speak at the Games and watch the competitions. Only one woman could be present among the audience - the priestess of the goddess of fertility Demeter. If a woman was found in the stadium, she was legally to be thrown into the abyss.
The right to participate in the Olympics was the privilege of every free Greek. Foreigners and slaves were not allowed to compete, but they were allowed to be present at the stadium as spectators (additional information).
Slides 18-19. "Ancient Olympic Games contributed to:"
The Olympic Games were the unifying center of the entire Hellenic world. The Olympic Games were especially revered by the Greeks from distant places, whom they helped to maintain contact with the metropolis. The Greek states during the Olympic holidays announced the conclusion of important treaties. For the period of the Games, all countries stopped wars, harmony reigned on earth.
The struggle for the title of the best was fought by worthy people and only in a fair fight. Through personal achievements, they achieved the prosperity of their country. And until now, the more strong, smart, successful, able to realize themselves, young people in the country, the stronger, more majestic and powerful the state becomes.
Slide 20. "Olympia has hosted the Greek Olympic Games for over 11 centuries."
- For more than 11 centuries, the Greek Olympic Games have been held in Olympia. In 394, the Olympic Games, 293 in a row, were banned as a pagan festival by a decree of the Roman emperor Theodosius I the Great.
- Now Olympia is a typical provincial town, living on income from tourism. Everything is absolutely Olympic in it: the names of streets and hotels, dishes in taverns, souvenirs in numerous shops. The sights of the city are the archaeological and Olympic museums.
At the end of the 19th century, the Olympic Games were revived on the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937) (French teacher, organizer of the Olympic movement, ideologist of the modern Olympic Games) and became the most popular international sports festival of our time.
Annex 1. Myths and legends associated with the emergence of the Olympic Games.
VI feat of Hercules.
Perhaps the most popular in antiquity was the legend that Pindar mentions in his songs in honor of the winners of the Olympic Games. According to this legend, the Games were founded by Hercules after completing his sixth feat - cleansing the barnyard of Avgius, king of Elis. Augeas possessed incalculable riches. His herds were especially numerous. Heracles suggested that Augeas cleanse his entire vast courtyard in one day if he agreed to give him a tenth of his herds. Augeas agreed, believing that it was simply impossible to complete such work in one day. Hercules broke the wall that surrounded the barnyard from two opposite sides, and diverted the water of the Alpheus River into it. Water in one day carried away all the manure from the barnyard, and Hercules again laid down the walls. When Hercules came to Avgiy to demand a reward, the king did not give him anything, and even kicked him out.
Hercules took revenge on the king of Elis. With a large army, he invaded Elis, defeated Augeas in a bloody battle and killed him with a deadly arrow. After the victory, Hercules made sacrifices to the Olympic gods and established the Olympic Games, which have been held since then every four years on the sacred plain, planted by Hercules himself with olives dedicated to the goddess Pallas Athena.
The myth of the contest between Pelops and Oenomaus.
One of the oldest is the legend of Pelops, which is mentioned by the ancient Roman poet Ovid in his Metamorphoses and the ancient Greek poet Pindar. Pelops, the son of Tantalus, is told in this legend, after the king of Troy, Il, conquered his hometown of Sipil, left his homeland, and went to the shores of Greece. Once Pelops saw the beautiful Hypodamia, the daughter of Enomai. Pelops fell in love with the beautiful daughter of Enomai and decided to ask the king for her hand.
But it turned out to be not so easy. The fact is that the oracle predicted Enomai's death at the hands of his daughter's husband. To prevent such a fate, Enomai decided not to marry his daughter at all. But how to do that? How to refuse all applicants for the hand of Hypodamia? Many worthy suitors wooed the beautiful princess. Enomai could not refuse everyone for no reason and came up with a cruel condition: he would give Hypodamia as a wife only to the one who defeated him in a chariot race, but if he turned out to be the winner, then the vanquished must pay with his life. Enomai had no equal in the whole of Greece in the art of driving a chariot, and his horses were faster than the wind.
One after another, young people came to the palace of Enomai, who were not afraid to lose their lives, if only to get the beautiful Hypodamia as a wife. And Enomai killed all of them, and so that it would be discourteous for others to come to woo, he nailed the heads of the dead to the doors of the palace. But this did not stop Pelops. He decided to outsmart the cruel ruler of Pisa. Pelops secretly agreed with the charioteer of Oenomaus Myrtilus that he would not insert a pin holding the wheel on the axle.
Before the start of the competition, Enomai, confident, as always, in success, suggested that Pelops start the race alone. The groom's chariot takes off, and Enomai slowly sacrifices to the great Thunderer Zeus, and only after that he rushes after him.
The chariot of Oenomaus has already reached Pelops, the son of Tantalus already feels the hot breath of the horses of King Pisa, he turns around and sees how the king swings his spear with a triumphant laugh. But at that moment, the wheels from the axles of the chariot of Oenomaus jump off, the chariot overturns, and the cruel king falls dead to the ground.
Pelops returned triumphantly to Pisa, took the beautiful Hippodamia as his wife, took possession of the whole kingdom of Enomai, and in honor of his victory held a sports festival in Olympia, which he decided to repeat every four years.
Treaty between the Elidian king Ifit and the famous Spartan legislator Lycurgus.
A legend has a certain historical authenticity, according to which the ruler of Elis, Ifit, tired of constant civil strife and strife, turned to the Delphic oracle with the question of how to stop them. And I got the answer: to resume the forgotten Olympic Games. Ifit proposed to the king of warlike Sparta, Lycurgus, to establish competitions during which a sacred truce would be established - ekeyheria. Under the terms of the concluded agreement, a large fine was imposed for violating the truce and, what was even worse, the perpetrators were deprived of the right to participate in the Olympic Games.
