The Olympic Games

1
The Olympic Games
2
Lecture Summary

• Ancient and Modern Olympics
• Events
• Facilities
• Logistics
• Prizes
• Meaning

3
Ancient and Modern Games

• Past approaches to the ancient Olympics were
  anachronistic they interpreted the ancient
  games through the ethos of the modern games
• modern games emerged in the late 19th century
  (1896) in connection with 1. Emergent Greek
  Nationalism, 2.English and French Social Policies

4
Ancient Games

• Ancient Games were not multi-national, far
  fewer events, did not rest on notions of peace
  and brotherhood
• Ancient Olympics 1. A religious festival, 2. an
  occasion for aristocratic display of arete, 3.
  Occasion for inter-polis competition, 4. A
  statement of Greek identity in an age of
  colonization

5
Summary of Events at Ancient Games

• Horse Race
• Chariot Race
• Running
• Wrestling
• Boxing
• Pankration
• Pentathlon (Running, Jumping, Discus, Javelin,
  Wrestling)

6
Keles - The Horse Race

• very aristocratic event (only the rich could keep
  horses)
• The horse owner was the victor, not the rider
• Rider rode without saddle or stirrups but carried
  a goad and used spurs
• Course consisted of 6 laps around two turning
  posts (approx. 7.2 km)

7
Chariot RacesTethrippon 4 Horse Chariots

• Introduced in 680 BCE
• 12 laps (14.4 km) around two turning posts
• Separate class for foals established in 384 BCE
• Foals ran 8 laps (9.6 km)
• Aristocratic event
• Victor the owner of the team and not the driver
• Synoris Two horse chariot race introduced in
  408 BCE

8
Other Equine Events

• Apene (Mule-cart race) Introduced in 500 BCE
• Kalpe (Mare race) Introduced in 496
  BCE/Discontinued in 444 BCE
• Anabates (Dismounting contest) Introduced in
  496 BCE)/Discontinued in 444 BCE

9
Running Events

• The Stadion Sprint of 1 stade (190 m)
• Only event down to 724 BCE (became basic unit of
  measurement for long distance
• From 724 BCE the Diaulos (384 m or 2 stades)
• From 720 BCE the Dolichos (7.5-9 km or 20 to 24
  stades)
• From 520 BCE Hoplite Race (384 to 768 m or 2 to 4
  stades) wearing helmet, shield, and greaves

10
Stadium at Olympia
11
Pale - Wrestling

• No weight classes or time limits
• Dominated by heavier athletes
• Must throw opponent 3 out of 5 falls or force him
  to submit
• A fall must be on a hip, shoulder, or back to
  count
• Biting, eye-gouging, striking, genital-holds not
  allowed, although breaking fingers was permitted
• Official supervised obedience to rules
  violations were punished with flogging

12
Pux - Boxing

• No time limits, rounds or weight classes
• Fighters were divided into age classes 1. Men
  (over 17 years), 2. Boys (up to 17 years)
• Victory achieved by 1. Knocking out opponent,
  2. Forcing submission of opponent (indicated by
  raising index figure)

13
Boxing continued

• Blows seem typically directed at the head
• Hitting an opponent when down was permitted
• Opponents were chosen by lot
• Boxers did not use gloves but himantes meilichai
  (Ox-hide straps) to protect the hands, not the
  opponents face

14
pankration

• All out fight comprising boxing, wrestling, and
  kicking
• Fighters divided into boys and mens categories
  but there were no weight classes
• Victory was achieved through forcing submission
  or through incapacitating the opponent
• Only gouging and biting were prohibited
• Permanent injury and death not uncommon

15
Arrachion of PhigaleiaVictor Pankration 564
BCE

• The Phigalians have on their market-place a
  statue of the pancratiast Arrhachion it is
  archaic, especially in its posture. The feet are
  close together, and the arms hang down by the
  side as far as the hips. The statue is made of
  stone, and it is said that an inscription was
  written upon it. This has disappeared with time,
  but Arrhachion won two Olympic victories at
  Festivals before the fifty-fourth, while at this
  Festival he won one due partly to the fairness of
  the Umpires and partly to his own manhood. 2
  For when he was contending for the wild olive
  with the last remaining competitor, whoever he
  was, the latter got a grip first, and held
  Arrhachion, hugging him with his legs, and at the
  same time he squeezed his neck with his hands.
  Arrhachion dislocated his opponent's toe, but
  expired owing to suffocation but he who
  suffocated Arrhachion was forced to give in at
  the same time because of the pain in his toe. The
  Eleans crowned and proclaimed victor the corpse
  of Arrhachion.(Pausanius, 8.40.1-2. W.H.S. Jones,
  1918) - http//www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.j
  sp?docPerseus3Atext3A1999.01.01603Abook3D83A
  chapter3D403Asection3D2

16
pentathlon

• Consisted of broad jump, discus, javelin,
  stadion, and wrestling
• Jump, discus, and javelin only occurred in the
  pentathlon
• Less prestigious than the specialist events
  (indicating that they did not compete against the
  specialists)
• Scoring First person with three victories wins
• Discus, Javelin, and Jump held first
• If no clear winner after first three events,
  remaining contenders are eliminated in the
  stadion and, if necessary, in a wrestling match

17
Javelin, Jump, and Discusspecial Equipment

• Discus Typically made of bronze average weight
  2.5 kg boys used a lighter discus
• Javelin ca. 5 ft long made of elderwood with
  iron tip leather thong attached at center of
  gravity to add distance through rifling motion
• Halteres jumping weights weighed c. 1.4-4.5
  kg swung for momentum and dropped in mid jump
  athletes made running jumps

