Drawings on the theme of the Olympic Games in Greece. Ancient Olympic Games

Many critics have denounced the modern Olympics as too corrupt and commercial, and accused organizers of having too many professional athletes. They argue that modern competitions have tarnished the ideals of the ancient Greeks, who competed in the original games from 776 BC. e. to 394 AD e.

The idea that the ancient Olympics brought together amateur athletes who competed solely in the name of peace and good sport is another part of Greek mythology. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the myths about the ancient Olympic Games. You will discover surprising similarities with a modern sports festival.

The idea that only amateurs should compete in the Olympic Games is entirely modern. It was developed during the revival of the Olympics in 1896. Real professionals took part in the ancient Olympic Games. Moreover, the Greeks did not even come up with a term that would designate an amateur, because the word “athlete” for them meant “one who competes for a prize.”

There were no cash prizes offered to participants in the Olympic Games, but other Greek sporting competitions did. As is still the case today, the ancient Olympic champions enjoyed fame and fortune upon their return home. States awarded cash prizes to their champions. Athens, for example, rewarded its winners with huge sums of money and other rewards, tax exemptions, front-row theater seats, or free meals for life.

The ancient Olympic Games did not suffer from fraud and corruption

Regardless of the millennium, the lure of victory may be too tempting for some athletes. Although the ancient Olympians stood before the menacing statue of Zeus and swore to play fair, some were willing to incur the wrath of the gods just for the thrill of victory.

Athletes who violated the rules could be disqualified. They could even be publicly flogged. Athletes and judges who were caught taking bribes had to pay huge fines. Often this money was used to finance the construction of bronze statues of Zeus erected at the entrance to the stadium. “Victory must be achieved by the speed of the legs and the strength of the body, not by money,” read the inscriptions on the statues. Obviously, not everyone listened to them: over the years of the games, 16 statues were erected.

The first recorded gaming cheating scandal dates back to 388 BC. e., when the boxer Eupolous bribed three opponents so that they would lose their fights to him.

But when politics began to interfere with the games, it took corruption to a new, almost farcical level. When the Roman Emperor Nero decided to compete in 67 AD. e., he offered astronomical bribes to the judges, who then agreed to add competitions in music and poetry reading to the general program. The Roman Emperor also took part in chariot racing. And although he fell out of the chariot and could not finish the race, the judges awarded him the main prize. Nero brought 1808 prizes from the Olympic Games and other Greek competitions.

Politics and war were absent from the ancient Olympic Games

Contrary to popular belief, politics constantly intruded on the ancient sporting festival. During the Peloponnesian War in 424 BC. e. the Spartans were forbidden to take part in the games or even attend them. And although the sacred truce traditionally stopped all hostilities during the Olympic Games, in 364 BC. e. the war came straight to Olympia. Archers defended it, shooting from the roofs of the temples. Security measures at the 2012 London Games echoed these events, as there were soldiers on rooftops armed with surface-to-air missiles.

The ancient Olympic Games were devoid of commercialism

The billions of dollars that the International Olympic Committee receives from corporate sponsors and television companies have raised the level of commercialism to unprecedented heights. However, trading at the Olympic Games is not a modern invention. In ancient games, only licensed merchants could sell food, drinks, and souvenirs. Painters, sculptors and poets sold their works. Olympic organizers could fine traders who raised prices for their goods. Images of champions appeared on specially minted coins and statues, which were made by government order.

Ancient Olympians trained on their own

Like many Olympians today, athletes in the ancient games were well supported. They were helped in preparation and training. As in modern countries, Greek states invested money in sports facilities and hired trainers to help athletes with medicine, nutrition and recovery. Coaches of Olympic champions became famous and wrote popular training manuals that contained advice on exercise and diet.

On August 6, 2016, the 2016 Summer Olympics began. This time, the capital of the Olympics was the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. We decided to remember how the Olympic movement began and how the Olympics were held in Ancient Greece.

