Olympic games in ancient greece venue. The first Olympic Games - history and interesting facts

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Chelyabinsk State Academy of Culture and Arts.

Faculty of Culture.

Department: Socio-cultural activities.

Essay

By discipline: History of social and cultural activities.

Subject: Olympic Games in ancient Greece.

Chelyabinsk 2015

Introduction

1. History of the Olympic Games

2. Rules, conditions, traditions of the Olympic Games in antiquity

3. Program of the Olympic Games

4. The tradition of lighting the Olympic flame

5. Significance of the Olympic Games

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

All ancient Greek holidays and sports games are associated with the gods. The famous Olympic Games that Ancient Greece gave to the world were not the only ones in the era of antiquity. The origins of the first Olympiads are lost in antiquity, but in 776 BC. e. For the first time, the name of the winner in running was written on the marble board, so this year is considered to be the beginning of the historical period of the Olympic Games. The site of the Olympic festivities was the sacred grove of Altis in Olympia. The place was chosen very well. All buildings, both early and later - temples, treasuries, a stadium, a hippodrome - were erected in a flat valley framed by soft hills covered with dense greenery. Nature in Olympia is, as it were, imbued with the spirit of peace and prosperity, which was established at the time of the Olympic Games. In the temple of Olympian Zeus there was a statue of the god, created by the sculptor Phidias, which was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Thousands of spectators flocked to the sacred grove. In addition to spectacles of athletic competitions, trade deals were concluded here, public performances of poets and musicians, exhibitions of works by sculptors and artists were held. Here new laws, treaties were announced, important documents were discussed. Since the announcement of the holy month of the games, all warring parties have ceased hostilities ...

The purpose of the study: The historical analysis of the Olympic Games in the context of the development of ancient Greek civilization in the Hellenistic period.

1. History of Olympic Games

The birth of the Olympic Games Ancient Greece coincided with the time when history was made by myths and legends. According to the works of ancient Greek historians, philosophers and poets that have come down to us, we learn that the Ancient Olympic Games are associated with the names of the folk hero Hercules, the legendary king Pelops, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus and the Hellenic king Ifit.

In the second ode of the ancient Greek poet Pindar, it is said that the birth of the Olympic Games is associated with the name of Hercules. In 1253 BC. e. The Hellenic king Avgiy ordered Hercules to clean out the royal stables, which had not been cleaned for a year, in one day. Using his power, Hercules changed the course of two rivers, passing them through the stables, so that the water helped him to finish the job on time. When the king refused to fulfill his promise and give Hercules part of his horses, he killed the king and members of his family, arranging in honor of this great competition dedicated to Zeus, which allegedly laid the foundation for the Olympic Games. (6)

Olympia was located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese, 20 km from the Ionian Sea, 275 km from Athens and 127 km from Sparta. On the south side, it was washed by the river Alpheus, on the west - by the river Kladei, and on the north was Mount Kronos. In the east, a lowland stretched, flooded with the waters of Alpheus during the flood. The choice for the Olympic stadium near Mount Kronos is explained by the fact that the slopes served as a natural platform for spectators, on which there were 40 thousand people and an arena of about 213x29 m. gymnasium, a courtyard surrounded by a colonnade, with jogging tracks, platforms for throwing, wrestling, for various exercises, ball games, rooms for hygiene procedures, baths, etc.; living quarters for participants in the Olympic Games adjoined the gymnasium. (3)

It is known that only men from among free citizens took part in sports games, who were never brought to trial and were never caught in dishonorable acts. Women were not even allowed as spectators on pain of death. For them, there were also their own competitions - in running. Thanks to numerous texts and paintings on ceramics, we now know what sports existed in ancient Greece. Athletes competed only naked to demonstrate the beauty of their bodies.

This clearly manifested the corporeality of ancient Greek culture. The cult of the body was so great that nudity did not cause a feeling of shame. The rules forbade killing an opponent, resorting to unlawful methods, and arguing with judges. The winners were also solemnly awarded. The winners of the games (olympionics) were awarded with wreaths of wild plums that grew near the temple of Zeus. On the last day of the holiday, a solemn procession was organized in honor of the winners, and the return of the Olympionist to his hometown turned into an unworthy triumph. The whole city came out to meet him, the city authorities arranged a feast, and a statue of the winner was erected on the square: he became a national hero and enjoyed respect throughout his life.

The preservation of the tradition of organizing competitions for more than eleven centuries, despite wars, epidemics and other social upheavals, in itself speaks of that huge social significance played by the Games in Ancient Greece.

Athletes of this period reflected on the one hand the strength and power hometown, and on the other hand, the pan-Hellenic ideal of the all-round development and physical perfection of the individual. And it is deeply symbolic that for a long and strenuous preparation, hard trials in competitions, the winner in Olympia was awarded only a wreath from an olive branch. It was a symbol of selflessness wrestling. Honors and glory came to the winner as a sign of gratitude and love of compatriots, that is, they were the result of public recognition. Initially, only the inhabitants of the Peloponnese took part in the Olympics. Then representatives of neighboring states - Corinth, Sparta, etc. - began to participate in them.

For human ambition, the Olympic Games provided a rewarding arena. All famous people and all those who craved glory flocked here. After the Persian wars, Themistocles came to Olympia and during the ceremonies attracted the attention of the people. The philosophers Anaxagoras, Socrates, Aristippus and Diogenes have also been here; some of them taught the crowd with their moralizing sermons, others caused scandals with their cynical antics. The stage was often attended by Pythagoras and Plato, who were fond of wrestling, especially since in their youth they themselves won victories in it. Orators Gorgias, Lysias, Demosthenes often appeared here and made it possible for all of Greece to listen to samples of their art. The poets Pindar, Simonides, and many others looked for inspiration here, and perhaps even clients.

Various charlatans mixed with the great people, who aroused respectful amazement in the crowd of onlookers. The most original among such charlatans was, perhaps, Menekrates. (3)

2 . Rules, conditions, traditionsions of the Olympic Games in antiquity

The Olympic festivities took place every four years. It was the same mobile holiday as, for example, Christian Easter. Its celebration took place from the 11th to the 15th day of hieromenia, that is, the sacred month, which began with the first new moon after the summer solstice. Thus, it fell at the end of June and the beginning of July of the new style.

Special envoys were sent from Olympia and went in groups to the far shores of the Black Sea, to Egypt and the Spanish colonies, informing the Greeks about the day of festivities. At the same time, these ambassadors, who bore the name of feors, proclaimed the sacred peace.

Here are some articles from that ruling:

1) All hostilities must cease in all countries as soon as hieromenia is declared.

2) For all peoples taking part in the festivities, the country where the sanctuary of Zeus is located must be inviolable.

3) Any foreign detachment entering the territory of Elis must lay down their arms.

4) Those who want to seize this territory or do not help the Eleans against the blasphemous enemy, may the curse of the gods strike.

5) All those who violate the truce will be fined 2 mines (about 75 rubles) from each warrior.

6) In case of refusal to pay this fine, the guilty will be excommunicated.

7) Anyone who offends a traveler going to the Olympic festival will be cursed and fined.

