How the Olympic Games were created in ancient Greece. Olympia is the site of the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece. Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

» History of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

History of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

The history of the ancient Olympic Games is unusually rich. The Olympic Games appeared in the 9th century. BC NS. In those days, the Greek states ruined each other in endless wars. Iphit, the king of Elis, arrived in Delphi to learn from the oracle how he, the ruler of a small country, save his people from wars and plunder. The Delphic Oracle - his predictions and advice were considered absolutely correct - replied to Iphitu:
- We need you to found Games pleasing to the gods!
Iphit immediately went to meet with the king of neighboring Sparta, the mighty Lycurgus. Obviously, Iphit was a good diplomat, since Lycurgus decided (and all other rulers agreed with him) that from now on Elis is a neutral state. Immediately, Iphit, in order to prove his peaceful aspirations and to thank the gods, established an athletic Games: they were to be held at Olympia every four years. Hence their name - Olympic. It was 884 BC. NS.

At first, athletes from two cities of Elis - Elisa and Pisa - took part in the Games. The first to enter the annals of the Games was 776 BC. NS. - the year of the first all-Greek Games. Only thanks to the ancient Greek tradition - to carve the names of the Olympians on the marble columns installed along the banks of the Alpheus River, the name of the first winner, Koreba, a cook from Elis, has come down to us.
As the Olympic Games approached, messengers (feors) were leaving Elis in all directions, announcing the day of the festivities and announcing a "sacred truce." They were greeted with triumph not only in Hellas itself, but also wherever the Greeks settled. The soldiers laid aside their weapons and went to Olympia. When the envoys of all the Greek states gathered together, they probably felt their national community.
Then a unified calendar of the Olympic Games was established, which they decided to hold regularly every four years "between the harvest and the harvest of grapes." A feast of athletes, consisting of numerous religious ceremonies and sports, lasted first one day, then five days, and later - a whole month. In order to participate in the Games, it was supposed "not to be neither a slave, nor a barbarian, not to commit crimes, nor blasphemy, nor sacrilege." (Barbarians were those who were not citizens of the Greek states.)

The history of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece - the emergence of new spectacular competitions

At the first 13 Games, they competed only in the stadiumodromos - a distance race of 1 stages. In 724 BC. NS. a double run was added - diaulos (at a distance of 384.54 m). Then, in 720 BC. e., at the 15th Olympiad, pentathlon appeared, or, as the Greeks called it, pentathlon, which consisted of simple running, long jump, discus and javelin throwing, wrestling. After another seven Olympiads, in 688 BC. BC, the program was enriched with fistfights, 12 years later - a chariot competition and, finally, at the 33rd Olympiad, in 648 BC. e., pankration, the most difficult and cruel look competitions.

Going out on fist fight, the participants put on a special bronze cap on their heads, and they wrapped their fists with leather belts with metal cones. When going to strike, the fighter took precautions: he protected his head with his hand; he tried to stand so that the sun would blind the opponent, and then with all his might beat his fist, actually chained in iron, on his ribs, face and torso. The fight continued until one of the two admitted to be defeated. Usually athletes left the battlefield disfigured, crippled, bleeding. Often they were carried out of the stadium half-dead.
Pankration combined wrestling and fistfighting. It was forbidden to use teeth and twist or break the opponent's fingers, put on metal oversleeves. But any blows, grabs, kicks were allowed, painful holds, you could knock your opponent to the ground and squeeze his throat.
Later, running in arms was included in the program of the Games; running of trumpeters and heralds; chariot rides drawn by mules; competitions for children in wrestling, horse racing, pentathlon), and in 200 BC. BC, at the 145th Olympiad, even a children's pankration appeared.
On the eve of the opening of the Olympics, spectators admired the marble statues of the winners of the previous Games, located between the stadium and the Alfei River. The statues were made and installed at the expense of the cities where the new "demigods" were from: the first Olympian Ko-rab from Elis; "The strongest among the strong" Milo of Croton; Polites from Corina, fastest athlete at the 212nd Olympiad; Lasphenes of Te Bea, who ran 156 stages, competing with a horse; Nicola from Acria, who had five running wins at two Olympics, and many other great athletes.

The young men were shown the statues of Zeus, towering near the Crohn's hill. Each of these statues was ordered and placed on fines imposed on those participants in the Games who cheated, tried to bribe an opponent, or injured him during the competition.