1. Origins of the Olympics

Nobody really knows where the origins of the very first games come from. One myth says that Hercules (son of Zeus) once held a running competition at Olympia and decreed that it would be repeated every four years.

2. Olympic Games and Eleusinian Mysteries

The Olympic Games were one of the two main rituals in Ancient Greece. Another was the Eleusinian Mysteries - initiation rites for people joining the cults of Demeter and Persephone.

3. Temple at Olympia

The statue of Zeus was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. It was placed in the temple at Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympics.

4. Time confusion

The 4-year interval between the Olympics was used by the ancient Greeks as a measure of time. This idea was developed by the historian Ephorus. Previously, each Greek state used its own different method of measuring time, which led to much confusion.

5. Stages

The only competition at the first Olympic Games was the “stadium” - the 190-meter race. The competition was named after the building in which it was held (it was this that became the ancestor of the word “stadium”).

6. Start with arms extended forward

Unlike the modern starting position of runners, in Ancient Greece they started from a standing position with their arms extended forward. If the race ended in a draw, then a repeat race was scheduled.

7. The Baker of Elis Coreb

The winner of the first recorded Olympic Games (in a sense, the first gold medalist) was Korebus, a baker from Elis (the region in which Olympia was located). He won a running race in 776 BC. Naturally, no gold medals were awarded then, but Koreb was awarded an olive branch - a symbolic prize. Interestingly, Olympia still exists - about 150 people live in this city.

8. Gymnasium

The Greek tradition of athletes performing in the nude is believed to have begun at the games in 720 BC. Most likely, it was introduced by the Spartans. It was from this practice that the modern word "gymnasium" came from the Greek word "gymnos", meaning "naked". The nudity of athletes was considered a tribute to the gods and encouraged an aesthetic perception of the male body.

9. "Kynodesme"

Although most athletes were naked during the games, it is possible that some wore a "kynodesme" - a thin strip of leather that was tightly tied around the foreskin to prevent the head of the penis from showing. This strip was then tied to a string tied like a belt around the waist.

10. Tradition of ekecheiriya

During the games, a truce (“ekecheiria”) was concluded throughout Greece - capital punishment, wars or battles were not allowed. This was done to ensure the safety of participants and spectators coming to Olympia.

11. Pythian, Nemean, Isthmian

The Olympic Games were not the only sporting competitions. In the four-year interval between them, the Pythian, Nemean and Isthmian Games were held, but the Olympic Games were the most significant in status.

12. Only in Greek, parakalo

Although the first games were "international" in a sense (all Greek city-states were allowed to participate), they were limited to people who spoke Greek. Eventually, the Greek colonies were also allowed to participate in the games.

13. Hoplitodrome

In 520 BC, a competition called "hoplitodrome" was added to the Olympic Games, in which athletes ran 400 or 800 meters in full armor with shields and helmets with greaves. Runners often bumped into each other or tripped over shields thrown by other competitors.

14. 5 days of the Olympics

In their heyday, games lasted 5 days. The first three were reserved for sporting events, while the other two days were used for rituals and celebrations. On the last day, all participants attended a festival where they ate 100 bulls (which were killed on the first day of the Olympics as a sacrifice to Zeus).

15. Revival of the Olympic Movement

As part of the transition of Christianity to the official religion, the ancient Olympic Games were finally banned by either Theodosius I in 393 AD. or by his grandson Theodosius II in 435 AD. The next Olympic Games were not held until 1896 in Athens, Greece.

The ancient Greeks attached great importance to the development of the body. Dexterity, strength and endurance were highly valued. In ancient times, people often had to fight. And to be a good warrior, endurance and physical strength were required.

The Greeks were very religious and believed that the outcome of a battle largely depended on the will of the gods, and not just on good preparation. It was a tradition to give glory to the gods, make sacrifices to them, and organize magnificent holidays in honor of the patron gods.

Events

Olympic Games- the most famous sports competitions of Ancient Greece.