Since the holiday gave rise to the organization of a large fair, wooden barracks were lined up along the main road and the walls of the fence, where all kinds of merchants sat.

But the most serious attraction at the festivities were religious ceremonies and games. Everyone donated according to their means. Rich people made up whole hecatombs. More modest pilgrims were content with sacrificing rams, a kid, a few drops of wine, a few grains of incense. According to the established rules, the Olympic gods entered into direct communication only with the citizens of Elis. Foreigners had to be represented by one of the Eleans. In addition, foreigners were subject to a special tax, but usually this obstacle did not stop even the poorest person. Therefore, pious people from morning to evening surrounded the altars, where libations of wine, incense and blood took place. (2)

The celebration took five days:

On the 1st day, the participants of the Games in front of the altar of Zeus, took an oath in observance of all the rules of the competition, sacrifices took place.

On the 2nd day, competitions were held in the group of boys,

in the 3rd competition of men,

in the 4th horse riding,

on the 5th day ended with sacrifices and was dedicated to the solemn award ceremony.

The name of the Olympian winner, the name of his father and the fatherland were solemnly announced and carved on marble slabs, exhibited in Olympia for all to see. The Olympians were so famous that the year of the Olympiad was often named after the winner. From the 7th Olympiad (752 BC), athletes were awarded wreaths from the branches of the “beautiful wreath olive tree”, according to legend, planted by Hercules himself; from the 60th they were allowed to put their statue in Altis. During the feast that followed the competition, solemn epinic hymns were sung in honor of the Olympionists, composed by the famous poets Pindar, Simonides, Bacchilids, and others. The ancient Greeks considered victory a sign of the deity’s disposition, Zeus’s attention to the athlete and to the city where he comes from. In their homeland, olympionists were exempted from all state duties and enjoyed places of honor in the theater and at all festivities; There are cases when Olympionists were deified and revered as local heroes.

Judges and statutes of competitions. The management of all competitions belonged to the Hellanodics, or judges of the Hellenes. These were officials of Elis, appointed for each Olympiad by lot from a limited number of citizens. There were ten judges. They began their duties ten months before the beginning of the festivities. Going to Olympia, before entering the sacred enclosure, they performed ablution and slaughtered a pig as a sacrifice. In Bouleuteria they took oaths from the contestants, their families and teachers. The Hellanodics themselves swore to fulfill their duty before the altar of Zeus of Herkey and tested athletes, children, horses and foals; they divided them into categories, making up a list of rivals for each competition.

Here are the main articles of the charter: 1) Slaves and barbarians are excluded from the games. 2) Also excluded: those who were punished by the court; all murderers, even those who committed the crime through negligence; people on whom blasphemy gravitates; all individuals or citizens of those states that have not paid the fines imposed on them. 3) All participants in the competition must enroll in advance, within the time limits established by law, at the Elis gymnasium, perform a well-known test there and take an oath. 4) Those who did not appear by the deadline are not allowed to participate in competitions. 5) Married women are certainly forbidden to appear in Altis and in the places of competition during the great festivities. 6) The teachers of the competitors during the games on the stage are placed behind the neighboring fence and must remain completely naked there. 7) Under the threat of deprivation of the reward and the imposition of a fine, it is forbidden to kill your opponent intentionally or through negligence in a wrestling or fistfight. 8). It is forbidden to push your opponent and resort to any unscrupulous methods. 9) It is forbidden to intimidate your opponent and offer him a monetary reward for giving in to the fight. 10) Punishment with rods threatens anyone who makes an attempt to bribe the judges. 11) It is prohibited to express a public protest against the decision of the judges. 12) Any participant in the competition, dissatisfied with the verdict of the Hellanodics, may complain to the Olympic Council and seek the conviction of the guilty judges at his own peril and risk.

Every wrong action was punished by a fine established by law and imposed by the verdict of the judges. Not only the family of the participant of the competition, but also his hometown were responsible for paying this fine.

Competitors. All those wishing to take part in the Games were entered into special lists a year after their opening. They took an oath that they would prepare for the upcoming competitions for at least ten months. With the exception of former winners in Olympia and several athletes who had worldwide fame. But most of the future participants in the competitions spent all ten months intended for exercises in this gymnasium. They were placed in rooms adjacent to the gymnasium. The preparation took place in special schools, where the participant himself paid for the stay. Then, 30 days before the opening of the Games, all their potential participants arrived in Olympia for a centralized collection, everyone had to endure a series of tests in the Elis gymnasium for 30 days; Athletes who arrived at the competitions started training under the supervision of special judges (“hellanodics”), who then dealt with the admission of athletes to the Games.

The competition was attended by people who came from all over the Greek world. Despite the fact that in appearance the organization of the games was of a free nature, participation in the competitions was available only to citizens of the upper classes: only rich people had the opportunity to equip teams for the hippodrome, train horses for racing, and cover the costs associated with maintaining a large stable. The common people could not take part even in the competitions at the stage due to the need for lengthy preparation, travel expenses and stay in Elis. Indeed, members of aristocratic families participated in the competitions at the hippodrome, and the competition at the stage took place between representatives of the bourgeoisie.

When the games approached, the athletes were transported to Olympia and settled in special rooms. Their entry into the Bouleuterium was done with great pomp and in the presence of their fathers, brothers and teachers. Entering there, the contestants extended their hand to the altar of Zeus of Herkey, where they indulged in the burning of the insides of a wild boar, and before the Hellanodics swore an oath to behave in accordance with the requirements of the charter. (5)

The first day opened with competitions on the stage. Long before dawn, all the pilgrims, distributed by nationality, crowded on the slopes of the mountains. As the sun rose, a trumpet sounded. Hellanodiki in red robes crossed the entire field of competition and took their places opposite the start. Around them, officials and priests of Elis, public guests, representatives of different states, all eminent foreigners sat in places of honor. Nearby was the throne of the only married woman whose presence was allowed at this spectacle, namely the priestess of Demeter-Hamina. (2)

3 . ProgramOlympic Games

The games took up most of the three days of the pilgrimage. 40 or 50 thousand people who came from all over the world experienced divine pleasure for an infinite number of hours, contemplating how people hit each other death blows fists, and the horses competed in running speed. But what attracted the Greeks to this spectacle was not the raw passion for gambling of modern European horse racing. Aesthetic aspirations, the need to admire the two kings of nature - a man and a horse - in the prime of their beauty and a burst of courage - that's what captivated the Hellenes. This pleasure was mixed with patriotic excitement. Each turned to the gods his impatient prayers for the victory of his native city in these arenas, where all the Greek peoples gathered. It goes without saying that the motivator of the competitors was, first of all, their personal pride. They sought to arouse admiration for their strength or luxury, but they were also pleased that they would glorify their fatherland with a victory.

Greek gods and mythological heroes are involved in the emergence of not only the Olympic Games as a whole, but also their individual disciplines. For example, it was believed that Hercules himself introduced the run for one stage, personally measuring this distance in Olympia (1 stage was equal to the length of 600 feet of the priest of Zeus), and pankration goes back to the legendary fight between Theseus and the Minotaur. (1)

In addition to athletic competitions, an art competition was also held at the Olympic Games, which has become an official part of the program since the 84th Games (444 BC).

