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Olympic Games
Resuscitation Of The Olympic Games
"... nor any contest than the Olympian greater to sing."
Pindar
Foot - race
 It
is the oldest contest that took place in Olympia. Until the 13th Olympiad
(728 B.C.) when the games lasted for only one day, it was the only
event at the sanctuary.
The athletes were running nude, in an area whose length was determined
at 600 feet (192.27m), that is one Stade . It was this distance that
gave its name to the area used for the performance of the event. These
areas, the stadiums, were situated on hillsides or in small valleys,
thus enabling the spectators to follow the events. Later and as the
crowd of spectators grew, artificial slopes were built and the spectators
sat on the ground.
The stadium at Olympia had a capacity of 45,000 spectators. Only men
were allowed to watch the games with the exception of the high priestess
of Demeter Chamyne. The start and duration of the stadium race were
specified by clear rules and there were set penalties for athletes
who broke them. The rules were clear for all the events and for the
duration of the games there were specific bodies, the Alytai, who
kept the order in all the areas of performance. The judges and those
in charge of the games were the "Hellanodikes", who at first
were life members but then appointed by lot from the Elean citizens.
There are no records of the achievements of the athletes during Archaic
times as there were no means of the keeping of time. What was important
was to be the first amongst the other athletes of the event, and receive
the honor and the glory that followed such a distinction.
Also taking place in Olympia were the Heraia, athletic games for women
in which young girls from Elis partook. These games were held every
four years independently of the Olympic games. The women ran wearing
their hair loose, dressed in short tunics.
Pentathlon
The pentathlon was a combination of heavy and light events. It included
jumping, running, javelin, discus and wrestling. The pentathlon was
considered to be a very important event because the athlete had to
combine many qualities and skills of the body. In the Olympic Games
running and wrestling were conducted separately, while the other three
events were independent. Jason was, according to mythology, the inventor
of the pentathlon.
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Jumping
It is similar to the long jump. The athlete jumped into a
pit holding halters in his hands. It was accompanied by flute music.
Discus
 An
event known from Homeric poems and one that the Greeks loved most.
It was part of the pentathlon. A fleeting moment of discus throwing
is captured in the famous statue of the Discus-thrower by Myron, a
copy of which can be seen in Athens, opposite the Panathinaic Stadium.
Javelin
One of the favorite events of many mythical heroes. Seperated
into "ekebolon" javelin throwing which was judged by the
distance the javelin was thrown, and the "stochastikon"
javelin throwing where the javelin was thrown at a specific target.
Wrestling
 It
is referred to for the first time in Homer's Labours for Patroclos.
It was one of the pentathlon events but also independent in the Panhellenic
games.
Boxing
 One
of the oldest events, as shown by the representation of two children
boxing on the mural from Acrotiri in Thera, and the early reference
to the event by Homer.
Pancration
A combination of wrestling and boxing, it is praised by Philostratos
as the best and the most worthy event for men in the Olympic games.
A combination of wrestling and boxing, it is
The horse races
 The
hippodrome, a space used for the horse races differed in size from
place to place.An aristocratic event, the horse races comprised of
various events and were conducted with horses, chariots and quadriga.
The most spectacular event was the quadriga race, an event in which
the most prominent historic personalities had competed. The hippodrome
was the main place for exhibiting wealth and political strength during
antiquity.
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