The ancient Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were held once every four years at Olympia, in honor of Zeus, King of the Gods. There were other festivals which held sporting events, but the Olympic Games were the most famous. Men came from all over Greece and the colonies to watch them. All wars were postponed for three months to allow people to travel in safety.

The beginning

The Olympic Games probably date back to 776 BC. There were temples and altars where people came to worship the gods and make sacrifices. A statue of Zeus, which stood in his temple at Olympia, was 13m high and made of gold and ivory. The athletes covered their bodies with oil, as a protection against the sun and dirt. After the contest, it was scrapped off with a curved instrument, called a strigil. Judges watched all the events from a special stand in the stadium. Many of the other spectators had to stand as there were few seats. The winners were given ribbons, palm branches or wreaths as prizes: they competed for glory, rather than money. At the end of the games a huge banquet took place.

The contests

The Olympic Games lasted for five days. All the athletes were men.

The oldest event was running. The races were of one, two or 24 lengths of the stadium. In one specific running event, the hoplitodromos, the men wore helmets and greaves (leg guards) and carried shields.

Another event was discus throwing. The discus was a flat, bronze disc, about the size of a dinner plate. Javelin throwers wound a leather thong round their fingers. This helped them to throw the javelin more smoothly. Long jumpers carried weights, which were swung forward as they jumped.

In wrestling, the contest went on until either one man gave up, or the victor threw his opponent three times to the ground. The pankration was a violent form of fighting. But there were strict rules and referees kept a look out for fouls. Boxers wore leather thongs wound round their hands, sometimes with a piece of sheepskin underneath.

One of the contests, the pentathlon, involved taking part in five events –discus throwing, javelin throwing, long jump, running, and wrestling- all in one afternoon.

Chariot races were included in the games. At one time there were races for chariots drawn by mules. Horse races and chariot races were held in the hippodrome. The jockeys raced without saddles or stirrups.

Discover more

International Olympic Committee official website

Olympic games - Wikipedia

Olympic games - World History Encyclopedia