At first, there was only a stadium in the program of the Olympic Games - running for one stage (192.27 m), then the number of Olympic disciplines increased.

At the 14 Olympic Games (724 BC), the program included diaulos - a run for the 2nd stage, and 4 years later - a dolichodrome (run for endurance), the distance of which ranged from 7 to 24 stages.

Foot race.

But the trumpets sounded again. A herald appears in the arena and shouts loudly: “Competitors on the run, come out!”. One of the commanding police officers calls the athletes, and the herald introduces them to the crowd, giving their name and place of their homeland, and asks if anyone disputes their dignity as a citizen and an honest person. One of the Hellanodics addresses the athletes and orders the unworthy to leave. Then the participants in the competition go to a special building located between the stage and the hippodrome, where they take off their clothes and rub themselves with oil. When they reappear already naked, the urn of Zeus is brought into the arena, i.e. a silver vase containing wooden planks engraved with letters. Each participant in the competition draws one of the twenty places, which he will have to take. The Alitarch selects these boards, checks them and takes the athlete to his place. A trumpet blast is heard, and the four rivals start running.

All five groups of competitors, of four people each, ran one after the other. Then the winners of this preliminary run were to compete. The judges passed their verdict, and the herald announced who was the final winner, the main Olympian, whose name the Olympiad was called. (4)

It was just a simple run. With a double run, it was necessary to start running from the place of the Hellanodics and return again to them. With the six-wheel run, it was supposed to run six times along the entire arena. Like running, various types of struggle became more and more difficult.

Run with weapons.

It was delayed towards the end of the games. This competition consisted in the fact that it was necessary to run twice on the stage in military weapons. Initially, this run was carried out in full armor, that is, with a shield, a spear, a helmet and leggings, but little by little this burden was relieved, and in the 4th century they went out only with a shield. (4)

Struggle.

At the 18 Olympic Games (708 BC), wrestling and pentathlon (pentathlon) competitions were held for the first time, which included, in addition to wrestling and the stadium, jumping, as well as javelin and discus throwing;

In a simple fight, they went out with bare hands. The winner was the wrestler who knocked down his opponent three times in such a way that he touched the ground with his shoulder blades. The question of who the competitors had to fight in a pair was decided by lot. Two letters A, two letters B, etc. were placed in the urn. Those who took out the same letter fought with each other; then, also by lot, the winners were connected in pairs. This was done until there was only one winner left. These rules were followed both in fisticuffs and in the so-called pankrat.

At the 23rd Olympic Games (688 BC), fisticuffs were included in the competition program. Going out to the fist fight, the wrestlers put on a special bronze cap on their heads, and wrapped their fists with leather belts with metal bumps. It was a tough fight. When preparing to strike, the wrestler at the same time took precautionary measures: he protected his head with his raised hands, tried to make the opponent blinded by the sun; then, with all his strength, he beat with his fist, as if chained in iron, on the ribs, face and various members of his opponent. Usually they came out of this struggle disfigured, crippled, bleeding; often it ended in death. The fight continued until one of the opponents recognized himself as defeated.

Pankrat.

Pankrat was a mix of wrestling and fisticuffs. The fighter had the right to strike, knock over and squeeze his opponent's throat, but it was forbidden to use teeth and put metal armlets on his hands. Often the opponent was deprived of the opportunity to act with a special technique in which the fingers twisted or broke.

pentathlon.

Pentathlon included five different competitions: jumping, discus and dart throwing, simple running and wrestling. The last two tests have just been described. When competing in jumping, they entered a special embankment; to increase the jump, the competitors waved weights. Thanks to this, jumps reached enormous proportions, - as they say, up to 50 feet.

Children's competitions were an exact repetition of the competitions of adults. However, for a long time, pentathlon was excluded from them, as a competition too difficult for a young age.

Chariot run.

At the 25th Olympic Games (680 BC), chariot races were added (drawn by four adult horses, over time this type of program expanded, in the 5th-4th centuries BC, chariot races pulled by a pair of adult horses began to be held, young horses or mules);

The oldest competitions at the hippodrome were chariot races drawn by two or four horses. These competitions have always remained the most beloved in Greece.

It was required to go around the post at the start twelve times. In a later era, mule teams began to appear, chariots with a pair of horses, as well as with a pair or four foals.

At the 33rd Olympic Games (648 BC), horse racing appeared in the program of the Games (in the middle of the 3rd century BC horse racing began to be held) and pankration, a martial art that combined elements of wrestling and fisticuffs with minimal restrictions on "forbidden techniques" and in many ways reminiscent of modern fights without rules.

The reward for victory went to the owners of the horse or chariot, not to the riders or coachmen.

In what order these competitions took place, we do not know. In ancient times, they all ended on the same day. When their program grew, they began to last three days. For the opening, children's exercises were arranged, in the morning next day adults were scheduled to run. Afternoon - wrestling, fisticuffs and pankrat. The horse races were scheduled for the morning of the third day, and the pentathlon and the race with weapons took place in the afternoon. But exceptions to this rule have been repeatedly made.

From the 37th Games (632 BC), young men under the age of 20 began to participate in competitions. At first, competitions in this age category included only running and wrestling, over time, pentathlon, fisticuffs and pankration were added to them.

In the IV century, two more competitions were invented: heralds and trumpeters.

The Games held in Olympia led to the emergence Panhellenic Games which also included:

Games at Delphi (Pythian Games)

Games in Corinth (Ancient Greek folk festivals)

Games in Nemea (Nemean Games).

All four of the Panhellenic Games inherited the organization and principles of the Olympic Games and have never been held within the same year.

In addition to the Panhellenic Games in Olympia, major competitions were held in Athens. They are known by the name Panathenaic games.

These Games were part of the Great Panathenaic, the biggest festival in Athens, which was held every four years in honor of the goddess Athena.

Everywhere in Greece and the colonies there were local competitions, some of which are more famous, others less so. Each city attached great importance to their organization.(1)

Olympionik.

After each competition, the herald announced the name of the winner, his father and the name of his homeland. The athlete or owner of the chariot approached the judges, The name of the athlete who won these competitions was called the next Olympics. Olympioniki (winners of the Games) were crowned in the temple of Zeus with an olive branch cut with a golden knife in a sacred grove. The Olympic motto consists of three Latin words - Citius, Altius, Fortius. Literally, it means "faster, higher, braver." However, the more common translation is "Faster, higher, stronger" (in English - Faster, higher, stronger) (5)

Then relatives, friends, compatriots, acquaintances and unknown admirers greeted him, threw him flowers and lifted him on their shoulders. Distribution of awards was made on the last day of the holiday. Initially, precious things, tripods, expensive materials served as a reward. Subsequently, simple wreaths of wild olive, decorated with ribbons, began to be distributed; these wreaths were made from the branches of an olive tree, planted, as they said, by Hercules himself. It grew near the temple of Zeus, where the award ceremony took place. The Hellanodics laid wreaths on the heads of the victors in the presence of officials and priests of Elis, as well as in front of representatives of all Greek countries. Then there was a procession. Hellanodiki moved ahead, then new Olympioniki, accompanied by civil and spiritual authorities, public guests and deputies of various nationalities, as well as statues of gods; they descended into Altis, where an enthusiastic crowd awaited them. They moved slowly in their bright clothes, with wreaths on their heads, with palm branches in their hands, to the sound of flutes and singing.