The Olympic festivities began with the rising of the full moon. A solemn procession headed towards the golden statue of Zeus. Hellenodics in purple robes led the procession, followed by athletes and eminent citizens. Two huge bulls were sacrificed to Zeus, and the judges and participants in the competition took a solemn oath to be worthy of being awarded a laurel wreath and a palm branch. In the evening, after the drawing of lots, a festival of arts was held. Long before its end, athletes went to bed - half-starved, eating a piece of cheese and drinking cold water.

So the great day was coming. From 40 thousand to 60 thousand spectators took seats on the embankment around the stadium. Trumpets greeted the approaching Hellenodics and guests of honor. Athletes took turns entering the middle of the arena to introduce themselves to the audience. The herald loudly announced the name and homeland of each and asked three times: "Do all of you, the happy guests of Olympia, agree that this athlete is a free and worthy citizen?" Then the competition began.
On the first day, there were competitions in all types of running, on the second - in pentathlon, and on the third - in wrestling, fist fighting and pankration. The fourth day was completely at the disposal of the children. Running distances for them were half as long as for adults. On the fifth day, there were chariot races drawn by four horses, and horse races in a circle at stages 8 and 73 (1538 and 14000 m).
The history of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece is rich in intense and spectacular sports.

National holidays, accompanied by games, were of great importance for the development of ancient Greek civilization. The first place between them, both in antiquity and in their importance, was occupied by the Olympic Games. There was a legend that the beginning of these games was laid by an agreement concluded between the famous Spartan legislator Lycurgus and Iphitus, the king of the region of Elis adjacent to Laconia. The agreement stipulated that the Spartans and Elidians would celebrate a common holiday in the temple of Olympian Zeus by the Alphea River.

When this general holiday was established, during which hostilities ceased, we do not know for sure. A later Greek legend gave the beginning of the Olympic Games a mythical origin: it said that the games were established by Hercules by defeating the king of Elis Augeas, and that he determined the size of the stage by substituting leg to leg along the length of this line. It is only known for certain that from the first third of the VIII century, the organizers of the Olympic holiday began to keep a list in which they wrote down the name of the one who won the race. This list starts with the games of 776 BC, so now historians also start counting the Olympiads from this year.

Plan of ancient Olympia. The numbers indicate: 1. Northeastern propylon (entrance) 2. Pritanion 3. Philipeion 4. Temple of Hera 5. Pelopion 6. Nympheus 7. Metroon 8. Zanes 9. Crypt 10. Stadium 11. Portico Echo 12. Building of King Ptolemy II and Arsinoe 13. Portico Hestia 14. Hellenistic structure 15. Temple of Zeus 16. Altar of Zeus 17. Ex-voto of Achaeans 18. Ex-voto of Mikythos 19. Nika Paeonia 20. Gymnasium 21. Palestra 22. Theokoleon. The treasuries of the cities are designated by Roman numerals: I. Sikion II. Syracuse III. Epidaurus IV. Byzantium V. Sybaris Vi. Cyrene Vii. Unknown VIII. Altar? IX. Selinunte X. Metapontus XI. Megara XII. Gela

The Olympic Games are the largest sporting event loved by many. They are watched by millions of people on TV, thousands flock to the cities where the competition is held to see the strongest, agile and fastest athletes with their own eyes. Everyone professional sportsman dreams of not only winning, but at least getting into the Olympic arena. However, not many people know about how they were created games when they first passed and what the original concept of this competition was.

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Legends of origin

Many legends and myths have come down to us about the origin of these competitions, which have a different plot and history. However, one thing is certain: their homeland is Ancient Greece.

How were the first competitions held

The beginning of the first of them dates back to 776 BC. This date is very ancient, and it could not have survived to this day, if not for the tradition of the Greeks: they engraved the names of the winners of the competition on columns specially erected for this. Thanks to these structures we know not only the time when the games began, but also the name of the first winner. This man's name was Koreb, and he was a resident of Ellyda. Interestingly, the concept of the first thirteen games differed greatly from the subsequent ones, because initially there was only one competition - running at a distance of one hundred and ninety-two meters.

At first, only the indigenous inhabitants of the city of Pisa and Elisa had the right to participate. However, the popularity of the competition soon increased so much that other large policies began to contribute to their development.