They were dedicated to the god Zeus.
Held in a city in Southern Greece.
The games took place every 4 years and lasted 5 days.
People from all over Greece came to the Olympic Games.
During the games, all wars ceased and sacred peace was declared.

776 BC- the first Olympic Games in history.

The Greeks competed in:

run,
long jump,
discus throwing,
javelin throwing,
struggle,
chariot racing,
running with weapons.

How did the competition go?

The athletes (participants in the games) prepared very carefully.
Only Greeks, only citizens (not slaves), only men took part.
The athletes performed naked.
Sacrifice was mandatory before competitions.
The winners were awarded olive branches from the Sacred Grove.
It was a very honor to become the winner of the Olympic Games.

394- the last Olympic Games of antiquity. Greece was part of the Roman Empire, and Christianity became the official religion at this time. Emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic Games as a pagan holiday.

1896- The Olympic Games have been revived and are still taking place.

Participants

Parallels

The Olympic Games were not the only sports festival of the Greeks. There were other games dedicated to other gods and held in other cities. The second most popular after the Olympic Games were the Pythian Games, held in the city of Delphi. They were dedicated to the god Apollo, tamer of the serpent Python. In addition to sports competitions, musicians and philosophers competed at the Pythian Games.

The Pythian games have also been revived in modern times. Now these games are called Delphic, they hold competitions and festivals of musicians, dancers, poets and designers, and art exhibitions.

The Olympic Games were such a significant and grandiose event in the life of the ancient Greeks that they even used them to calculate their chronology. During the games, discord and strife were forgotten, wars ceased, and universal peace was declared. This is probably why Olympic athletes are still called messengers of peace.

A few months before the start of the competition, ambassadors traveled to all Greek cities, inviting those interested to participate in the games. According to ancient laws, all free Greeks could take part in the games, but only the strongest dared to join the fight. Boys and men spent years preparing themselves for competitions, but women were prohibited from taking part in the games.

Once every four years, in midsummer, crowds of people flocked to Olympia (Fig. 1). Most competitions took place in the stadium, which had an oblong shape. On one side it adjoined the foot of the hill. There were no places for spectators to sit. Spectators stood, sat or lay on the hill, as well as on embankments lined with turf. There was no charge for visiting the stadium.

On the first day, all athletes made a sacrifice to the gods, vowed to fight honestly and not use prohibited techniques. The judges swore an oath to judge the athletes fairly and make a fair decision.

The following days were devoted to competitions in various sports. Many competitions were held to music.

The runners started (Fig. 2). Competitors on the command “Take your place leg to leg!” - took their places on the path. If one of the athletes took off before the signal, the judge punished him with a whip.

The speed of the runners was legendary. They said that there was a runner who was seen only at the start and finish, how he ran the entire distance no one saw, he ran so fast. Another runner could overtake the hare, and the third ran in such a way that he left no traces on the path.

When performing the long jump, athletes used stone or lead weights to enhance the push. At the moment of repulsion, the jumper threw his arms with weights first forward and then sharply back.

Discus and javelin throwing competitions were held on the treadmill. The disks were stone or bronze, the largest weighed no more than 5 kg.

The most favorite type of competition was wrestling (Fig. 3). Wrestlers widely used tripping arm and neck holds. To make it easier to deal with the enemy, they initially tried to roll him in the dust so that the body, lubricated with olive oil, would become less slippery. To win, the opponent needed to touch the ground with both shoulder blades three times.

In addition to the pentathlon, equestrian competitions were organized, which took place at the hippodrome. At the signal of the trumpet, the drivers waved their whips and the chariots rushed forward. They had to make 12 laps (about 13 km). The most dangerous places were those where it was necessary to go around the turning pole. Often the horses reared up, because when turning the sun began to shine in their faces and they got scared, so sometimes the races ended in the death of the charioteers. The owner of the horses did not always manage them himself; most often this was done by his servants, but victory was awarded to the owner of the horses.

