Contents of the article about the ancient Olympic Games in Greece:

1. Start of the Olympic Games
2. Participants in the Olympic Games in ancient Greece
3. Dawn of the Olympic Games
4. Sunset Olympic Games

• The tradition of holding the Olympic Games has been revived today. The first Olympic Games of our time were held in the 19th century, and at the moment they are considered the most prestigious world sports competitions.

Start of the Olympic Games

The 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 on, the recording of the winners of the games began and the order of their holding was established. The Olympics began every leap year, in the month of the ceremony, corresponding to the modern time frame from late June to mid-July.

The history has preserved a large number of versions, which substantiate the origin of the tradition of holding these sports competitions. Most of these versions have the form of legends, one way or another associated with the gods and heroes of Ancient Greece. For example, the first place in the list is occupied by the legend according to which the king of Elis, named Iphit, 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 to arrange sports and athletic festivals.

The participants of the Olympic Games lived on the outskirts of Altis, where a month before the opening of the competition, they trained in palestra and gymnastics. This tradition has become the inspiration for the Olympic village that takes 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 - the participants in the games, or by the city from which they competed.

Dawn of the Olympic Games

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

Types of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece

Primary, and most likely the most popular species sport included in the program of the ancient Olympic Games was running. There is even information that an ancient king named Endymion organized a running race among his sons, and as a reward the winner received the kingdom.
There were several types of running competitions. First of all, it was an analogue of a modern sprint, a short distance run - 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 Olympics. 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 pole and return to the starting point. In the program of the fifteenth Olympic Games, a long run was added to the aforementioned running competitions. Initially, it included seven stages, but in subsequent years the length of the distances changed. Runners ran a stage, ran around a pole, returned to the start, and turned back around another pole.

In 520 BC, during the 65th Olympiad, another type of running competition appeared - "hoplite running". Athletes ran two distances in full armor - they were wearing a helmet, greaves and a shield. In the 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 fights was not something special, and even a dead fighter could be named the winner.
Since the 18th Olympiad, wrestling has been included in the program of the games. It was forbidden to strike, it was only possible to fight with the help of shocks. There were two main positions - standing and on the ground. In the Greek language, there were many names for various techniques.

Five Olympics later, fist fights appeared among martial arts. It was impossible to kick the enemy, 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 colorfully 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 break to rest. If the winner could not be identified in any way, then a definite number of blows was assigned, which the opponents inflicted on each other in turn, while it was impossible to defend. The loser was the one who voluntarily surrendered by raising his hand.
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 suffocating techniques, but it was impossible to gouge out the eyes and bite. At first it was a competition for adult men only, and then, starting from the 145th Olympiad, pankration was introduced for youths as well.

Later, the pentathlon was added to the games program. In ancient Greece, this sport was called "pentathlon". From the name, you can guess that this type of sports consisted of five different sports - they began with a long jump, then there was one-distance running, discus throwing, and also javelin throwing. The fifth sport was wrestling. To date, no exact information has been preserved about how the winner was determined. It is believed that all participants were divided into pairs and competed among themselves. As a result, there was only one, the last pair. The long jump was distinguished by a special technique. Athletes jumped straight from the spot, without scattering, and dumbbells were used to increase the range of the jump.
Equestrian races also took place among the Olympic competitions. It is noteworthy that women participate in them, since not the riders, but the owners of animals and chariots were announced as the winner. Over the years of the existence of the Olympic Games, equestrian racing has evolved. At first it was quadriga racing, then, starting from the 33rd Olympiad, horse racing was added to them. On the 93rd, chariot races appeared, in which two horses were harnessed. Competitions were divided into two categories - one for young stallions and the other for adult horses.

How were the Olympic Games in ancient Greece

The start date of the event was set by a commission specially created for this, about which then special people, called spondophores, notified the residents of other Greek states. Athletes came to Olympia a month before the start of the games, during which time they had to train under the guidance of experienced coaches.
The course of the competition was observed by the judges - elladonics. In addition to the judicial function, the duties of the Elladonics included the organization of the entire Olympic holiday.