There were laws according to which not everyone could take part in the Olympic Games. Women did not have this right., slaves and foreign residents called barbarians. And those who wanted to become a full participant had to apply to the meeting of judges a whole year before the start of the competition. Moreover, before the immediate start of the competition, the potential was required to provide proof that all the time from the moment of registration they worked hard on their physical fitness, performing various kinds of exercises, training in long-distance running and maintaining athletic shape.

Ancient games concept

Starting from the fourteenth, the games program began to be actively introduced different kinds sports.

The Olympiad winners got literally whatever they wanted. Their names have been immortalized in history for centuries, and during their lifetime they were honored as demigods until old age. Moreover, after his death, each Olympiad was numbered among the minor gods.

For a long time, these competitions, without which it was previously impossible to imagine life, were forgotten. The thing is that after the coming to power of Emperor Theodosius and the strengthening of the Christian faith, games began to be considered one of the manifestations of paganism, for which they were abolished in the three hundred and ninety-fourth year BC.

Revival

Fortunately, the games have not sunk into oblivion. We owe their revival to the famous writer and public figure, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the creator of the modern concept of the Olympic Games. It happened in 1894 when, on the initiative of Coubertin, an international athletic congress was convened. During it, it was decided to revive the games according to the standard of antiquity, as well as to establish the work of the IOC, that is, the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC began its existence on the twenty-third of June of the same year, and Demetrius Vikelas was appointed its first head, and Pierre Coubertin, already familiar to us, was its secretary. At the same time, Congress developed the rules and regulations on which the games would exist.

The first Olympic Games of our time

It is not surprising that it was Athens that was chosen to host the first games of our time, because Greece is the ancestor of these competitions. It is interesting to note that Greece is a country, which was held in three centuries.

The first major competitions of our time were opened on April 6, 1896. More than three hundred athletes took part in them, and the number of sets of awards exceeded four dozen. At the first games, competitions were held in the following sports disciplines:

Games ended by April fifteenth... The awards were distributed as follows:

The absolute winner, collecting the most medals, namely forty-six, of which ten were gold, was Greece.
The second place was taken by the United States with a decent margin over the winner, collecting twenty awards.
Germany scored thirteen medals and came in third.
But Bulgaria, Chile and Sweden left the competition with nothing.

The success of the competition was so great that the rulers of Athens were immediately invited to hold games on their territory. However, according to the rules established by the IOC, the venue must change every four years.

Unexpectedly, the next two terms were quite difficult for the Olympiads, because world exhibitions were held in the places where they were held, which made it difficult to receive guests. Due to the combination of these events, the organizers feared that the popularity of the games would quickly decline, however, everything was quite the opposite. Such large competitions fell in love with people, and after that, on the initiative of the same Coubertin, traditions began to form, their flag and emblem were created.

Traditions of the Games and their symbols

The most famous symbol has the form of five rings of the same size and intertwined with each other. They come in the following sequence: blue, yellow, black, green and red. Such an unpretentious emblem carries a deep meaning, showing the union of five continents and the meeting of people from all over the world. I wonder what everyone Olympic Committee designed his own emblem, however, five rings are certainly its main part.

The flag of the games appeared in 1894 and was approved by the IOC. There are five traditional rings on the white flag... And the motto of the competition is: faster, higher, stronger.

Another symbol of the Olympics is fire. Lighting the Olympic flame has become traditional ritual before starting any games. It lights up in the city where the competitions are held, and burns there until they end. This was done in ancient times, however, the custom did not return to us immediately, but only in 1928.

An integral part of the symbolism of these large-scale competitions is the mascot of the Olympics. Each country has its own. The question of the appearance of mascots arose at the next meeting of the IOC in 1972. By decision of the committee it could be any person, beast, or any mythical creature that would not only fully reflect the identity of the country, but also speak of modern Olympiad values.

The emergence of winter games

In 1924 it was decided to establish a winter competition. Initially, they were held in the same year as the summer ones, however, later it was decided to postpone them for two years relative to the summer ones. Mistress of the first winter games became France. Surprisingly, half the number of viewers was interested in them than expected, and not all tickets were sold out. Despite previous failures, winter Olympics more and more to the liking of the fans, and soon they gained the same popularity as the summer ones.

Interesting facts from history

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Chelyabinsk State Academy of Culture and Arts.

Cultural Faculty.

