Ruins of the Sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia. This aerial view is taken from the southeast.
THE KRYPTE AT THE OLYMPIC STADIUM, OLYMPIA
| Back | Events | Questions |
For a printable version of this page, click here. You will need Abobe Reader; Click here to download.
Each year the Greeks looked forward to being entertained at several festivals held in honor of the gods. The festivals were mainly religious events. A festival consisted partially of a procession and sacrifices to the god being honored. It was also a social occasion for the Greeks to get together and enjoy the excitement of plays and athletic events.
Athletic competitions were the main attractions of some of the Greek festivals. The most prestigious of these festivals was the Olympic Games, held in honor of Zeus, the king of gods. The event took place every four years in the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia (see below), located in the northwest part of the Peloponnese.
Ruins of the Sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia. This aerial view is taken from the southeast. |
THE KRYPTE AT THE OLYMPIC STADIUM, OLYMPIA |
| In contrast to most Greek sites, Olympia is green and lush, amidst groves of trees. Here was the great Sanctuary of Zeus, the Altis, (above) and the setting for the Olympic Games. For over a thousand years, in peace and war, the Greeks assembled here to celebrate this great festival. The simple crown of wild olive was sufficient to immortalize the victor, his family, and his city. |
The sanctuary of Zeus was a sacred area dedicated to the god and his wife, Hera. After the Olympic Games were instituted in Zeus's honor, the sanctuary grew in size. Not only were temples and altars erected for the religious activities, but a stadium and hippodrome (a stadium designed for equestrian events) were constructed for the athletic events. In the beginning, athletes and spectators alike had to live uncomfortably in the open air. Buildings to accommodate the athletes and the spectators were absent until fairly late in the history of the sanctuary. In the fourth century B.C. a guest house, a gymnasium, and two bath houses were built to ease the comfort of the people and competitors. The Olympic Games first originated in 776 B.C. and are still celebrated today. Like all festivals, religious observances were a main part of the ceremony, which included sacrifices made to the honored god.
There were eight different types of athletic competitions that took place over a three day period at the Olympic Games. The chariot races and the horse races were carried out in the hippodrome. The chariots had two wheels and were pulled by four horses.
Crashes and
fatalities were frequent during the chariot races. The remainder of the athletic events
took place in the stadium. The stadium
was about 200 meters long (600 feet) with the natural slopes
of a hill serving as the seating area for the spectators and
the judges. The events consisted of boxing, wrestling,
the pankration (a mix of boxing, wrestling,
and judo), track events, a race
in armor, and the
|
|
There was only one winner for every contest. There were no second- and third-place winners. The winners of the various contests were rewarded with simple garlands of olive leaves, but the prestige associated with being an Olympic victor was great. At home, the victor might get some money prizes or free meals for the rest of his life. Sometimes statues of the victors were sculpted and displayed in public places. The victors were seen as heroes.
Other games were established in Greece, but none as prestigious as the Olympic Games. Two of these were the Pythian Games at Delphi, held every four years, and the Isthmian Games at Corinth, held every two years.
Many Greeks from far away places flocked to
see the festivals. They were very religious people who did not
want to anger the gods by not attending the festivals. At the
same time, the festivals were social events that were not to be
missed.
Click here for a virtual tour of
Ancient Olympia
Back
to the top