Each athlete, before speaking to the people, had to prove to the judges that during ten months before the start of the games, he was intensively preparing for the competition. The oath was taken near the statue of Zeus.
Initially, the duration of the Olympic Games was 5 days, but later it reached even a month. The first and last day of the games was devoted to religious rituals and ceremonies.
The public learned about the sequence of holding a certain type of competition with the help of a special sign. Those wishing to take part in it had to determine their order by drawing lots.

Ancient Greece Olympic winners

The winners of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece were called Olympians. They became famous throughout Greece, they were greeted with honor at home, as athletes represented not only themselves at the games, but also the city-state from where he came. In the event of a three-time victory at the games, a bust was installed in Olympia in honor of such an athlete. The winner's award was an olive wreath, and he also stood on a pedestal, the function of which was performed by a bronze tripod and took palm branches in his hands. Also, as a reward, they gave out a small cash bonus, but he received the real benefits already upon returning home. At home, he received many different privileges.
Milon of Croton is considered one of the most famous Olympians. He won his very first victory in wrestling in 540 BC, during the 60th Olympiad. Later, between 532 and 516, he won five times, and it was only at the age of 40 that he lost to a younger athlete, without gaining Olympic status for the seventh time.

A wrestler named Sostratus, a native of Sikyon, won the pankration three times. His secret was that he broke the fingers of opponents, for which he received the nickname Finger.
There are cases when the deceased participants became the winners. For example, Arichion of Filagea was strangled during the fight, but his opponent declared his defeat, as he could not endure the pain of a broken toe. To the applause of the audience, the corpse of Arikhion was awarded the winner's olive wreath.
Artemidorus, who arrived from Thrall, is famous for being supposed to compete in the youth group, but did not tolerate the insults of an adult pankrationist wrestler. After that, Artemidor moved to the adult group and became the champion.

Among the famous runners is the Rhodesian athlete Leonidas. Over the course of four Olympics, he became a leader in various running competitions.
Astil from Croton became the six-time Olympic champion. He is also famous for the fact that, at the first competitions, he represented Croton, and at the next two, another city - Syracuse. In revenge, the inhabitants of Croton made a prison building out of his dwelling and destroyed a memorial statue.
There have been entire dynasties of winners in the history of the Olympic Games. For example, Poseidor's grandfather by the name of Diagoras and his uncles also became champions - olympionics.

In addition, many of the ancient thinkers known in our time, their mental activity did not prevent them from participating in various sports competitions. For example, the famous Pythagoras was not only strong in mathematics, but at one time he was better known as a champion in boxing, that is, fist fighting, and the thinker Plato broke the foundations not only in philosophy, but also in the arena, becoming a champion in pankration.

Sunset Olympic Games

In the second century BC. The Olympic Games began to lose their great importance, becoming a local competition. This is due to the conquest of ancient Greece by the Romans. Several factors are believed to be responsible for the loss of its former popularity. One of them is called the professionalism of athletes, when the games became, in fact, collecting victories from the Olympics. The Romans, under whose rule Greece was, perceived sports exclusively 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 implementation 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 A.D. the body of laws prohibiting paganism, and the Olympic Games, in accordance with these new legislative acts, become completely banned. Only centuries later, in 1896, the tradition of holding the Olympic sports games was revived.

Greetings, my inquisitive readers! All of you, of course, know about the Olympic Games, even from time to time, I am sure, you are rooting for our TV screens. Russian athletes... But has anyone wondered why these sport competitions so named, where did they go for the first time and how old are they?

I think everyone can give a short answer to one or two questions. Well, so that you can freely talk about the history of the Olympics, I propose to get acquainted with the topic called "The first in the history of the Olympic Games".

Lesson plan:

How it all began?