On the last day of the games, a table made of gold and ivory was placed in front of the temple of Zeus. On it were wreaths made from the sacred olive tree. The winners took turns approaching the chief judge, who placed wreaths on their heads. At this time, the herald called the name of the athlete and his hometown. Then the winners walked a circle of honor, and the audience shouted: “Glory, glory to the winners!”

When the winner returned home, all the residents came out to meet him. An athlete in purple clothes approached the main temple and brought his wreath as a gift to the gods. A statue was erected to the winner of the Olympic Games, he was given seats of honor in the theater, and for the rest of his life he was fed at public expense.

Milo enjoyed the greatest fame (Fig. 4). Since childhood, he carried a calf on his shoulders and repeated this exercise daily. In 540 BC. e. Milo won the boys' wrestling competition at the Olympic Games; he remained an invincible wrestler for thirty years. Usually Milo crushed the enemy, falling on him with the weight of his body. One day no one dared to oppose Milo, and he gained victory without a fight. While heading to the judges to receive the wreath, the athlete slipped and fell out of the blue. Spectators demanded that a wreath not be given to an athlete who falls to the ground without an opponent. But Milo proudly replied that he fell only once and really wanted to see someone who could throw him the second and third time (defeat was counted when the wrestler fell to the ground three times). There were no people willing to do this. The most amazing stories were told about Milo's strength. When he was at school, a column suddenly collapsed in the room where classes were taking place. Milon held the ceiling in his arms until everyone had left the house, and he himself ran out last. He often demonstrated strength: wrapping ox sinews around his head and holding his breath, Milo tore them apart with muscle tension. When Milo stood on a bronze throwing disc sprinkled with olive oil, no one managed to push him from his place. Even Milo's death was unusual. Being a very old man, he wanted to tear apart a stump with his hands, which the woodcutters could not cut with wedges. But a stump pinched his hand, and at night he became prey for wolves.

In the 5th century BC e. Fiagen became famous. When he was nine years old, he lifted a bronze statue he liked that stood in the market square onto his shoulder and took it to his home. Thyagenes was forced to take the statue to its original place, and rumors of his power spread throughout Hellas. During his life, he received 1,400 victory wreaths at various competitions.

The fame of the Olympic Games and outstanding athletes has survived centuries.

Bibliography

A.A. Vigasin, G.I. Goder, I.S. Sventsitskaya. Ancient world history. 5th grade - M.: Education, 2006.
Nemirovsky A.I. A book to read on the history of the ancient world. - M.: Education, 1991.

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Homework

What conditions were the inhabitants of Hellas required to observe during the Olympic Games?
What sports competitions were included in the program of the ancient Olympic Games?
Who could take part in the Olympic Games?
What awards and honors awaited the winners of the Olympic Games?

Began in 776 BC.
Ceased in 394 AD.
(Emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic Games as a pagan cult).

1

Resumed in 1896 in Athens on the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin.

An ancient tradition... The most peaceful and friendly meeting of all peoples of the world...

Here is what the poet Pindar wrote about ancient Olympia:
"The mother of all competitions... and mistress of justice."

The games began with heralds traveling throughout Greece, announcing in loud voices the beginning of the ekeheria - the sacred truce.

Now, for the duration of the Games (about 5 days), all hostilities were to immediately cease throughout the country. The Games played such an important role in the political life of the country - they stopped wars. Unfortunately, in the 20th century, things happened differently - the Games themselves were interrupted due to two world wars.

2. Ancient Greece was the most developed state of the ancient world.

The period between the Games was called the Olympics. The ancient Greeks considered time like this - the Olympiads: “Two Olympiads ago...”.

On the first day of the Olympic Games, sacrifices were made to the gods, and athletes took an oath in front of the statue of Zeus. Along with the resumption of the Games, the oath also returned. Today it reads like this: “I swear that when I arrive at the Olympic Games, I will compete fairly and according to the rules,
and with your participation - to glorify your country and sport."

Ancient Greek athletes competed naked. The word “gymnastics” comes from the word “naked” (“gymnos”). A naked body was not considered something shameful - on the contrary, it showed how hard the athlete trained. It was shameful to have an unathletic, untrained body.
Women were prohibited not only from participating, but also from observing the Games. If any woman was found in the stadium, by law she had to be thrown into the abyss.