Department: Social and cultural activities.

abstract

By discipline: History of social and 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 antiquity

3. Program of the Olympic Games

4. The tradition of lighting the Olympic flame

5. The importance 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. NS. For the first time, the name of the winner in the race was written on a marble board, 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 Altis in Olympia. The location was chosen very well. All buildings, both early and later - temples, treasuries, a stadium, a hippodrome - were erected in a flat valley framed by soft hills covered with dense greenery. Nature in Olympia is, as it were, imbued with the spirit of peace and prosperity, which was established during the Olympic Games. In the temple of Olympian Zeus there was a statue of a god created by the sculptor Phidias, which was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Thousands of spectators gathered in the sacred grove. In addition to the spectacles of athletic competitions, trade deals were concluded here, public performances by poets and musicians, exhibitions of works by sculptors and artists were held. Here new laws, agreements were announced, important documents were discussed. Since the announcement of the holy month of games, all warring parties have ceased hostilities ...

Purpose of the research: 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 origins of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece coincided with the time when myths and legends made history. From the surviving works of ancient Greek historians, philosophers and poets, 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.

In the second ode of the ancient Greek poet Pindar, it is said that the birth of the Olympic Games is associated with the name of Hercules. In 1253 BC. NS. the Hellenic king Augeas ordered Hercules to clean out the royal stables, which had not been cleaned for a year, in one day. Using his power, Hercules changed the direction of the two rivers, passing them through the stables, so that the water helped him get the job done 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 laid the foundation for the Olympic Games. (6)

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 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 stretched a lowland, flooded with the waters of Alfey during the flood. The choice for the Olympic stadium near Mount Kronos is explained by the fact that the slopes served as a natural tribune for spectators, on which there were 40 thousand people each and an arena of approximately 213x29 m. On the territory of Olympia there were: a hippodrome (730-336 m) where horse races were arranged, gymnasiums, a courtyard surrounded by a colonnade, with running paths, throwing, wrestling, various exercises, ball games, rooms for hygiene procedures, saunas, etc .; the gymnasium was adjoined by living quarters for participants in the Olympic Games. (3)

It is known that in sports games only men from among free citizens took part, never brought to trial and never convicted of dishonest acts. Women were not even allowed as spectators on pain of death. For them, there was also their own competition - in running. Thanks to numerous texts and paintings on ceramics, we now know what kinds of sports existed in Ancient Greece. Athletes competed only nude to demonstrate the beauty of their bodies.

This clearly manifested the physicality of ancient Greek culture. The cult of the body was so great that nudity did not evoke a feeling of shame. The rules forbade killing the enemy, resorting to unlawful tricks, and arguing with the judges. The awarding of the winners was also held solemnly. The winners of the games (olympionics) were awarded wreaths made of wild plum trees 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 return of the Olympian to his hometown turned into a worthless triumph. The whole city came out to meet him, the city authorities held a feast, and a statue of the winner was erected on 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.

Athletes of this period reflected, on the one hand, the strength and power of their hometown, and on the other, the general Hellenic ideal of all-round development and physical perfection of the individual. And it is deeply symbolic that for a long and strenuous preparation, ordeals in competitions, the winner in Olympia was awarded only a wreath from 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 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 hungry for fame flocked here. After the Persian wars, Themistocles appeared in Olympia and during the ceremonies attracted the attention of the people. There were also philosophers Anaxagoras, Socrates, Aristippus and Diogenes; some of them lectured the crowd with their moralizing sermons, others caused scandals with their cynical antics. The stage was often attended by Pythagoras and Plato, who were fond of wrestling, especially since in their youth they themselves won victories in it. Orators Gorgias, Lysias, Demosthenes often appeared here and gave the opportunity to all Greece to listen to samples of their art. Poets Pindar, Simonides and many others were looking for inspiration here, and maybe clients.

Various charlatans mingled with great people, who aroused respectful amazement among the crowd of onlookers. Perhaps the most original of these charlatans was Menecrates. (3)

2 . Terms, conditions, traditionsthe olympic games in antiquity

Olympic festivities took place every four years. It was the same mobile holiday as, for example, Christian Easter. Its celebration took place from the 11th to the 15th day of hieromene, 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 sent in groups to the distant shores of the Black Sea, to Egypt and the Spanish colonies, informing the Greeks about the day of the festivities. At the same time, these ambassadors, called Feors, proclaimed a sacred world.

Here are some articles from this ruling:

1) All hostilities must be stopped in all countries as soon as the hieromenia is declared.

2) For all peoples participating 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 Eleians against the blasphemous enemy, may be struck by the curse of the gods.