Ancient history will always remain a mystery to us, which even historians cannot fully discover. So in this matter. There is no reliable information about who actually and when founded the first Olympic Games in the history of mankind. Everything related to ancient times is always shrouded in myths.

The king of the small country of Elis, named Iphit, was concerned with one question: how to save his people from plunder and war, and came for advice to the fortuneteller. The oracle's answer was a little strange: "We need to found games pleasing to the gods!" And Iphit went to his neighbor - the ruler of Sparta, voiced a prediction, agreed on peace and in gratitude promised to organize an athletic competition.

The ancient Greek rulers established the order of the games and entered into a sacred alliance. The established competitions were to be held every four years in the ancient Greek town of Olympia. So the competition got its name Olympic.

There is another version of the appearance of the Olympic Games, according to which they began to be held thanks to the son of the god Zeus - Hercules, who brought the sacred olive branch to Olympia, marking the victory of his father over his fierce grandfather.

According to other information, the same Hercules, with the help of athletic competitions, immortalized the memory of Tsar Pelop for his victory in chariot races.

Which version is closer to you?

Organization of the first games

Whichever myth about the appearance of the first Olympic Games we are no longer inclined to, according to the documents, the date when they took place for the first time is attributed to 776 BC. On the bronze disc of King Iphit, the rules of the competition were recorded and a clause was made on the mandatory military truce for the duration of the competition. The words of the text of reconciliation are inscribed around the disc.

The venue of the competition, Olympia, was declared sacred, where it was possible to enter only without weapons. Anyone who encroached on the shrine, holding a sword in their hands, was asked to be considered a criminal.

It was decided to hold a competition between harvest and grape harvest, in the holy month, which began after the summer solstice. The sports festival first lasted one day, then the competition time was extended by five days, and later they began to compete for a month.

A specially created commission appointed the day for the start of the Olympic Games, and messengers traveled from Elis in different directions to inform about the beginning of the truce and the date of the holiday. A month before the start of the competition, athletes from different ancient Greek states came to Olympia to train. Messengers of warring policies Ancient Greece came together to conduct peace negotiations and resolve conflicts.

Who could participate in ancient Greek competitions?

In order to apply to participate in the Olympic Games, one could not be a slave, or a barbarian, or a criminal. The ancient Greeks considered everyone who was not a citizen of their state to be barbarians. There was no age limit for the participants in the competition - both an adult man and a young man under the age of 20 could become one.

At first, only athletes from Elis took part in the competition. After a dozen games were held, residents of other policies of Ancient Greece began to be admitted to the number of participants, and then athletes from the ancient Greek colonies joined them.

Olympic sports

In the programs of the Olympics of Ancient Greece different kinds sports were included gradually.

At first, only running was included in the competition of athletes.

It was a competition for short distances when athletes ran from one end of the stadium to the other. Subsequently, a double run was added, when the distance included the way back and forth. The fifteenth Olympic Games already included in their program long distance... The sixty-fifth competition was distinguished by a running competition with weights - shields, helmets, and greaves were hoisted on the athletes.

In the second decade of the Olympic years, chariot riding, as well as pentathlon, which included wrestling, running, long jump, javelin and discus throwing, were included in the competition program.

During the thirty-third Olympiad in Ancient Greece, such a sport as pankration appeared - martial arts with kicks and hands, suffocation techniques. By this time, athletes had already skillfully competed in fist fights, for participation in which they protected their heads with a bronze cap, and their hands with leather belts with metal tips. At about the same time in Olympic program horse racing is added.

Ancient Greek Olympic winners

For what the athletes tried so hard, transferring physical exercise and exercising annually? Of course, for the sake of glory, to glorify both themselves and the city where they came from!

The tradition that existed in Ancient Greece to carve the names of the winners of the Olympics on marble columns that were installed along the banks of the Alpheus River played an invaluable role - the name of the first prize winner has come down to the present day. It was a cook from Elis named Koreba.