Only once was this rule broken - when a woman, whose father, brother and husband were Olympic champions, trained her son herself and, driven by the desire to see him become a champion, went with him to the Games. The coaches stood separately on the field, watching their players. Our heroine changed into men's clothes and stood next to them, looking at her son with excitement. And so...he is declared champion!

The mother could not stand it and ran across the entire field to be the first to congratulate him. On the way, her clothes fell off, and everyone saw that there was a woman in the stadium. The judges were in a difficult position. According to the law, the offender must be killed, but she is a daughter, sister and wife, and now also the mother of Olympic champions! She was spared, but from that day on a new rule was introduced - now not only athletes, but also coaches must stand on the field completely naked to prevent such situations.

Women had their own Games - they were dedicated to the goddess Hera. They took place a month before the men's race or, conversely, a month after them, at the same stadium where the women competed in running. One of the types of competitions was chariot racing - an unusually dangerous sport, often
the horses got scared, the chariots collided, the jockeys fell under the wheels... Sometimes only two out of ten chariots reached the start. But all the same, no matter how much strength and dexterity the jockey showed, it was not he who received the winner’s wreath, but the owner of the horses!

A little about symbols.
The Olympic flame, burning throughout the competition, brings the spirit of ancient competitions into our era.

5. In Greece, in Olympia, the lighting ceremony took place...

The five Olympic rings are the five continents, and their interweaving is the friendship and cooperation of all peoples of the world.

At the first renewed Olympic Games in 1896, in which 285 athletes from 13 countries participated, the first Olympic winner was the Greek Spyridon Louis, who won the marathon.

Excerpts from the book "Records and Myths of the Ancient Olympics" by Wojciech Zamarowsky -
a remarkable Slovak popularizer of antiquity.

Question: We are especially interested in the results that the athletes of that time achieved. Were they comparable to today?

Unfortunately, no one will give a definite answer here. Firstly, because the Greeks did not keep any records of the achievements and records of their athletes. Secondly, because time was not taken into account at all in the competition - the technology of that time did not allow this. There were only sun, water and sand clocks - you couldn’t mark the seconds on them... Thirdly, because even in those events (jumping or throwing) where the result could be measured for history, it was not recorded anywhere - after all, the competition was conducted by the qualifying method and is important there was only a winner in each event and pentathlon.
...
Only three absolute sports results have come to us from ancient times. They belong to two famous athletes - the first and second are depicted on the pedestal of a statue in Delphi, it is written there: “Phaillus jumped fifty-five feet in length, and in the discus he was only five short of a hundred.” This is repeated by Pausanias in the tenth book, “Description of Hellas.”

We have a message about the third result from Julius Africanus (author of the “List of Olympic Winners”, written in the 3rd century BC), it concerns the Spartan athlete Chionidas, a three-time winner in the “simple” and “double” race on the 29th and the 31st Olympic Games (664-656 BC). On the memorial pillar of this athlete, according to the same source, it is written that he “...could long jump 50 stops.” When recalculated to our standards, it turns out that Faill jumped 16.28 m, and Khionid - 15.39 m, while Faill threw the discus at 28.2 m.

Thus, the jumps of Faill and Chionidas are twice as large as the current world record (8.9 m) and, according to today’s concepts, generally exceed the limits of human capabilities. Probably, it was either a triple jump or the sum of the results of five (or three) attempts.

Faill's achievement in discus throwing, by today's standards, seems, on the contrary, too insignificant. But the Greeks admired him, so they had good reason for it. In all likelihood, this has to do with the weight of the disk, which was clearly heavier than the modern one. We also know about discus throwing that the pentathlete Phlegius threw the discus over Alpheus, i.e. at a distance of about 60 m, and possibly more. The weight of the disc in this case is unknown to us, but even with a modern disc, with such results, he would now be one of the strongest in the world.
...
The time shown by the Greek runners will forever remain a mystery to us. The only thing that can be relied on in ancient reports, and even then with a reservation, is the several times repeated mention of the runner Polymnestor from Miletus, the winner of the youth race over one stage at the 46th Olympic Games (596 BC) .