When the procession approached the altar of 12 gods, the winners, surrounded by the gathered crowd, made sacrifices and thanksgiving prayers. Then the procession set off again. Now it was moving towards the pitanium, where the citizens of Elis were preparing a great feast, to which all the privileged officials of Olympia, priests, proxenes and feors were invited. The crowd gathered at the door eagerly listened to the joyful exclamations that reached them. As soon as the names of the winners were entered in the gymnasium in the list of Olympionists, the glory of the winners, as it were, received final recognition.

With this the festival officially ended, but usually it continued for several more days at the expense of the generosity of the winners, who in turn invited their relatives, friends and compatriots to the feast. Alcibiades also invited all the pilgrims to his feast.

Starting from the 6th century, the winners acquired the right to dedicate a statue to Altis. Initially, some figure of an imaginary person was most often erected for this purpose; but every athlete, crowned three times, could erect his own image.

Such portrait statues were usually ordered from the best sculptors. The costs associated with this fell on the winner himself, his family, teacher or hometown. "The most precious possession," said one proverb, "is the golden statue at Olympia."

The return of the winner to his homeland was accompanied by the greatest celebrations. Surrounded by a large retinue of friends and curious, he rode in purple clothes on a quadriga. A certain Exenetes from the city of Agrigentum made his entry accompanied by an infinite number of chariots, three hundred of which were drawn by white horses. First, the procession went to the temple of Zeus, to which the winner had to dedicate his wreath. Then, with the singing of a hymn and the sounds of trumpets, it moved in the pritanei. In honor of the new hero, a magnificent national feast was held.

The celebration of the anniversary of this event took place then for a long time. On that day, Olympionik appeared in the sanctuary of Zeus, put on his wreath again, walked with his relatives and friends throughout the city, visited temples and gave everyone the opportunity to admire himself. The state granted him various privileges. In honor of him, two statues were often erected - one in Olympia, and the other in the public square, in the temple or in the gymnasium of his native city. A painted portrait of him was exhibited under the porticos. In memory Olympic victories in many countries, and especially in Sicily, special coins were beaten out. In Athens, the winner was given a prize of 500 drachmas, in other places he received a lifetime pension, in Argos - a bronze shield, in Pellene - a woolen mantle. It appears to have been pre-destined for execution. public duties, in particular - to the head of the gymnasium. He enjoyed a place of honor in the theatre, as well as at festivities and during battles. Sometimes the state took at its own expense the construction of a tomb for him. The victorious horses were provided with a well-fed existence and a happy old age. During burial, they received honors in the form of a large grave mound with a pyramid at the top.

By the time the winner returns or by the day of the anniversary of his victory, some great poet, for example, Pindar, Simonides, ordered a triumphal ode, performed like an opera, accompanied by music and dancing. In these odes, not only the hero himself was glorified, but also his parents, ancestors, his sovereign and fatherland, deities and heroes of his country and Olympia.

The pride of the Olympionist had no limits. Thanks to momentary success, he fell into the ranks of the first people of his era. He became an important person, sometimes acted as an intermediary between various states, he was sure that he would be mentioned in history. Legends were created around his name. They even got to the point that they began to give him divine honors; the deification of some of the Olympionists began even during their lifetime: Euthymius of Locri made libations and sacrifices to his own image. (3)

4 . Tradolympic flame lighting

olympic game competition tradition

The Olympic flame is one of the symbols of the Olympic Games. The tradition of lighting the Olympic flame existed in ancient Greece during the ancient Olympic Games. It served as a reminder of the feat of the titan Prometheus, who, according to legend, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to people.

Prometheus showed compassion for people and stole fire from the workshop of the divine blacksmith Hephaestus, which he secretly carried out in the reeds. Together with fire, he took from Hephaestus the "wise skill" and taught people to build houses, ships, hew stone, melt and forge metal, write, count.

As the myths say, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to chain Prometheus to the Caucasian rock, pierced his chest with a spear, and a huge eagle flew every morning to peck the titan's liver, which grows again every day. Prometheus was saved by Hercules. Since fire had a divine meaning for the Greeks, it burned in many of the sanctuaries of Olympia. Constantly he was on the altar of Hestia (goddess of the hearth). During the Olympiad, glorifying Zeus, the lights were also lit in the temples of Zeus and Hera.

In 776 BC, athletes began to compete in the ancient Olympic Games. Especially for their opening, the fire was lit and transported to the finish line. The process of delivering the Olympic flame involved maintaining the purity and strength of the natural elements in a continuous state. This was taken care of by 10 Athenian tribes (clan associations), who allocated 40 trained young men for this process. Young people delivered a torch from the altar of Prometheus straight to the Athenian altar. The distance was 2.5 kilometers.

History testifies that in other cities of Hellas there was a cult of Prometheus, and in his honor Prometheus was held - competitions of runners with burning torches.

The figure of this titan remains today one of the most striking images in Greek mythology. The expression "Promethean fire" means striving for high goals in the fight against evil. Didn't the ancients put the same meaning when they lit the Olympic flame in the Altis grove about three thousand years ago?

During the summer solstice, competitors and organizers, pilgrims and fans paid homage to the gods by lighting a fire on the altars of Olympia. The winner of the running competition was honored to light the fire for the sacrifice. In the reflections of this fire, the rivalry of athletes took place, the competition of artists, an agreement on peace was concluded by messengers from cities and peoples.

That is why the tradition of lighting a fire, and later delivering it to the venue of the competition, was renewed.

The modern ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame is performed in Olympia by eleven women, portraying priestesses. The actress, dressed as a ceremonial priestess in antique robes, lights the torch in the same way as was done at the Games of Antiquity. It uses a parabolic mirror to focus the sun's rays to a single point thanks to its curved shape. The energy of the sun creates a large number of the heat that ignites the fuel in the torch when the priestess brings it to the center of the mirror.

The fire is carried in a pot to the altar in the ancient Olympic Stadium, where it lights the torch of the first runner in the relay.

In addition to the main torch, special lamps are also lit from the Olympic flame, designed to store fire in case the main torch (or even the fire at the Games themselves) goes out for one reason or another.

The Olympic flame symbolizes purity, the attempt to improve and the struggle for victory, as well as peace and friendship.

(The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources)

5. Significance of the Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were the unifying center of the entire Hellenic world, the sacred ambassadors of the theory represented all the Greek states in Olympia. The Olympic Games were especially revered by the Greeks from distant places, whom they helped to maintain contact with the metropolis. Many Greek cities hosted games in the likeness of the Olympic Games or built temples of Olympian Zeus (in Athens, Chalcedon, Akragant, Syracuse, etc.).