5) All those who violate the truce will be fined 2 mines (about 75 rubles) from each soldier.

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

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, wooden barracks were lined up along the main road and the walls of the fence, where all kinds of merchants sat.

But the biggest draws in the festivities were religious ceremonies and games. Each donated according to his own means. Wealthy people made up whole hecatombs. More modest pilgrims contented themselves with sacrificing rams, a kid, a few drops of wine, and a few grains of incense. According to the established rules, the Olympic 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 from morning to evening surrounded the altars, where libations of wine, incense and blood took place. (2)

The celebration took five days:

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

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

in the 3rd competition of men,

in the 4th horse rides,

the 5th day ended with sacrifices and was dedicated to a solemn awards ceremony.

The name of the Olympic winner, the name of his father and his fatherland were solemnly announced and carved on marble slabs exhibited in Olympia for all to see. The Olympionists were so famous that the year of the Olympiad was often named after the winner. From the 7th Olympiad (752 BC), athletes were 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 Altisa. During the feast that followed the competition, solemn epinic hymns composed by the famous poets Pindar, Simonides, Bacchilides and others were sung in honor of the Olympians. The ancient Greeks considered victory to be a sign of the location of the deity, Zeus's attention to the athlete and to the city where he was born. 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 statutes of the competition. The leadership of all competitions belonged to the Hellenodics, or the judges of the Hellenes. 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 took up their duties ten months before the start of the festivities. Going to Olympia, before entering the sacred fence, they performed ablution and killed a pig as a sacrifice. In Booleuteria, they took the oath of office from the contestants, their families and teachers. The Hellenodics themselves vowed to fulfill their duty to the altar of Zeus of Herkea and tested athletes, children, horses and foals; they distributed them according to categories, making a list of opponents for each competition.

Here are the main articles of the charter: 1) Slaves and barbarians are excluded from games. 2) Also excluded: those who were punished by the court; all murderers, even those who have committed a crime through negligence; people on whom sacrilege gravitates; all 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, in the Elis gymnasium, perform a well-known test there and take the oath. 4) Those who fail to appear by the deadline are not allowed to participate in the competitions. 5) Married women are certainly prohibited from appearing in Altis and on the competition grounds during the great festivities. 6) Competitors' teachers during stage games are placed behind an adjacent fence and must remain completely naked there. 7) Under the threat of deprivation of the award and imposition of a fine, it is prohibited to kill your opponent intentionally or by negligence in wrestling or in fistfight. eight). It is forbidden to push your opponent and resort to any unscrupulous tricks. 9) It is forbidden to intimidate your opponent and offer him a monetary reward for giving in to the fight. 10) Anyone who attempts to bribe judges is threatened with a rod punishment. 11) It is prohibited to express public protest against the decision of the judges. 12) Any participant in the competition, dissatisfied with the verdict of the Hellenodics, can complain to the Olympic Council and seek the conviction of the guilty judges at their own risk and risk.

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

Competitors. All those wishing to take part in the Games were included in special lists during the year from their opening. They took an oath that they would prepare for the upcoming competition for at least ten months. Except for former Olympia winners and a few world-renowned athletes. But most of the future participants in the competition spent in this gymnasium all ten months intended for exercises. They were housed in rooms adjacent to the gymnasium. Preparation went in special schools, in which the participant paid for the stay. Then, 30 days before the opening of the Games, all potential participants arrived in Olympia for a centralized gathering, all had to withstand a series of tests in the Elis gymnasium for 30 days; The athletes who arrived at the competition began training under the supervision of special judges ("ellanodics"), who then dealt with the admission of athletes to the Games.

The competition was attended by people from all over the Greek world. Despite the fact that outwardly the organization of the games was free in nature, participation in competitions was available only to citizens of the upper classes: only rich people had the opportunity to equip harnesses 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 competitions at the stage due to the need for lengthy preparation, travel costs and stay in Elis. Indeed, members of aristocratic families took part in the competitions on the hippodrome, and the competition at the stage took place between representatives of the bourgeoisie.