They say that when he was a shepherd, he once caught up with and caught a hare. This saw him
The owner sent the shepherd to Olympia at his own expense. The hare runs at a speed of about 14 m per second - in all likelihood, it is as ancient as modern. This means that if Polymnestor ran after the hare for at least 50 m, then he should have spent 3.7 seconds running. Translated into our
The 100-meter dash takes 7.5 seconds, which is faster than the best modern runners. However, the hypothetical nature of this calculation is obvious.

Several also not very accurate reports of achievements in long-distance running have survived. The Argive runner Augeas won the long race at the 113th Olympic Games (328 BC). It is also known that a Spartan warrior in full armor could complete a 45-kilometer march in a day.

The athletes' running conditions are close to modern field running. According to the given data, Agius ran at a speed of 12.2 km/h, Philippides - at a speed of 11.5 km/h. The best modern marathon runners run about 20 km per hour. These indicators are comparable: after all, the distances our contemporaries run are much shorter, and the route is devoid of those natural obstacles that ancient runners had to overcome.
...
The experience of many generations of athletes and coaches led to the gradual improvement of training methods and techniques. The founder of the scientific approach to training is considered to be the athlete and philosopher Ikkos from Tarentum, winner of the pentathlon at the 84th Olympic Games in 944 BC). He is credited with introducing a strict diet for athletes and a detailed four-day training cycle.
...
Running is the main subject of military and athletic training among the Greeks, and since ancient times the importance of running for the whole body has been highly valued, it was emphasized that it gives strength not only to the legs, but also to the abdominal and pectoral muscles, affects the internal organs - the lungs and
heart. It was seen as a means of moral education: running strengthened the will, developed endurance and perseverance. This run resembled a modern sprint.
...
Long-distance running (15 Olympic Games) at different times was carried out over different distances, but never less than 7 stages and no more than 24 (from 1356 to 4615 m).
...
Of the weightlifting disciplines at the Olympic Games, competitions were held only in wrestling, fist fighting and pankration, which always aroused considerable spectator interest.

2. Wrestlers in ancient Greece

We find the first description of struggle in Greek literature in Homer in the 23rd song of the Iliad.

3. The program of the ancient Olympic Games included fist fighting.

According to myths, the founder of the pentathlon was the leader of the Argonauts, Jason. Almost every one of the fifty participants in his campaign to Colchis for the Golden Fleece was an outstanding athlete.
The first winner of the pentathlon was the Phthian king Peleus, the future father of Achilles.
The pentathlon consisted of 3 athletics disciplines - running, long jump and javelin throwing and two heavy or strength disciplines - wrestling and discus throwing.

4. Discus throw

According to archaeological data, the disk always had the shape of a flat, symmetrical lentil. Based on works of fine art, scientists began to restore the technique of discus throwing. More modern authors believe that in those days discus throwing was not too different from today, that is, it was carried out with acceleration in a circle.

5. Spear Throw

The technique of throwing a spear was different from the modern one. Judging by the drawings, the spear was quite short and thin and, undoubtedly, lighter than the current ones.
(If our 800-gram spear has a length of 260-270 cm, and a 600-gram spear has a length of 220-230 cm, then the spears of that time were shorter - 2 m and weighed no more than 0.5 kg). In the place where the athlete holds the spear, it has a loop of thin strap into which the index and middle fingers are inserted.
This technique clearly provided a longer throw than the current palm grip of the spear.
...
The jump technique was significantly different from the current one. Based on references in literary texts and images on vases, it can be assumed that instead of the long run-up (36-50 steps or 18-24 meters) of modern athletes, ancient jumpers used a short run-up,
corresponding to the current 6-step final phase.
...
Equestrian competitions were first introduced only at the 25th Olympic Games, when athletes had been competing for 100 years.