Artists and poets came to Olympia, and since the 50th Olympiad, the custom has been established to read literary works and recite poetry at the Olympic Games. Herodotus, returning from the East, read here the chapters of his "History"; Socrates, who walked there on foot from Athens, conducted his conversations in Olympia, Plato, Empedocles, Sophocles, Isocrates, Demosthenes and others spoke with their works. all of Greece. The name, solemnly announced at the Olympic Games, became known to the entire Greek-speaking world. At the turn of the 4th-3rd centuries BC. e. the historian Timaeus Siculus proposed to keep the chronology according to the Olympics, four-year time periods, from one Olympics to another.

By the 2nd century BC e. Games are losing their splendor, becoming more and more an event local importance. In 85g. BC e. the Roman commander Sulla, who allowed his soldiers to empty the treasuries of Olympia, moved the Games to Rome (175th Olympiad-80 BC), but after 4 years they resume in Greece. With great pomp, the competition was restored by the Roman emperor Augustus. Germanicus received a wreath at the games, Tiberius in 4 BC. e. won the chariot race. In violation of all age-old rules, Emperor Nero announced the games 2 years ahead of schedule, ordered the destruction of the statues of all the former Olympionists and introduced singing competitions, in which he became the first "winner". After his murder, the games were declared null and void. In 394, the Olympic Games, 293 in a row, were banned as a pagan festival by a decree of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I the Great.

In April 1896, on the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin, the First Olympiad took place in Athens, which marked the beginning of the modern Olympic movement.

Conclusion

Greek civilization is one of the most ancient in the world. She left an indelible mark on world history. It is still admired by its philosophers, poets, mathematicians, sculptures, architects and, of course, athletes.

OLYMPIC GAMES OF ANCIENT GREECE - the largest sport competitions antiquities. They originated as part of a religious cult and were held from 776 BC. to 394 AD (a total of 293 Olympiads were held) in Olympia, which was considered a sacred place by the Greeks. The name of the Games comes from Olympia. The Olympic Games were a significant event for the whole of Ancient Greece, which went beyond purely sporting event. The victory at the Olympics was considered extremely honorable both for the athlete and for the policy he represented.

The ancient Olympic Games performed important cultural, pedagogical, economic, military-applied and political functions. They contributed to the unification of policies, the establishment of a sacred truce, the spiritual and physical preparation of young people and, ultimately, the prosperity of the ancient Greek civilization.

The Olympic Games are now often used not so much for the sake of the ideals of peace and mutual understanding, but to satisfy national claims, personal ambitions, and commercial interests. The world is far from homogeneous.

And, nevertheless, the Olympic movement and today is a deterrent to conflicts between peoples.

Bibliography

1. Brabich V.M. Spectacle of the Ancient World.-1971.

2. Gyro Paul. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LIFE OF THE GREEKS. Pilgrimage to Olympia. 1994

3. Gyro Paul. PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LIFE OF THE GREEKS. Olympic Games. 1994

4. Ryabkov. V.M. Anthology of forms of cultural and leisure activities. Ancient world. Ancient Greece.2006

5. Sokolov G.I. Olympia. - M., 2010.

6. Shanin Yu.P. Heroes of ancient stadiums. 1974

7. The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

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Legends and myths of the foundation of the first Olympic Games - the largest sports competitions of that time. Their foundation as part of a religious cult in ancient Greece. The symbol of the Olympics. Main types of competitions. The frequency of holding is every four years.

Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece are one of the greatest events in Hellenic history. The beginning of their holding is exactly dated - this is 776 BC. The venue for the festival is Olympia, a settlement and sanctuary located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese. main role in festivities occupy sports, the victory is prestigious not only for the participant, but also for the city he represents.

First Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

The very first Olympic Games in ancient Greece were held in 776 BC. All subsequent games were held once every four years. From that moment, the records of the winners of the games began and the order of their conduct was established. The Olympiad began every leap year, in the month of the ceremony, corresponding to the modern time interval from the end of June to the middle of July.

History has preserved a large number of versions in which the origin of the tradition of holding these sports is justified. Most of these versions have the appearance of legends, one way or another connected with the gods and heroes of Ancient Hellas. For example, the first place in the list is occupied by the legend according to which the king of Elis named Ifit went to Delphi, where he received a message from the priestess of Apollo. The people of Elis by this time were exhausted by the constant armed rivalry of the Greek policies, and therefore the gods ordered sports and athletic festivities to be arranged. Thus, King Ifit, in alliance with the famous Spartan ruler Lycurgus, as well as the Athenian reformer Cliosthenes, concluded an agreement on the procedure and rules for holding competitions. It was decided to hold the festival in Olympia, and since then this place has been considered sacred, where armed people were forbidden to enter. Another legend says that Hercules, the famous son of Zeus, initiated the games in honor of the victory of his divine father over Kron.

There is also a legend that the very first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece were arranged among themselves by none other than the gods. It was during these competitions that Zeus defeated the supreme god Kron, and took his place, becoming the ruler of the world.

Participants of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

Initially, only and exclusively local residents of Olympia could be athletes. However, for the thirteenth game in a row, they are joined by the inhabitants of all Ancient Greece. Subsequently, residents from the ancient Greek colonial cities, who arrived from everywhere - from the Black to the Mediterranean Seas, join the participants in the Olympic competitions.

Participants in the Olympic Games in ancient Greece were only free Greeks who had never committed certain crimes, who had not violated their oaths and who had not stained themselves with dishonorable acts. Accordingly, it was impossible for slaves and foreigners to represent any Greek city.

As for age restrictions, both adult men and young men could become participants in the competition.

Women were not allowed to participate. Moreover, the restriction concerned not only participation in competitions, but also the very presence in the territory where the festival was held. An exception to the rule was the presence of a priestess, a representative of the goddess Demeter, and a woman could also be a charioteer of quadrigas, respectively, gaining the right to speak at the hippodrome.

The participants of the Olympic Games lived on the outskirts of Altis, where they trained a month before the opening of the competition. This tradition became the prototype Olympic Village taking place in modern games. The expenses for the accommodation of athletes in Olympia, the preparation of competitions and various religious ceremonies, were borne either by the athletes themselves - participants in the games, or by the city from which they performed.

Dawn of the Olympic Games

There is a reliable historical fact that any hostilities ceased during the Olympic Games. This tradition was called ekeheria, according to which the warring parties were obliged to lay down their arms. It was also forbidden to carry out court cases, the execution of executions was postponed until later. Violators of the rule of ekeheria were punished with a fine.

Types of Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

Paramount, and apparently the most popular view The sport included in the program of the ancient Olympic Games was running. There is even evidence that an ancient king named Endymion arranged a running competition among his sons, and as a reward the winner received a kingdom.

There were several types of running competitions. First of all, it was an analogue of the modern sprint, running on short distance- in fact, from one end of the stadium to the other. The distance was 192 meters and was called the "Olympic stage". Athletes performed in these competitions completely naked. Distance running was the very first and only competition in the history of the Olympic Games and remained so until the thirteenth Olympiad. Starting from the fourteenth, the so-called "double run" was added to the competition. Athletes had to run from one end of the stadium to the other, then run around the post and return to the starting point. A long run was added to the program of the fifteenth Olympic Games in addition to the above running competitions. Initially, it included seven stages, but in subsequent years, the length of the distances changed. The runners ran the stage, ran around the pole, returned to the start, and turned back around the other pole.