As the games approached, athletes were transported to Olympia and settled in special rooms. Their entry into the Booleuterium was accomplished with great pomp and in the presence of their fathers, brothers and teachers. Entering there, the participants of the competition stretched out their hand on the altar of Zeus of Herkea, where they indulged in burning the insides of a wild boar, and before the Hellenodics they swore an oath to behave in accordance with the requirements of the charter. (five)

The first day opened with competitions on stage. Long before dawn, all the pilgrims, distributed by nationality, crowded on the slopes of the mountains. As the sun rose, there was a trumpet sound. Ellanodics in red robes crossed the entire field of the competition and took their places opposite the start. Around them in places of honor were seated officials and priests of Elis, public guests, representatives of different states, all eminent foreigners. Nearby was the throne of the only married woman allowed to be present at this spectacle, namely the priestess of 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 delight for an infinite number of hours, contemplating how people inflicted fatal blows on each other with their fists, and how horses competed in running speed. But the Greeks were not attracted to this spectacle by the gross passion for gambling of modern European horse racing. Aesthetic aspirations, the need to admire the two kings of nature - a man and a horse - in the flowering of their beauty and an outburst of courage - that was what fascinated the Hellenes. To this pleasure was mingled with patriotic excitement. Everyone turned to the gods their impatient prayers for the victory of their hometown in these arenas, where all the Greek peoples gathered. It goes without saying that the motivation of the competitors was, above all, their personal pride. They strove to evoke admiration for their strength or luxury, but they were also pleased that with victory they would glorify their homeland.

Greek gods and mythological heroes are involved in the emergence not only of the Olympic Games in general, but also of 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 of Zeus), and pankration goes back to the legendary fight of Theseus with the Minotaur. (one)

In addition to athletic competitions, an arts competition was also held at the Olympic Games, which from the 84th Games (444 BC) became an official part of the program.

At first, there was only a stadium in the program of the Olympic Games - one stage run (192.27 m), then the number Olympic disciplines has grown.

At the 14 Olympic Games (724 BC), the program included diaulos - running in 2 stages, and 4 years later - dolichodrom (endurance run), the distance of which ranged from 7 to 24 stadia.

Foot race.

But then the trumpets sounded again. A herald appears in the arena and loudly shouts: "Competers in the run, come out!" One of the commanding police officers summons the athletes, and the herald introduces them to the crowd, telling them their name and place of homeland, and asks if anyone is challenging their dignity as a citizen and an honest person. One of the Hellenodics addresses the athletes and orders the unworthy to retire. 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 appear again already naked, the urn of Zeus is brought to the arena, i.e. a silver vase containing wooden plaques with letters engraved on them. Each participant of the competition draws one of twenty places by lot, which he will have to take. Alitarch takes these plaques, checks them and takes the athlete to his place. A trumpet sound is heard, and the four opponents start to run.

All five groups of competitors, each of four people, ran one after the other. Then the winners of this preliminary race were to compete. The judges passed their verdict, and the herald announced who was the final winner, the main Olympian, after whom the Olympiad was called. (4)

This was a simple run. With a double run, it was necessary to start running from the place of the Hellenodians and return again to them. With a six-wheel run, it was supposed to run six times along the entire arena. Like running, the various types of wrestling became more and more difficult.

Running with weapons.

It was postponed until the end of the games. This competition consisted in the fact that it was necessary to run twice on the stage in military armament. Initially, this run was carried out in full armor, that is, with a shield, spear, helmet and legguards, but little by little this weight was relieved, and in the IV century they went out only with a shield. (4)

Struggle.

At the 18 Olympic Games (708 BC), wrestling and pentathlon (pentathlon) competitions were held for the first time, which included, in addition to wrestling and a stadium, jumping, as well as javelin and discus throwing;

In a simple fight, they went out with bare hands. The winner was a 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 contestants had to fight in a 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 connected in pairs. This was done until there was only one winner left. These rules were followed during fist wrestling and the so-called pankrat.

At 23 Olympic Games (688 BC), fistfights were included in the competition program. Coming out to fist wrestling, the wrestlers put on a special bronze cap on their heads, and wrapped their fists with leather belts with metal cones. It was a fierce fight. When preparing to strike, the wrestler at the same time took precautions: he protected his head with raised hands, tried to make the enemy blinded by the sun; then, with all his might, he struck with his fist, as if chained in iron, on the ribs, face and various members of his opponent. As a rule, they came out of this struggle disfigured, crippled, bleeding; often it ended in death. The struggle continued until one of the opponents admitted himself defeated.

Pankrat.

Pankrat was a mix of wrestling and fistfighting. The combatant had the right to strike, knock over to the ground and squeeze his opponent's throat, but it was forbidden to use his teeth and put on metal sleeves on his hands. Often the opponent was deprived of the opportunity to act with a special technique in which his fingers were twisted or broken.

