The Ancient and Modern Olympic Games: A Journey Through History
The Ancient and Modern Olympic Games: A Journey Through History
The ancient Olympic Games were a sporting event held every four years at the sacred site of Olympia in western Peloponnese, in honor of Zeus, the supreme god of Greek religion. The Olympic Games, which included participants and spectators from all over Greece – and beyond – were the most significant cultural event in ancient Greece and were organized from 776 BCE to 393 CE. These games were so important in antiquity that they served as a reference point in calendars. The games began with a procession, starting from the host city, Elis, and ending in Olympia. Upon their arrival in Olympia, all athletes and officials took an oath to uphold the established rules of the competitions and to compete with honor and respect. The most important religious ceremony of the event was the sacrifice of 100 oxen at the altar of Zeus, known as the “hekatombe,” which took place at the end of the athletic contests.
Κήρυκες (heralds), also known as σπονδοφόροι (spondophoroi), were dispatched from Elis to all of Greece to announce the start of the Olympic Games. Spectators came not only from the mainland but also from the islands, Ionia, and Magna Graecia. To facilitate the movement of spectators and athletes and as a sign of respect for the religious significance of the games, a truce (ekcheiria) was declared throughout the Greek territory. During this truce, the conduct of wars, the transport of weapons in the region of Elis, and any obstruction of spectators, athletes, and official delegations from specific cities were prohibited. Although the exact number of spectators at each event is unknown, approximately 45,000 spectators, including men, slaves, and foreigners, watched the competitions from the embankments of the stadium, where the main events took place. The spectators actively participated in the proceedings, enthusiastically supporting the athletes and offering laurel flowers and leaves to the victors.
In the first Olympic Games, the competitive program included only the “stadium,” a footrace, and was limited to a single day. Later, variations of this sport were added, and in subsequent Olympiads, events such as wrestling, the chariot race (four-horse chariot), the Pankration (a combination of wrestling and boxing), and the Pentathlon (running, long jump, wrestling, discus throw, and javelin) were introduced.
On the last day of the Olympic Games, the crowning ceremony took place for the victors. A young man would cut olive branches from the sacred tree using a golden pair of scissors. Along with a red woolen ribbon, which was worn on the arm or around the head, these constituted the prizes for the winners. However, the true reward for the victors was glory, fame, and historical immortality. After the games, the winners were welcomed back to their cities as heroes. They typically entered the city in a procession, riding a chariot drawn by four horses, while also participating in grand banquets held in their honor and receiving various privileges.
The modern Olympic Games were revived in 1896, and the Olympic Committee, established two years earlier, decided to hold them in Greece—the birthplace of the ancient Olympics—specifically in Athens. Some events, such as running, wrestling, long jump, and discus throw, were retained from the ancient games. However, new sports were introduced, including cycling, fencing, and shooting. Unlike in ancient times, the modern Olympic Games did not prevent wars, and they were interrupted during both World Wars.
Written by Giannis Psarianos