In 520 BC, during the 65th Olympiad, another type of running competition appeared - the “hoplite race”. Athletes ran two distances in full armor - they had a helmet, greaves and a shield. In later Olympics, only the shield was left among the weapons.

Also among the types of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece were martial arts. It should be noted that the death of an athlete during the fights was not something special, and even a dead fighter could be appointed the winner.

Starting from the 18th Olympiad, wrestling was included in the program of the games. It was forbidden to strike, it was possible to fight only with the help of pushes. There were two main positions - standing and on the ground. In Greek, there were many names for various techniques.

Five Olympics later, fisticuffs appeared among martial arts. It was impossible to kick the enemy, to make grabs and trips. Hands were wrapped with special straps, making this type of competition one of the most dangerous. Sources that have survived to this day vividly describe the damage caused by such blows. The fighter who won without receiving a single blow from the enemy deserved special respect. If the wrestlers got tired, they were given a rest break. If there was no way to identify the winner, then a certain number of blows were assigned, which the opponents inflicted on each other in turn, while it was impossible to defend themselves. The one who voluntarily surrendered by raising his hand was considered the loser.

In 648 BC, during the 33rd Olympiad, the so-called "pankration" appeared. This type of martial arts included kicks and punches. It was allowed to use choking techniques, but it was impossible to gouge out the eyes and bite. At first it was a competition only for adult men, and then, starting from the 145th Olympiad, pankration was also introduced for young men.

Later, the pentathlon was added to the program of the games. In ancient Greece, this sport was called "pentathlon". From the name you can guess that this type of sports consisted of five various kinds sports - they began with a long jump, then there were one-distance running, discus throwing, and javelin throwing. The fifth sport was wrestling. To date, there is no exact information about how the winner was determined. It is believed that all participants were divided into pairs and competed with each other. As a result, there was one, the last pair. The long jump was distinguished by a special technique. Athletes jumped straight from the spot, without running up, and dumbbells were used to increase the distance of the jump.

Among Olympic competitions there were also horse races. It is noteworthy that women participate in them, since not riders were announced as the winner, but the owners of animals and chariots. Over the years of the existence of the Olympic Games, horse racing has changed. At first, these were quadriga races, then, starting from the 33rd Olympiad, horse racing was added to them. On the 93rd, chariot racing appeared, in which two horses were harnessed. Competitions were divided into two categories - young stallions competed in one, and adult horses competed in the other.

sunset of the olympic games

In the second century BC. The Olympic Games began to lose their great significance, turning into local competitions. This is due to the conquest of Ancient Greece by the Romans. The reasons for the loss of former popularity are considered by several factors. One of them is the professionalism of athletes, when the games became in fact a collection of victories from the Olympians. The Romans, under whose rule Greece was, perceived sports only as a spectacle, they were not interested in the competitive spirit of the Olympics.

Who Banned the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

The end of the thousand-year history of the Olympic Games was the result of a change in religion. They were closely intertwined with the Greek pagan gods, so their holding became impossible after the adoption of the Christian faith.

Researchers associate the ban on the Olympic Games with a certain Roman emperor, Theodosius. It is he who publishes in 393 AD. a code of laws prohibiting paganism, and the Olympic Games, in accordance with these new legislative acts, become completely prohibited. Only centuries later, in 1896, the tradition of holding the sports Olympic Games was revived.

Olympia is an ancient Greek settlement located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese, in the south of the Elis region. From the south it was washed by the river Alpheus, from the west - by the river Kladei, and in the north was Mount Kronos. And only in the east stretched a lowland, flooded with the waters of Alpheus during the flood. It should be noted that in popular literature, the site of the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece is often mistakenly identified with the Olympus mountain range, located in northern Greece, which, according to ancient Greek mythology, was the seat of the gods.

Already in the initial period of the Olympic Games, Olympia was recognized as the historical and cultural center of Ancient Greece with big amount monuments, the construction of which dates back to the first half of the second millennium BC. Mount Kronos, the mound of Pelops, the altars of Zeus, Hercules, Gaia and Hippodamia were considered holy places. Among the monumental structures, the temple of Hera was the first to be erected, in which Zeus was also revered, as well as various treasuries located in a row at the foot of Mount Kronos, representing the sacrifices of the Greek colonies. However, in 472 BC. during the heyday of Athenian democracy, it was decided to build a temple of Zeus in Olympia. The majestic temple (64.12 x 27.68 m) was erected by the architect Libon in 457 BC. e.
A few years later, the famous sculptor, foundry painter Phidias (490-431 BC), who completed the work of the Athenian Acropolis, arrived at Olympia and began to make a statue of Zeus majestically seated on the throne from gold and ivory. Unique sculptures were created among which the most famous was the cult statue of the goddess Hera (the beginning of the 6th century BC on the throne next to the standing Zeus, as well as the statue of Hermes, the patron saint of shepherds and travelers, created by the ancient Greek sculptor Praxiteles in the temple of Hera, no less the statue of the flying Nike, the goddess of Victory Paionia, is known.The total height of the statue, together with a high triangular pedestal, was 11.9 m.

Since that time, intensive development of Olympia began. A guest house, a palestra, a gymnasium, a stadium, a hippodrome and other facilities have been built, which make it possible to hold grandiose sports competitions - the Olympic Games - with great success.
Palestra (III century BC), located in the western part of Altis, was a structure measuring 66 x 66 m, surrounded by a colonnade, behind which were various rooms and semi-open spaces. In the inner courtyard, athletes practiced combat sports: wrestling, pankration and fisticuffs. Long jumps were also performed here. If the weather did not allow training on fresh air, athletes were engaged in special halls of the palestra. There were halls for fisticuffs and wrestling. The same halls were used by athletes who were preparing in pankration.

The palestra housed a variety of equipment and equipment for the successful preparation of athletes: leather bags filled with sand, flour or wheat for fisticuffs, boxing gloves, throwing discs, poles, weights for jumping, sand baskets highest quality, vessels with oil, special wells for a mixture of oil and mud used by wrestlers, etc.
There was a strict technology for preparing coatings on the grounds and in the halls for wrestling, pankration and boxing. Only the highest quality sand and earth were used here.

The surface was thoroughly cleaned, loosened, compacted, watered. This work required a lot of time and effort and was usually done by the students themselves.

The gymnasium, built next to the palestra, at the end of the 2nd century. BC. was an open space surrounded by a colonnade. The size of the gymnasium corresponded to the stadium. The central part was a portico 219.5 m long and 11.3 m wide. It was here that a path equal to Olympic distance- one classical stage. Its length, due to the uneven size of the step of the judges measuring it in Greece, ranged from 175 to 192.27 m. The largest, or classic, stage was in Olympia. According to legend, Hercules himself measured it. This is where the word "stadium" comes from. Adjacent to the gymnasium were living quarters, in which athletes settled for the period of preparation and participation in the Olympic Games.