Pentathlon.

Pentathlon included five different competitions: jumping, discus and dart throw, 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 waved kettlebells. Thanks to this, jumps reached enormous sizes - as they say, up to 50 feet.

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

Chariot Race.

At the 25 Olympic Games (680 BC) chariot races were added (drawn by four adult horses, 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 hippodrome races were chariot races drawn by two or four horses. These competitions have always remained the most popular in Greece.

It was required to go around the post at the start twelve times. In a later era, mule teams, chariots with a pair of horses, and also with a pair or four of foals began to appear.

At the 33 Olympic Games (648 BC), horse racing appeared in the program of the Games (in the middle of the 3rd century BC, horse races were also held) and pankration, a single combat that combined elements of wrestling and fisticuffs with minimal restrictions on "forbidden techniques" and in many ways reminiscent of modern fights without rules.

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

In what order these competitions took place, we do not know. In ancient times, they all ended on the same day. When their program expanded, they began to last for three days. For the opening, children's exercises were arranged, in the morning next day adults were appointed to run. Afternoon - wrestling, fistfight and pankrat. Horse racing took place on the morning of the third day, and pentathlon and arms racing took place in the afternoon. But exceptions have been made to this rule more than once.

From the 37th Games (632 BC), young men under the age of 20 also began to participate in the competition. 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.

Games held at Olympia led to the emergence Panhellenic Games which also included:

Games in 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 in one 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 Panathena, the largest festival in Athens, held every four years in honor of the goddess Athena.

Everywhere in Greece and the colonies, local competitions were held, some of which are better known, others less. Each city attached great importance to their organization. (1)

Olympionic.

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

Then relatives, friends, compatriots, acquaintances and unfamiliar fans greeted him, threw flowers at him and lifted him on their shoulders. Distribution of awards was carried out on the last day of the holiday. Initially, precious things, tripods, and expensive materials served as rewards. Subsequently, simple wild olive wreaths decorated with ribbons were 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 awards ceremony took place. The Hellanodics laid wreaths on the heads of the victors in the presence of officials and Elid priests, as well as in front of representatives of all Greek countries. Then a procession was arranged. Hellenodics moved ahead, then new Olympians, accompanied by civil and spiritual authorities, public guests and deputies of different nationalities, as well as statues of the gods; they descended to 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.

When the procession approached the altar of the 12 gods, the victors, surrounded by the gathered crowd, made sacrifices and prayers of thanks. Then the procession set off again. Now it was moving towards Pritania, where the citizens of Elis prepared a great feast, to which all the privileged officials of Olympia, priests, proxeni and feora were invited. The crowd gathered at the door eagerly listened to the joyous exclamations that reached them. As soon as the names of the winners were entered in the gymnasium's list of Olympians, the glory of the winners, as it were, received final recognition.

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

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

Such portrait statues were usually commissioned by 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, "this is the golden statue at Olympia."

The return of the winner to his homeland was accompanied by the greatest celebrations. Surrounded by a large retinue of friends and curious people, he rode in purple clothes on a quadriga. A certain Exenet from the city of Agrigenta made his entry with an infinite number of chariots, three hundred of which were drawn by white horses. First, the procession was directed to the temple of Zeus, to which the winner was to dedicate his wreath. Then, when the hymn was sung and the trumpets sounded, it moved in the pritania. A magnificent national feast was held in honor of the new hero.

The celebration of the anniversary of this event took place afterwards for a long time. On this day, the Olympionist appeared at 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 themselves. The state provided him with various privileges. In honor of him, two statues were often erected - one in Olympia, and the other in a public square, in a temple or in a gymnasium in his hometown. The painted portrait of him was exhibited under the porticoes. In memory Olympic victories in many countries, and especially in Sicily, special coins were minted. In Athens, the winner was given a prize of 500 drachmas, in other places he received a life pension, in Argos - a bronze shield, in Pellen - a woolen mantle. Apparently, he was assigned in advance to perform public duties, in particular - to run a gymnasium. He enjoyed a place of honor in the theater, as well as at festivities and during battles. Sometimes the state took charge of the construction of his tomb. The victorious horses were provided with 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 at the top.

By the time the winner returned or the anniversary of his victory, some great poet, for example, Pindar, Simonides, was ordered a triumphal ode, performed like an opera, with the accompaniment of music and dances. In these odes, not only the hero himself was glorified, but also his parents, ancestors, his sovereign and fatherland, deities and heroes of his country and Olympia.