The reality of this fact is confirmed by the ancient Greek historian Pausanias, who wrote that back in the 2nd century. AD a copper disc, on which the truce was inscribed, concluded between Ifit and Lycurgus, was kept in one of the temples of Olympia.
The details of this legend are interesting: according to the assumptions of scientists, Ifit and Lycurgus lived around the 9th century. BC, i.e., earlier than the official dates for the establishment of the Olympic Games. But they just resumed the games. So, competitions in Olympia were held before? It must be assumed that long before the Olympic Games, ritual competitions were held in the Alfea Valley in honor of the initiation of young men into warriors. But they were local. Ifit and Lycurgus gave them national importance. History needs a reliable starting point. Such a point was the first monument erected in Olympia to the winner of the competition. Therefore, 776 BC, when Koreb from Elis outstripped all rivals in the race by one stage, is officially considered the year the Olympic Games began.
Olympia is the cradle of sports.
Olympia was located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese, 20 km from the Ionian Sea, 275 km from Athens and 127 km from Sparta. On the south side, it was washed by the river Alpheus, on the west - by the river Kladei, and on the north was Mount Kronos. In the east, a lowland stretched, flooded with the waters of Alpheus during the flood. 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.
On the territory of Olympia there were: a hippodrome (730-336 m) where horse races were held; an Olympic stadium with seats for 50 thousand spectators and an arena of approximately 213x29 m; a gymnasium, a courtyard surrounded by a colonnade, with paths for running, platforms for throwing, wrestling, for various exercises, ball games, rooms for hygiene procedures, baths, etc .; living quarters for the participants of the Olympic Games adjoined the gymnasium.
Mount Kronos, the mound of Pelops, the altars of Zeus and Gaia, Hercules and Hippodamia were considered holy places. Then, there were temples of Zeus, Hera. In honor of the Games in Olympia, many beautiful statues, altars, and temples were built. The most famous temple was Olympium, which contained a large statue of Zeus, over 12 m high, made of ivory and gold.
Olympic competition program.
The oldest competition, at least in Olympia, was running at the stage, but gradually, starting from the 7th century. BC, various other types of competitions were added, the diversity of which was the result of a more strict division of the competitors by age (into children, beardless, husbands, etc.), the introduction of various changes and combinations in the competitions themselves, assumptions different types chariot races, etc. Then, in addition to gymnastic and equestrian competitions, musical, poetic, etc. were introduced, so that this part of the holiday gained more and more development and brilliance, and began to attract participants and spectators, not only from Hellas, but also from Asia Minor, Sicilian and South Italian colonies.
Statue of Olympian Zeus.
The main shrine of Olympia is a majestic temple with a statue of the Supreme God Zeus, which was created by one of the brilliant sculptors of Greece - Phidias. This statue was rightfully considered one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. Inside the temple was a colonnade that supported a gallery from which one could look at the colossal statue of Zeus, the magnificent creation of the famous Phidias. God was presented in the majestic and powerful form in which he is depicted in the Iliad (I, 528 f.). He sat on a throne of cedar wood, lined with ebony, and richly adorned with gold, ivory, and precious stones. His face and bare arms, legs and chest were of ivory, hair and beard of pure gold, eyes of precious stones; a cloak decorated with images of animals and flowers was made of gold, falling from the left shoulder to the lower part of the body of the god, and shoes; on his right hand, the god held a statue of Victory made of ivory and gold, and in his left - a scepter, colored with various metals and decorated at the top with a golden eagle (for a description of the statue, see Pausanias, V, 11). The strength of the impression made by this statue, one of the greatest creations of Greek plastic art, is evidenced, among other things, by the following words of Dion Chrysostom (1st century A.D.): “Whoever stands in front of this image will forget about everything that upsets and destroys human life."
Woman at the Olympic Stadium.
Only men had the right to speak at the Games and watch the competitions. Only once this rule was violated - when a woman whose father, brother and husband were Olympic champions, herself trained her son and, eager to see him as a champion, went with him to the Games. Coaches stood separately on the field, watching their wards. Our heroine changed into men's clothes and stood next to them, looking at her son with excitement. And now... he is declared the champion! Mother could not stand it and ran across the whole field to be the first to congratulate him. On the way, her clothes fell off her, and everyone saw that there was a woman in the stadium. The judges were in a difficult position. By law, the violator must be killed, but she is a daughter, sister and wife, and now also the mother of Olympic champions! She was spared.
Features of ancient Greek sports disciplines.
Greek gods and mythological heroes are involved in the emergence of not only the Olympic Games in general, but also their individual disciplines. For example, it was believed that Hercules himself introduced the run for one stage, personally measuring this distance in Olympia (1 stage was equal to the length of 600 feet of the priest of Zeus), and pankration goes back to the legendary fight between Theseus and the Minotaur.
Some of the disciplines of the ancient Olympic Games, familiar to us from modern competitions, differ markedly from their current counterparts. Greek athletes did not jump in length from a run, but from a place - 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 allows him to jump further. This jumping technique required good coordination.
Javelin and discus throwing (over time, instead of a stone one, athletes began to throw an iron disc) was carried out from a small elevation. At the same time, the spear 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 the boxing match continued until one of the opponents recognized himself as defeated or was unable to continue the fight. There were also very peculiar varieties of running disciplines: running in full armor (i.e., in a helmet, with a shield and weapons), running of heralds and trumpeters, alternating running and chariot racing.
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Compiled by the librarian of the department of methodological work
Zelenchuk Victoria Illarionovna
Birth of the Olympic Games
