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Feb 9, 2018 · The first recorded evidence of the ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776 B.C. The ancient games were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were held on the plains of Olympia in the western ...
The only event recorded at the first thirteen games was the stade, a straight-line sprint of just over 192 metres (630 feet). [74] The diaulos (lit. "double pipe"), or two-stade race, is recorded as being introduced at the 14th Olympiad in 724 BC.
1914 The first technical rules and the first list of world records (53 track, 30 walking and 12 field events, all for men) are presented at third IAAF Congress in Lyon, France. It is agreed that athletes committing three false starts are to be disqualified, with distance penalties on the first and second offences.
- Origins of The Games
- The Spectators
- The Athletes
- The Stadion Footrace
- Other Sporting Events
- Competition Rules & Judges
- Olympic Prizes
- Famous Olympians
- End of The Games
Sporting events were originally associated with funeral rituals, particularly those of heroes and the fallen in battle, for example, the games for Patroklos in Homer's Iliad. At Olympia, in particular, some mythological accounts credit Zeus with beginning the Games to celebrate his victory over Kronos whilst other accounts state the hero Pelops beg...
Heralds (spondophoroi) were sent from Elis to advertise the coming of the Games across Greece. Spectators came from not only the Greek mainland but also the islands, Ionia and Magna Graecia. To facilitate the movement of spectators and athletes and in respect of the religious importance of the Games a sacred truce (ekecheiria) was called across Gre...
Athletes trained under the watchful eye of a professional trainer (gymnastes) or physical trainer (paidotribes) who knew how to best develop particular muscles, the best diet and the correct amount of exercises to be done. Trainers were often thanked by their more successful athletes by the dedication of a statue of them at the site. Athletes also ...
For the first 12 Olympics the stadion foot-race was the only event and it remained the most prestigious event throughout the history of the Games. The race was ran over one length (a stadion) of the stadium track, 600 ancient feet or 192 m and preliminary heats were held with heat winners going into the final. Athletes were grouped by lot and in th...
Over time other events were added to the Games to bring the total programme to 18 events spread over five days: 1. diaulos- the two stadium lengths foot-race, added in 724 BCE. 2. dolichos- longer foot-races 7 to 20 stadium lengths, added in 720 BCE. 3. wrestling- added in 708 BCE. Competitors had to throw their opponent to the ground three times t...
Athletes had to arrive at Olympia one month before the Games for training and, further, they had to declare that they had been in training for at least ten months. Non-Greeks, slaves, murderers, those convicted of defiling temples and all those who had not respected the truce were excluded from participating. Indeed, cities could be included in the...
The Hellanodikai also gave out the victory crown (kotinos) of wild olive leaves and an olive branch cut from the sacred tree (Kallistephanos) to each event winner. The olive was significant because the trees of Olympia were believed to have been originally planted by Hercules. Another prize could be a red woollen ribbon which was worn on the upper ...
There were many great athletes who won fame and glory in multiple Games. Kroton from southern Italy won three consecutive stadion races from 488 to 480 BCE. Phanas of Pellene managed to win three events in the Olympics of 521 BCE - the stadion, diaulos and the race in armour. Leonidas of Rhodes went even better and managed to win all three events i...
The Games continued through the Hellenistic period with more buildings added to the site, greater comforts offered for the spectators and an increase in the professionalism and event specialisation of the athletes. In Roman times, although there were some changes to tradition such as Sulla's moving of the 80 BCE Games to Rome, the Games continued t...
- Mark Cartwright
Jan 6, 2010 · The Olympics Begin in Ancient Greece. The first written records of the ancient Olympic Games date to 776 B.C., when a cook named Coroebus won the only event—a 192-meter footrace called the...
The most ancient and prestigious event at Olympia was the running race along the length of the stadium, a distance of 600 Olympic feet (192.28 metres). The Olympiad (the four-year period up to the next Games) was named after the winner, and dates were recorded by reference to the list of victors.
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The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. The man responsible for its rebirth was a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who presented the idea in 1894.