The pride of the Olympian had no limits. Thanks to a 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 different states, was sure that he would be mentioned in history. Legends were created around his name. They even got to the point that they began to give him divine honors; the deification of some of the Olympians began during their lifetime: Euthymius of Locrus made libations and sacrifices to his own image. (3)

4 . Tradlighting the Olympic flame

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, according to legend, who 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. Together with fire, he took the "wise skill" from Hephaestus and taught people to build houses, ships, hew stone, melt and forge metal, write, and count.

As the myths say, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to chain Prometheus to the Caucasian rock, pierced his chest with a spear, and a huge eagle flew every morning to peck the titan's liver, which grows back 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 (the goddess of the hearth). During the Olympiads, glorifying Zeus, fires were also lit in the temples of Zeus and Hera.

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

History testifies that in other cities of Hellas there was a cult of Prometheus, and in his honor Prometheus was 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 striving for lofty goals in the fight against evil. Did not the ancients put the same meaning when they lit the Olympic flame in the Altis grove about three millennia ago?

During the summer solstice, competitors and organizers, pilgrims and fans paid tribute to the gods by lighting fires on the altars of Olympia. The winner of the running competition was honored to light the fire for the sacrifice. In the reflections of this fire, there was a rivalry between athletes, a competition of artists, an agreement on peace was concluded by envoys from cities and peoples.

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

Eleven women posing as priestesses perform the modern Olympic lighting ceremony at Olympia. The actress, dressed as a ceremonial priestess in antique 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 at 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 transported in a pot to the altar on an antique Olympic stadium where he lights 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, an attempt at improvement and the struggle to win, as well as peace and friendship.

(The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources)

5. The importance of the Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were the unifying center of the entire Hellenic world, the sacred ambassadors of the theor represented all Greek states in Olympia. The Greeks from remote places especially revered the Olympic Games, whom they helped to keep in touch with the metropolis. Many Greek cities hosted games in the likeness of the Olympic Games or built temples of Olympian Zeus (in Athens, Chalcedon, Akragante, Syracuse, etc.).

Artists and poets came to Olympia; since the 50th Olympiad, the custom has been established to read literary works and recite poetry at the Olympic Games. Herodotus, returning from the East, read here the chapters of his History; Socrates, who walked there on foot from Athens, conducted his conversations in Olympia, Plato, Empedocles, Sophocles, Isocrates, Demosthenes and others spoke with their writings. During the Olympiads, the Greek states announced the conclusion of important treaties, sealed them with oaths at the altar of the gods and notifying all of Greece. The name, solemnly announced at the Olympic Games, became known to the entire Greek-speaking world. At the turn of 4-3 centuries BC. NS. the historian Timaeus of Siculus proposed to keep the chronology according to the Olympiads, four-year time periods, from one Olympiad to the next.

By the 2nd century BC. NS. Games are losing their splendor, becoming more and more a local event. In 85g. BC NS. the Roman general Sulla, who allowed his soldiers to devastate the treasures of Olympia, moved the Games to Rome (175th Olympiad-80 BC), but after 4 years they were resumed in Greece. With great pomp, the competition was restored by the Roman emperor Augustus. Germanicus received a wreath at the games, Tiberius in 4 BC. NS. became the winner in the chariot race. In violation of all age-old rules, the emperor Nero announced games 2 years earlier than the deadline, ordered the destruction of the statues of all former Olympians and introduced singing competitions, in which he became the first "winner". After his murder, the games were declared invalid. In 394, the Olympic Games, 293 in a row, 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, which marked the beginning of the modern Olympic movement.

Conclusion

The Greek civilization is one of the oldest 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.

OLYMPIC GAMES OF ANCIENT GREECE - the largest sporting events of antiquity. They originated as part of a religious cult and were carried out from 776 BC. to 394 AD (a total of 293 Olympiads were held) in Olympia, which was considered a sacred place among the Greeks. The name of the Games also originated from Olympia. The Olympic Games were a significant event for the whole of Ancient Greece, which went beyond the purely sporting event... Victory at the Olympics was considered extremely honorable for both the athlete and the policy he represented.

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

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

And, nevertheless, the Olympic movement today is a deterrent factor in conflicts between peoples.

Bibliography

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

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

3. Guiraud 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 on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

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