The History of the Olympic Games

 

776 BC – 2024 AD

The date of foundation of Olympia is unknown, it is assumed that the city was the result of a long evolution, because for many centuries, the valley between the rivers Alpheus and Clades, whose fertile plain is dominated by the small mountain Chronus, was a place of worship and ritual practices honoring a succession of gods, and the first of them, according to tradition, back in the second millennium BC, was Chronus, to whom together with his wife Rhea the high priests offered sacrifices on top of the mountain. This oral tradition, narrated by Pausanias (around 170 AD) and Philostratus (around 200 AD), was later confirmed by archaeological research. In the course of time, Zeus, son of Chronus, replaced his father as the main deity of the Sanctuary, and his cult increased over the years. The cult of Zeus attracts to the valley of Olympia pilgrims from the most diverse places of the Hellas, who come to worship him and offer him sacrifices. And it is here that, according to the dominant opinion among historians and archaeologists, the idea was born that in its historical evolution would give rise to the sporting Games, basing its spirit on the purest ritual essence. According to Umminger, the pilgrims who came to Olympia offered a great sacrifice to Zeus, on whose pyre the gifts that the devotees offered to the god were immolated.  To light the flame of the great bonfire was a privilege and a particularly coveted distinction, so a method was established for the election of the lucky one. The pilgrims who wished to dispute that honor, lined up at a certain prudential distance and at a signal they undertook a swift race to the place where, standing with a torch in his hand, a priest awaited. The first to reach him had the honor of lighting the flame of the great pyre. This was the origin of the Olympian Games, as Umminger says, imbued in their essence with an atmosphere of touching simplicity.

This ritual competition would give rise to the so-called stadium race (192.27 meters), which was the first of the events that would integrate the calendar of the ancient games and that would retain the privilege of primogeniture throughout the historical evolution of the first Olympics, which used to be identified with the name of the winner of that event, which would be inscribed and respected by future generations.

 

       Part 1 - THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN ANCIENT TIMES

 1500- in Athens: Approximate date of the celebration of the first Panathenean Games. This festival was held every year, and consisted of a procession, religious sacrifices and a night feast, as well as competitions: dance of armed warriors, torch race and male beauty contest. Only Athenian citizens could compete. A more complete festival was held every four years: the Great Panathenean, in which, in addition to the aforementioned activities, other athletic, equestrian and artistic competitions were held in which Greeks from other cities could participate.

 1479-According to legend, this would be the year of the first Heracles Games in Greece (In honor of Hercules).

 1324-The Games of Eleusis begin to be celebrated, of which no further details are known, and which apparently were cancelled around 1310.

 1259-The Isthmian Games, in honor of Poseidon, begin to be held in Corinth. This festival quickly gained popularity among the Greeks, was held every two years in spring, and lasted several days. The festival included athletic (race, boxing, pankration, pentathlon) and equestrian contests. In addition, musical and poetic competitions and a painting contest were added in the 4th century BC. Surprisingly, victories by women in both athletic and poetic and musical competitions are recorded, but it is not known whether female participation was regular or sporadic.

1251- The Nemean Games begin to be celebrated every two years in the city of Cleonas. Originally these games had a funereal character and the judges were dressed in mourning. They were equestrian, athletic (races, pentathlon, pankration, boxing, wrestling) and artistic competitions. There were three categories of competitors: children, youth and adults.

 1250- In Greece the ancient Heraklion Games went into decline. In their place Diomedes would have instituted the Pythian Games dedicated to Apollo, held every nine years.

 According to the legend, Hercules, the Theban hero, to celebrate his victory over King Augias - the cleaning of whose stables constituted one of his twelve mythical jobs - would have organized Olympic Games. Another legend says that Pelops, after his triumph against the king of Pisa, Enomao, in a chariot race and after marrying his daughter Hipodamia, would have organized Games in Olympia to give thanks to the gods. On another occasion, Oxilo, leading the warlike Dorians, would have reached the valley of Alpheus and established sacred Games. These and many other stories suggest that, prior to the historical moment for which we have concrete data, ceremonies and sacred games took place in Olympia that probably could have been celebrated before the 10th century BC.

 1086-The first Panjonian Games are held, of which little information exists.

 784- Seeking to reduce the permanent fights between the different cities, and following the advice of the Oracle of Delphi, the kings Iphitos of Lydia, Lycurgus of Sparta and Cleosthenes of Pisa, decide to organize every four years sacred athletic games in the city of Olympia, decreeing during the realization of these games a Sacred Truce in all Greece. In reality, it was an attempt to restore the ancient Heraklion games.

 776- First Olympic Games in Greece: the Aeolian Corebos wins the running event, which is the only one of these Games.

Other events in this year: Campaign of Shalmaneser against Damascus. In Spain: legendary date of the foundation of Rosas (Gerona).  Urartu: Argishti I builds the fortress of Argishtikhinili.

 The year 776 is a date of enormous importance, since, from this year, the historical-chronological computation of the Games of Olympia begins. The date not only has sporting transcendence, but from that moment begins to function as a calendar in Greece, which will measure time by Olympiads, that is, by periods of four years.

While the Romans considered as their first year the foundation of Rome, the Christians that of the birth of Christ, the Muslims that of the origin of Islam and the French revolutionaries the year of the proclamation of the Republic, the Greeks began to count from the day on which the priests of Olympia had the name of Corebos engraved on the marbles of glory.

 772- 2nd Olympiad, the winner is the Elean Antimachus. The Games took place during the month of Hecatombeo, within the summer solstice, which corresponds to the current July-August. At the beginning of the Olympic year, from Elide, capital of the small neutral state inhabited by the Eleans, and within which Olympia was located, the spondophros or heralds of peace went out in the direction of the four cardinal points. Their mission was to communicate to the cities and people in general that the Olympic year had begun and that the truce or sacred peace had come into effect.

Other events in this year: Assur Dan III, king of Assyria: period of decadence of the kingdom, the influence of the Assyrian monarchs has been seriously limited by the dignitaries of the court, particularly by the commander in chief (Turtanu) Shamshi-ilu. The weakness of the kingdom will be accentuated during the reign of Assur Dan, the king of Biaina counterattacks and seizes several Assyrian territories.

 768- 3rd Olympiad, the winner was Androclo of Messenia.

Other events in this year: in Babylon, reorganization of the city, expulsion of Aramean settlers from the fields and nearby villages. A plague epidemic spreads in Assyria. Amaziah of Judah declares war on Israel, but is defeated and captured by Joash, king of Israel at the battle of Beth Shemesh, shortly after which Jerusalem is sacked.

 The Sacred Truce prohibited all warlike activity while the Games lasted, declared the territory of Olympia inviolable, and forbade access to it to any armed person.

 According to Pausanias, the indefatigable traveler of antiquity, the text of the historic agreement was engraved on an iron disc kept in the temple of Hera.

Also, according to Plutarch, Aristotle saw that disk whose text read:

"Olympia is a sacred place; he who dares to tread this land with armed force shall be condemned as a heretic. He is also a heretic who does not punish a crime if it is in his power to do so."