The chariot was similar to a military one, but differed from it in its lightness. During the competitions the driver stood, only during the trotter competitions he sat on a low bench. Unlike all participants in athletic competitions, the driver was not naked; he was wearing a long, belted tunic.
...
Many of the now famous and popular sports were unknown in Greece. Steeplechase was used only for military training.
...
Weightlifting remained outside the competition. There were, however, unofficial competitions in lifting weights and throwing them back over the head with one or two hands. Usually a roughly hewn cone-shaped stone was used as a projectile. One of these stones is kept in the Olympic Museum, it weighs 143.5 kg and it is written on it that a certain Bibon (an athlete who lived in the 6th century BC) threw it over his head with one hand.
...
Archery was a favorite pastime of mythological heroes, but it was not practiced in the pan-Greek games, including the Olympic Games. The program of the Olympic Games also never included aquatic competitions, although they were quite popular in Greece
(swimming, rowing).

The program of the Games did not include games in the narrow sense of the word, although many of them were widespread throughout Greece. Various ball games were popular. They used balls made of leather and stuffed with horsehair. They were hard, rather heavy, colorfully colored. The smallest were the size of our tennis ball, the largest were the size of a medicine ball.

Without exaggeration, the resurrection of Olympia is one of the most beautiful human deeds. "

Once every four years, the Olympic Games are held - this is the name of sports competitions in which the best athletes from different countries of the world participate. Each of them dreams of becoming an Olympic champion and receiving a medal as a reward - gold, silver or bronze. Almost 11 thousand athletes from more than 200 countries came to the 2016 Olympic competitions in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.

Although these sports games are mainly played by adults, some sports, as well as the history of the Olympic Games, can also be very exciting for children. And, probably, both children and adults would be interested to know when the Olympic Games appeared, how they got their name, and also what types of sports exercises were in the very first competitions. In addition, we will find out how the modern Olympic Games are held and what their emblem means - five multi-colored rings.

History of the Olympic Games

The birthplace of the Olympic Games is Ancient Greece. The earliest historical records of the ancient Olympic Games were found on Greek marble columns, where the date 776 BC was engraved. However, it is known that sports competitions in Greece took place much earlier than this date. Therefore, the history of the Olympics goes back about 2800 years, which, you see, is quite a long time.

Do you know who, according to history, became one of the first Olympic champions? - This was ordinary cook Koribos from the city of Elis, whose name is still engraved on one of those marble columns.

The history of the Olympic Games is rooted in the ancient city of Olympia, where the name of this sports festival originated. This settlement is located in a very beautiful place - near Mount Kronos and on the banks of the Alpheus River, and it is here that from ancient times to the present day the ceremony of lighting the torch with the Olympic flame takes place, which is then passed along the relay to the city of the Olympic Games.

You can try to find this place on a world map or in an atlas and at the same time test yourself - can I find Greece first and then Olympia?

History of the Olympic Games (briefly, in 3 minutes!)

How were the Olympic Games held in ancient times?

At first, only local residents took part in sports competitions, but then everyone liked it so much that people from all over Greece and its subordinate cities began to come here, even from the Black Sea itself. People got there as best they could - some rode on horseback, some had a cart, but most people walked to the holiday. The stadiums were always crowded with spectators - everyone really wanted to see sports competitions with their own eyes.

It is also interesting that in those days when the Olympic competitions were going to be held in Ancient Greece, a truce was declared in all cities and all wars stopped for about a month. For ordinary people, it was a calm, peaceful time when they could take a break from everyday affairs and have fun.

The athletes trained for 10 months at home, and then another month in Olympia, where experienced trainers helped them prepare as best as possible for the competition. At the beginning of sports games, everyone took an oath, the participants - that they would compete fairly, and the judges - that they would judge fairly. Then the competition itself began, which lasted 5 days. The start of the Olympic Games was announced with a silver trumpet, which was blown several times, inviting everyone to gather in the stadium.