Olympic Stadium through the efforts of German archaeologists completely recreated in its original form. Few traces of the first stadium remained, the second stadium was located approximately in the same place as the first. In the middle of the IV century. BC. the stadium moved 75 m to the east. The stadium, built by the architect Leonid, had an arena measuring 213 x29 m and seats for spectators (about 50 thousand) on the hills of Mount Kronos, which were a natural tribune.

A hippodrome measuring 730 x 66 m was built for horse racing. The official guests of the Olympic Games settled in a guest house, next to it there were baths.

Olympia was glorified by poets and speakers, myths and legends were composed about it. Pindar dedicated many of his odes to Olympia and the Games. “There is no other star nobler than the Sun, which gives so much warmth and brilliance in the desert of the sky. So we also glorify those that are more noble of all games - the Olympic Games,” the poet wrote.

Ancient Greece gave the whole civilization not only the largest cultural heritage, but also large-scale sports competitions, called the Olympic Games, which have become international in the modern world. Our article talks about ancient competitions.

Beginning of the Olympic Games

Ancient Greek myths say that the first competitions were held for Zeus in Olympia (a sanctuary in the Peloponnese). Hercules participated in them and won. The venue gave the name to the competition.

The Olympic Games in Greece in ancient times are officially counted from 776 BC. e. as part of a religious festival celebrated on the 1st full moon after the summer solstice. The initiators of the organization of the competition are the ruler of Elis and the legislator of Sparta.

A special stadium with stands was built in Olympia. After a gradual expansion, it could accommodate approximately 40,000 spectators.

Rice. 1. Ancient Olympia.

A sacred truce was established for the duration of the Olympic Games. After the official announcement of the beginning of the celebration, it was forbidden to conduct hostilities throughout Greece.

Rules for holding

The Olympic Games were held every four years. It lasted five days and was divided into two parts:

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• directly competition;
• religious ceremonies and honoring the winners, who were awarded with an olive wreath and palm branches.

The winners were determined by two judges, later their number was increased to an average of ten. A police detachment was placed under the control of the judges.

Only full-fledged male Greeks (also Romans after the capture of Greek territories) could participate in the Olympic Games. A month before the start of the competition, those who wished to demonstrate their skills to the judges and took an oath to Zeus that they devoted 10 months to training. The order of the participants was determined by lot.

Greek women were not even allowed to watch the games, with the exception of the priestesses of the fertility goddess Demeter. There was one trick to participate: women could drive chariots, and the owner of the horse or wagon was declared the winner.

For active women, special competitions were created separately. The winner was awarded with an olive wreath and food.

Rice. 2. Chariot racing in ancient Greece.

Types of ancient competitions

We list and briefly describe the types of competitions:

• Run : first olympic view The sport was represented by a one-distance run (192 m.) from the 1st to the 13th games, a double run from the 14th, a long run (7 distances) from the 15th, a full-armed run (2 distances in a helmet, with a shield) from the 65s;
• martial arts : represented by fisticuffs from 23 games (trips, kicks, grabs were prohibited), pankration from 33 ( hand-to-hand combat, punching and kicking), wrestling from the 18th (hitting is prohibited, pushes are allowed);
• Pentathlon : an 18-game pentathlon consisting of running, wrestling, long jump, javelin and discus throw;
• Chariot racing : Quadrig races (a two-wheeled cart with four horses) from 25 games, horse racing from 33, chariot races with two horses from 93;
• Competition of trumpeters and heralds : added from the 96th Games, as a special kind of competition that combines aesthetics and sports.

Rice. 3. Antique running.

The Olympic Games lasted until 394 AD. e. They were abolished by the Christian Roman emperor Theodosius. During this time, 293 games were played.

What have we learned?

After reading an article about the Olympic Games in antiquity, we found out their features, conditions for holding; learned the main types of competitions, the first of which was running. Using this information, you can make a high-quality report on the topic indicated above for a 5th grade history lesson.

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The project tells the story of the origin of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, their relationship with the ancient Greek gods and heroes, their symbolism, general cultural significance.

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IX city competition of abstract-research works

for students in grades 1-8 "Intellectuals XXI"

Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

(Socio-historical sciences)

Grade 4, MBOU secondary school No. 89

Scientific director:

Suslova Polina Yurievna,

primary school teacher

Chelyabinsk, 2014

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………3
2. Main part……………………………….................................... ...4

1. Olympic Games from inception to decline……………………...4
2. Holy Olympic Fire……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. How the Olympic Games were held in Ancient Greece……………6

1. Conclusion…………………………………………………………….7
2. References………………………………………………………8

Introduction

Objective of the project : to study the history of the origin of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, their relationship with the ancient Greek gods and heroes, symbolism, general cultural significance.

Project tasks:

1. To study historical materials about the origin of the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece.
2. Analyze the collected information, choose the most

needed to create a project.

1. To draw the attention of classmates to the upcoming Olympic Games in Sochi 2014.
2. Make the project look like methodological development for class time.
3. Conduct a class hour for classmates on the topic of the project.

Justification of the relevance of the chosen topic: You all know very well that in 2014 the Winter Olympic Games will be held in Russia. This is a grandiose and large-scale event for our country. Therefore, I would like to acquaint you with the history of the Olympic Games, their symbolism, types of competitions and general cultural significance.

The practical significance of this projectis to hold a class hour in order to draw attention to the upcoming Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, the greatest and most grandiose event of our country.

The Olympic Games of Ancient Greece are the largest sports competitions of antiquity. They originated as part of a religious cult and were held from 776 BC. to 394 AD (a total of 293 Olympiads were held) in Olympia, which was considered a sacred place by the Greeks. The name of the Games comes from Olympia. The Olympic Games were a significant event for the whole of Ancient Greece, which went beyond the scope of a purely sporting event. The victory at the Olympics was considered extremely honorable both for the athlete and for the policy he represented.

From the 6th c. BC. Following the example of the Olympic Games, other all-Greek competitions of athletes began to be held: the Pythian Games, the Isthmian Games and the Nemean Games, also dedicated to various ancient Greek gods. But the Olympics were the most prestigious among these competitions.

Main part

1. Legends about the origin of the Olympic Games.

There are many legends about the origin of the Olympic Games. All of them are associated with the ancient Greek gods and heroes.

The most famous legend tells how the king of Elis, Ifit, seeing that his people were tired of endless wars, went to Delphi, where the priestess of Apollo conveyed to him the command of the gods: to arrange pan-Greek athletic festivals pleasing to them. After that, Iphitus, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus and the Athenian legislator and reformer Cliosthenes established the procedure for holding such games and entered into a sacred alliance. Olympia, where this festival was to be held, was declared a sacred place, and anyone who enters its borders armed is a criminal.

According to another legend, Pelops was called the founder of the Games. Having won the chariot race in memory of his victory, he decides to organize an Olympic festival and competitions every four years.

Some researchers argue that the Olympic Games were held in honor of the harvest festival. Therefore, the winners were also awarded with an olive branch and a wreath, which were first brought to Olympia by the son of Zeus Hercules.

