As the Olympic Games of 2016 come to an end, one may ponder the origins of such an influential event. It was in 776 B.C.E. when the first Olympic game made its appearance in history. The location is quite interesting on its own, since it was in Olympia, Greece. Olympia is where Greeks would come and honor the gods, and they held several festivals in their honor. The name of the city and game comes from the nearby mountain named Olympos, which was not only the highest mountain in Greece, but it was also once home to the greatest Greek gods and goddesses, according to Greek mythology. The motive for starting such a competition was because Greeks had a deep appreciation for the human body and competition. According to the Greek philosopher Socrates, it is a “disgrace for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength in which his body is capable.”1 In addition, the competition provided a platform for establishing a sense of collective identity among the different city-states that competed. Officials and competitors flocked to the events in Olympia, which included foot races, long jumps, boxing, wrestling, and many others. Unlike today’s Games, winners then did not receive gold medals. Instead, olive leave wreaths were given to the winners of the events, and the admiration of their city-states was another plus.2
The games were held every summer, every four years, in Olympia in honor of the mythological god Zeus. The competitors were strictly males from poleis all around the Greek Mediterranean. Those who had the time and money to train and to attend the events were usually from the elite class. For a time women were not only banned from participating in the events, but they were also restricted from watching. One reason for this was that in the boxing and wrestling matches, the contestants were so set on winning that the fights became too bloody to watch.3 In addition to this, the athletes competed covered in olive oil, to emphasize their obsession with the human body. Nevertheless, it was not deemed suitable for women or young audiences to watch. Eventually, after the Greeks saw the influx of people coming in from all parts of the Greek world, they held a festival where only women who were not married could participate. It consisted of mostly foot races and was dedicated to honor the goddess Hera, Zeus’s wife.4
The first and only event for the first thirteen Games was a foot race. Over time, officials added longer and shorter distances to attract more competitors. When more participation from the city-states increased, they added sports such as wresting, the long jump, and discus. Boxing made its appearance not long after in the 18th Olympic Game. One of the rules in the boxing matches was that there was not a time limit or a weight limit, so opponents were essentially chosen at random. Equestrian sports, such as the chariot race, was introduced in 680 B.C.E. Realizing how popular and time consuming the sports had become, officials extended the games to seven days. One reason for this was because the games had more competitions than could be fit in a day or several days. The first day was reserved for honoring the gods in ceremonies, and after the fifth day of competition, the day was reserved to award prizes and to feast.5 To challenge the contestants further, officials added an armored race, which consisted of two grueling laps around the stadium wearing twenty-five pounds of armor. By the end of 580 B.C.E., a whopping fifty events were in motion.
The ancient Olympic Games were very important to the Greeks. Not only did competitors train for years just as athletes do now, but leaders from all around the Greek world journeyed to Olympia for the games. Major leaders from the city-states and beyond went and supported their athletes, while also getting the opportunity to discuss political and economical matters face to face with the other leaders. It was not often that the leaders met face to face. An Olympic truce was called upon athletes and spectators during the games in order to ensure that it was the main concern. Truce bearers traveled to each participating Greek polis and ordered them not to engage in any warfare during the games. 6 One reason for this was that Greeks rarely agreed on anything political or economical, so the truce forced them to oblige. Bringing home a champion from the games was considered a very high and honorable award. It brought prestige and pride to their polis, and it connected them to each other in a way nothing else could. Athletes did not compete for the prizes they won; they competed for the fame and glory of being the victor.
Despite all of its glory and fame, the last Olympic game was held in 393 C.E. when Emperor Theodosius banned the games by claiming they were “pagan acts.” 7 Twelve glorious centuries of the games inspired many aspects of life in Greece from religion to literature. Literature and sculpting competitions were a part of the Olympic games, and it gave many artists a platform to debut their talents to larger audiences. Religion in ancient Greece was devoted to the worship of mythological gods and goddesses, and so the games became extensions of their religious practices honoring their mythological gods. It took 1500 years for the games to be revived again after 393 C.E. After the reestablishment of the games it was evident that the motives remain the same in appreciating the marvels of the human body and competition.