What sports were at the Olympic Games in ancient times?

These were:

running competitions;
struggle;
long jump;
javelin and discus throwing;
hand-to-hand combat;
Chariot racing.

The best athletes were given an award - a laurel wreath or an olive branch; the champions solemnly returned to their hometown and were considered respected people for the rest of their lives. Banquets were held in their honor, and sculptors made marble statues for them.

Unfortunately, in 394 AD, the holding of the Olympic Games was banned by the Roman emperor, who really did not like such competitions.

Modern Olympic Games

The first Olympic Games of our time took place in 1896, in the ancestral country of these games - Greece. You can even calculate how long the break was - from 394 to 1896 (it turns out 1502 years). And now, after so many years in our time, the birth of the Olympic Games became possible thanks to one famous French baron, his name was Pierre de Coubertin.

Pierre de Coubertin- founder of the modern Olympic Games.

This man really wanted as many people as possible to engage in sports and proposed resuming the Olympic Games. Since then, sports games have been held every four years, preserving the traditions of ancient times as much as possible. But now the Olympic Games have begun to be divided into winter and summer, which alternate with each other.

Olympic Games: history, symbolism, how it all originated and how it came to winter Russia

Olympic Games – pictures

Traditions and symbolism of the Olympic Games

Olympic rings

Probably each of us has seen the emblem of the Olympics - intertwined colored rings. They were chosen for a reason - each of the five rings means one of the continents:

blue ring - a symbol of Europe,
black - African,
red - America,
yellow - Asia,
the green ring is the symbol of Australia.

And the fact that the rings are intertwined with each other means the unity and friendship of people on all these continents, despite different skin colors.

Olympic flag

The official flag of the Olympic Games was a white flag with the Olympic emblem. White is a symbol of peace during Olympic competitions, just as it was in ancient Greek times. At each Olympics, the flag is used at the opening and closing of the sports games, and then handed over to the city where the next Olympics will take place in four years.

Olympic flame

Even in ancient times, the tradition of lighting a fire during the Olympic Games arose, and it has survived to this day. The ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame is very interesting to watch; it is reminiscent of an ancient Greek theatrical performance.

It all starts in Olympia a few months before the start of the competition. For example, the flame for the Brazilian Olympic Games was lit in Greece back in April of this year.

In the Greek Olympia, eleven girls gather, dressed in long white dresses, as they used to be in Ancient Greece, then one of them takes a mirror and, with the help of the sun's rays, lights a specially prepared torch. This is the fire that will burn throughout the entire period of Olympic competition.

After the torch lights up, it is handed over to one of the best athletes, who will then carry it first through the cities of Greece, and then deliver it to the country where the Olympic Games will be held. Then the torch relay passes through the cities of the country and finally arrives at the place where the sporting competitions will be held.

A large bowl is installed at the stadium and a fire is lit in it with the torch that arrived from distant Greece. The fire in the bowl will burn until all sports competitions are over, then it will go out, and this symbolizes the end of the Olympic Games.

Opening and closing ceremony of the Olympics

It is always a bright and colorful sight. Each country hosting the Olympic Games tries to surpass the previous one in this component, sparing neither effort nor money on the presentation. The latest achievements of science and technology, innovative technologies and developments are used for the production. In addition, a large number of people are involved - volunteers. The most famous people of the country are invited: artists, composers, athletes, etc.

Awards ceremony for winners and runners-up

When the first Olympic Games took place, the winners received a laurel wreath as a reward. However, modern champions are no longer awarded laurel wreaths, but medals: first place is a gold medal, second place is a silver medal, and third place is a bronze medal.

It is very interesting to watch the competitions, but it is even more interesting to see how the champions are awarded. The winners stand on a special pedestal with three steps, according to their places, they are awarded medals and raised the flags of the countries from which these athletes came.

That’s the whole history of the Olympic Games; for children, I think, the above information will be interesting and useful. You can supplement your story with a presentation about the Olympic Games.