Religious ceremonies were an obligatory part of the ancient Olympic Games. According to the established custom, the first day of the Games was set aside for sacrifices: athletes spent this day at the altars and altars of their patron gods. A similar ceremony was repeated on the final day of the Olympic Games, when awards were presented to the winners.

From the Olympic Games 776 BC the Greeks were counting a special "Olympic chronology" introduced by the historian Timaeus. The Olympic holiday was celebrated in the "holy month", beginning with the first full moon after the summer solstice. It was to be repeated every 1417 days that made up the Olympiad - the Greek "Olympic" year.

The Olympic Games eventually became an event of pan-Greek proportions. Many people came to the Games not only from Greece itself, but also from its colonial cities from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

And in 394 AD. The Olympic Games were banned - as a "remnant of paganism" - by the Roman emperor Theodosius I, who forcibly propagated Christianity.

1. Holy Olympic flame.

The Olympic flame has become one of the symbols of the Olympic Games. It is lit in the city of the games during their opening, and it burns continuously until they are over.

The tradition of lighting the Olympic flame existed in ancient Greece during the ancient Olympic Games. The Olympic fire served as a reminder of the feat of Prometheus, who, according to legend, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to people. The Olympic flame symbolizes purity, the attempt to improve and the struggle for victory, as well as peace and friendship.

1. How were the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece?

Special ambassadors traveled to all Greek cities. They appeared in the city squares in Athens and Sparta, they were seen in the Greek cities of Asia Minor and on the flowering shores of the Black Sea, inhabited by the Greeks. Wherever these ambassadors appeared, huge crowds of people listened to them with festive, joyful excitement. They reported on the day of the upcoming great celebration - the famous Olympic Games. The Olympic Games were held in honor of the supreme Greek god Zeus every four years. It was a public holiday.

But not only about the day of the start of the games were reported by ambassadors in the squares of Greek cities. They proclaimed the terms of the sacred peace, which was announced at the time of the festivities. All hostilities, wherever they occurred, immediately ceased. Violators of this condition were subject to heavy fines. For all the tribes and peoples taking part in the festivities, the country where the sanctuary of Zeus is located is sacred and inviolable. Anyone who offends a traveler on his way to the Olympic festivities is also subject to a curse and a fine.

On all the roads of Greece, people hurried to the festivities in Olympia. Some rode on horseback or in wagons, but most of the people simply walked. Although only men took part in the festivities and were present, the number of guests was still measured in many thousands. Olympic Stadium, where the running took place and others gymnastic exercises, accommodated 40 thousand people and was always crowded. On the banks of the Alfea River, during the festivities, a whole city grew out of tents and huts. Wooden barracks lined up along the main road and the walls of the fence, and there was a lively trade in a wide variety of items.

At the first thirteen Games, the Greeks competed only in a short run for one stage, the length of which, due to the different steps of the measuring judges, was, as already noted, unequal - from 175 to 192.27 m. It was from this word that the name "stadium" came from. The largest stage was in Olympia, since, according to legend, Hercules himself measured it. For more than half a century this type of running was the only competition in Olympic holiday Hellenes. Runners started from special marble slabs, in which there were recesses for fingers.

So, the program of the ancient Olympic Games included the following types - running at stages 1, 2 and 24; struggle; pentathlon (pentathlon); fist fights; chariot races drawn by two and four horses; pankration, running in military gear, horse racing.

After the run, the fight began. There were several types of struggle: the simplest of them was that the opponents went out against each other with bare hands. The winner was the one who hit his opponent to the ground three times. In fisticuffs, the wrestlers put on a bronze cap on their heads, and wrapped their fists in leather belts with metal bumps. It was a very cruel kind of struggle, often ending in serious injuries. There was another type of wrestling, which was a combination of wrestling with fisticuffs. Only in this case it was forbidden to wrap the fists with belts.

The next day of competition began with the pentathlon. It included, in addition to running and wrestling, discus throwing, spears and jumping. Competitors in jumps ascended a special embankment, in their hands were pear-shaped weights. Here they stretch their arms with weights forward - jump! - hands are quickly thrown back, and the body rushes forward in a jump. Again the heralds proclaim the name of the winner. Then the discus starts. Discus throwers line up one after the other. They take a heavy bronze disc in their hand, rotate it several times in the air with their hand, and tilt it slightly to maintain balance. upper part the torso forward and lean with the left hand on the right knee, and then at the moment of the throw they elastically straighten the body, and the disk, launched by a skillful hand, cuts through the air with a whistle.

The pentathlon ends with a javelin throw, which is not just thrown as far forward as possible, but must hit a specific target when thrown. It was already a purely military exercise.

The last day of the games is dedicated to competitions at the hippodrome. The most ancient and favorite type of these competitions were chariot races drawn by four horses. It was required twelve times to go around the post at the start. Often these competitions, which require great strength and dexterity, ended in accidents. But what a beautiful sight the rushing chariots present! Thousands of spectators watched the athletes with bated breath. After the chariots run, horseback riding begins. They have one feature: before approaching the finish line, the rider must jump off the horse and run alongside it, holding the reins in their hands.

Heralds again solemnly announced the names of the winners in individual competitions. The distribution of awards took place at the temple of Zeus. The judges solemnly place simple wreaths of wild olive entwined with white ribbons on the heads of the winners. The olive tree, from whose branches wreaths were woven, grows here; according to legend, it was planted by Hercules himself. This simple award is valued by the Greeks more than gold and jewels, it gives its owners eternal glory and honor.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be noted that since ancient times the Olympic Games have been the main sporting event all times and peoples. In the days of the Olympiads, harmony and reconciliation reigned throughout the earth. Wars stopped and all strong and worthy people competed in a fair fight for the title of the best.

Being the site of the Olympic Games, Olympia was the historical and cultural center of Ancient Greece with a large number of ancient monuments. Mount Kronos, the mound of Pelops, the altars of Zeus and Gaia, Hercules and Hippodamia were considered holy places. Then, there were temples of Zeus, Hera. In honor of the Games in Olympia, many beautiful statues, altars, and temples were built. The most famous temple was Olympium, which contained a large statue of Zeus, more than 12 m high, made by Phidial of ivory and gold.

Nowadays, the Olympic Games have become holidays of sports. The best sportsmen of the majority of the countries of the world participate in them. Unlike the ancient festivities that took place in one stadium, the modern Olympic Games do not have a permanent capital and are held in different cities and countries. Over the centuries, the Olympic movement has overcome many obstacles, oblivion and alienation. But despite everything, the Olympic Games are alive to this day. Of course, this is no longer the competition in which naked young men took part and the winner of which entered the city through a breach in the wall. Today, the Olympic Games are one of the biggest events in the world. Games are equipped with the latest technology - computers and television cameras monitor the results, the time is determined to the nearest thousandth of a second, the athletes and their results largely depend on the technical equipment. Thanks to the media, there is not a single person left in the civilized world who does not know what the Olympics is or who has not seen the competition on TV.

In recent years, the Olympic movement has acquired a huge scale and the capitals of the Games for the duration of the Games become the capitals of the world. Sport plays an increasingly important role in people's lives.

Bibliography

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