- Tom Griffith, Essential Thinkers – Socrates (New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2004), 128. ↵
- Jerry Bentley, Herbert Ziegler, and Heather Streets Salter, Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History Volume 1, 4 edition (New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015), 144. ↵
- Judith Swaddling, The Ancient Olympic Games, Second Edition (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2000), 78. ↵
- Swaddling, The Ancient Olympic Games, 43. ↵
- Swaddling, The Ancient Olympic Games, 53. ↵
- Swaddling, The Ancient Olympic Games, 11. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia, January 2015, s.v. “Olympic Games in the Ancient World,” by Thomas J. Sienkewicz. ↵
84 comments
Rafael Lopez-Rodriguez
I love the Olympic Games! It is an event that brings the world together and a chance to show your country’s pride. The story of how these games have evolved is amazing. I did not know these games started with very few events and today we have so many games in the Olympics. I found amazing how this event became a world wide thing when it started in Greece. Every time these games are held I get pumped because they are just amazing and the competition every athlete from each country brings is just great.
Nathan Hudson
The Olympics are so fascinating to watch, I always knew that the games came from Greece, but I didn’t know the full details like you described in the article. Sports are an amazing way of bringing people together. In sports like football and others, it is hard to “keep the peace” so to speak, but it is amazing how so long ago when people fought each other for land and riches, they could all come to Greece and enjoy the spoils of victory in the games.
Thomas Fraire
Growing up I have loved watching the summer Olympics. This article is cool; it’s amazing how the Olympic games have evolved from what they were in Ancient Greek times. I enjoyed this article a lot. I wish there were more of a story to it but, it was a well-written article and I enjoyed it, very informative and interesting.
Ashley Tumlinson
Very well written article! Greek history is so beautiful and wondrous, it is no wonder such things have evolved because of them over time. The Olympic Games for instance – I had no idea they started out as merely a race and evolved into what they are today. Simultaneously, I had no idea the games were shut down because people thought it to be a form of pagan worship. Over all, great article! Well done!
Brianda Gomez
Every four years, I have always enjoyed watching the Olympic games. Before reading this article, I did not know that the ancient Olympic games even existed! The amount of similarities with these games are crazy! Some of the greatest athletes in the world compete in the Olympics just like in Olympia. A long time ago athletes were training for years, just like the athletes we have in the Olympics today. This was such an amazing article, I enjoyed reading about the origins of some of the greatest competitions in the world.
Joshua Breard
The Greeks really knew how to put meaning behind their practices. A great example of this is how they were able to make a connection between the olympics and their religion. Making the games a form of worship to their mythological gods and goddesses is mind boggling. It is also crazy to think how the Greeks started with just a foot race and watch it develop to what it is today with events constantly being added as we speak.
Blanca Martinez
Greek culture is amazing, the things they invented and created are very amazing especially because they have meaning. Who could have thought that an event is just about beating others but about marveling the human body and competition. It is even more great with the fact that the Greeks connected the Olympics to their religion, to honor their gods. Another great thing is how our present generations brought back the Olympics and have the same values as the Greeks did so long ago. Thank you for writing this article.
Mario Sosa
I find it amazing how the first 13 Olympic games was made up of just foot races. It makes sense for the Olympics to be cancelled after Rome became a christian nation. One thing that popped into my mind while reading the article – how and why did the Olympics return after a 1500 year absence? Great job on explaining the origin of the Olympics!
Cesar Zavala
Its amazing how long Olympic sports have been around and how it now brings the entire world together with the same treaty of peace which you mentioned in your article. I also like that we have evolved to give women and men equal opportunities to compete in Olympic sports. Well written article with great facts.
Samuel Sanchez
Interesting article. I liked how you gave the background of how the old Olympics use to be compared to now. It would have been amazing to see the original Olympics seemed more interesting than what we have today such as the boxing and the wrestling. No weight class at all just random would have been interesting to who would come out on top since they are fighting for fame. Great job.