18
Discus
19
Votive Halteres
20
The Site of Olympia

• Olympia remote sanctuary in the North-West
  Peloponnese
• Cult sanctuary associated with the city of Elis
• Site consisted of 1. Altis (sacred precinct of
  Zeus) including series of open air altars, the
  altar of Zeus, and the temple of Hera, 2. Temple
  treasuries for specific poleis (600-450 BCE), 3.
  Temple of Zeus (470-456 BCE), 4. Officials
  facilities (I.e. Prytaneion, Bouleuterion), 5.
  Statues of victors, 6. Stadium, 7. Hippodrome
• Facilities were added gradually between 776 BCE
  and c. 350 BCE when it reached its finished form

21
Location of Olympia
http//www.utexas.edu/courses/classicalarch/images
3/MapArchaeolGreece.gif
22
The Site of Olympia
Joe Stubenrauch
http//www.calvin.edu/academic/clas/pathways/olymp
ia/
23
Olympia
24
The Stadium
25
Balibides
26
The Hysplexc. 300 BCE
http//www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Olympia/HysplexIs.jp
g
27
Seat of the Hellenodikai
28
The Bouleuterionca. 550 BCE
29
Logistics

• Games held as part of festival to Zeus every four
  years
• 5 days long, during the second full moon after
  the summer solstice
• Games developed around the festival, probably not
  central to the festival
• Organized and funded by the city of Elis
• Spondophoroi (heralds) sent out from Elis to
  invite athletes and spectators proclaimed the
  ekecheria (sacred truce)
• Hellenodikai (Judges of the Greeks) appointed at
  Elis as organizers 2 after 580 BCE, 10 after
  400 BCE
• Officials selected at Elis by lot trained by
  nomothetai (specially trained officials)
• All athletes trained for 1 month before the games
  at Elis to insure their competitive quality
• Additional Staff 1. Magistophoroi
  (whip-scourgers), 2. Rabdouchoi (rod-bearers), 3.
  Alytarches (crowd control)

30
Quality Control

• One of the noteworthy things in Elis is an old
  gymnasium. In this gymnasium the athletes are
  wont to go through the training through which
  they must pass before going to Olympia.
  (Pausanius,6.23.1. W.H.S. Jones, 1918)
• http//www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?docP
  aus.6.23.1fromdocPerseus3Atext3A1999.01.0160

31
The Games

• Athletes, Trainers, and Spectators assemble at
  Elis
• All move in procession to spring of Pieria where
  officials purify themselves
• The next day procession moves to Olympia
• Day 1 Athletes and Hellenodikai swear oath at
  Bouleuterion to Zeus Horkios (Zeus of Oaths)
  Boys events
• Day 2 Equestrian events and Pentathlon
  sacrifice to Pelops
• Day 3 Procession of ambassadors, judges,
  athletes Hekatomb to Zeus Running public feast
• Day 4 Combat events and Hoplite Race
• Day 5 Procession Crowning victors Feast
• Hellenodikai dressed in purple robes 1.Separated
  competitors by age, 2. Paired fighters, est.
  order for throwing/jumping, assigned running
  lanes by casting lots, 3. Supervised events
  (could scourge, fine or expel cheaters

32
The Olympic Oath

• 9 But the Zeus in the Council Chamber is of
  all the images of Zeus the one most likely to
  strike terror into the hearts of sinners. He is
  surnamed Oath-god, and in each hand he holds a
  thunderbolt. Beside this image it is the custom
  for athletes, their fathers and their brothers,
  as well as their trainers, to swear an oath upon
  slices of boar's flesh that in nothing will they
  sin against the Olympic games. The athletes take
  this further oath also, that for ten successive
  months they have strictly followed the
  regulations for training. 10 An oath is also
  taken by those who examine the boys, or the foals
  entering for races, that they will decide fairly
  and without taking bribes, and that they will
  keep secret what they learn about a candidate,
  whether accepted or not. I forgot to inquire what
  it is customary to do with the boar after the
  oath of the athletes, though the ancient custom
  about victims was that no human being might eat
  of that on which an oath had been sworn.
  (Pausanius,5.24.9-10. W.H.S. Jones, 1918)
• http//www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?docP
  erseus3Atext3A1999.01.01603Abook3D53Achapter
  3D243Asection3D10

33
The Prizes

• Pan-Hellenic games were stephanic (crown) games
• Prizes only given to victors (No second place
  etc.)
• A young boy cut olive branches from sacred olive
  grove in the Altis
• Made crowns of olives for victors
• Victors allowed to erect statues of themselves at
  Olympia
• No material value to the prize conferred arete
  and time on the victor

34
Competing for TimeHerodotus, Histories, 8.26.3

• When the Arcadians told them that the Greeks
  were holding the Olympic festival and viewing
  sports and horse-races, the Persian asked what
  was the prize offered, for which they contended.
  They told him of the crown of olive that was
  given to the victor. Then Tigranes son of
  Artabanus uttered a most noble saying (but the
  king deemed him a coward for it) 3 when he
  heard that the prize was not money but a crown,
  he could not hold his peace, but cried, Good
  heavens, Mardonius, what kind of men are these
  that you have pitted us against? It is not for
  money they contend but for glory of achievement!
  Such was Tigranes' saying. (A.D. Godley, 1920)
• http//www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?docH
  dt.8.26fromdocPerseus3Atext3A1999.01.0126

35
What did the Games mean to the Ancient Greeks

• The highest achievement in Greek athletic
  competition
• Olympic festival was first and foremost a
  festival to Olympian Zeus
• Was seen as an institution that bound all Greeks
  together
• This Greek unity was only symbolic not a
  political reality
• The Olympic games were just as much a means of
  competition between Greeks as they were an
  institution that unified Greeks