All the winners of the competition were called Olympians. For their victory, the athletes received a wreath of olive leaves and money as a reward.

But the most important reward awaited them at home, in their city, when the heroes received various privileges. They gained fame throughout Ancient Greece and were held in high esteem at the level of great warriors. If an athlete won Olympic competitions three times, then in the city of residence he was given a bust and entered in the book of outstanding citizens.

If you already know such philosophers as Pythagoras and Plato, then you will be interested to know that at one time the former was a champion in fist fighting, and the latter in pankration.

Why did it end?

The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece began to lose their significance in the 2nd century BC. They began to turn into ordinary local competitions.

The reason for this is the conquest of the country by the Romans, who did not care about the sports spirit, they saw only a spectacle in the games. The change of religion to Christianity put an end to the Olympics. Many scholars say that the Roman emperor Theodosius officially banned the competition in 393 AD with his code of laws against paganism.

Only after centuries, in 1896, the Olympics were revived again thanks to the initiative of the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin.

5 interesting facts about the ancient Olympics

1. Women were not allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, not only as participants, but also as spectators. An exception was made only for the priestess and chariot drivers.
2. All athletes taking part in the first Olympic Games performed completely without clothes. Yes, yes, and ran around naked!
3. An athlete who broke the rules in a pankration competition was hit with a stick by the referee.
4. The Olympic Games were to be repeated in 1417 days. This period of time was called " Olympic year».
5. It is noteworthy that athletes used dumbbells for jumping distance. Apparently, they jumped into the distance more confidently.

And in 1978, an animated film was shot about how the Cossacks became Olympians. Want to watch it? Then run the video)

Here is such an interesting sports history... Now you can easily show off your knowledge in the lesson. I look forward to seeing you again on the ShkolaLa blog, come back for new ones interesting stories.

Success in your studies!

Evgenia Klimkovich.

In Paris in Great Hall The Sorbonne has met a commission to revive the Olympic Games. Baron Pierre de Coubertin became its general secretary. Then the International Olympic Committee - IOC was formed, which included the most authoritative and independent citizens of different countries.

The first modern Olympic Games were originally planned to be held at the same stadium in Olympia, where the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece were held. However, this required too much restoration work, and the first revived Olympic competitions took place in the Greek capital Athens.

On April 6, 1896, at the restored antique stadium in Athens, the Greek king George declared the first Olympic Games of our time open. The opening ceremony was attended by 60 thousand spectators.

The date of the ceremony was not chosen by chance - on this day Easter Monday coincided in three directions of Christianity at once - in Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. This first opening ceremony of the Games laid two olympic traditions- the opening of the Games by the head of state, where the competitions are held, and the performance of the Olympic anthem. However, such indispensable attributes modern Games like the parade of the participating countries, the Olympic flame lighting ceremony and the taking of the Olympic oath, there was no; they were introduced later. There was no Olympic village, the invited athletes provided themselves with housing.

241 athletes from 14 countries took part in the Games of the 1st Olympiad: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary (at the time of the Games, Hungary was part of Austria-Hungary, but Hungarian athletes performed separately at the competitions), Germany, Greece, Denmark, Italy , USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden.

Russian athletes were quite actively preparing for the Olympics, however, due to lack of funds Russian team was not directed at the Games.

As in ancient times, only men took part in the competitions of the first modern Olympics.

The program of the first Games included nine sports - classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, Athletics, swimming, bullet shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. 43 sets of awards were played.

According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletes' competitions.

Track and field competitions have become the most massive - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. The largest number of species - 9 - was won by the representatives of the United States.

The first Olympic champion was the American track and field athlete James Connolly, who won the triple jump with a score of 13 meters 71 centimeters.

Wrestling competitions were held without uniform approved rules for conducting fights, there were also no weight categories. The style in which the athletes competed was close to today's Greco-Roman, but it was allowed to grab the opponent by the legs. Only one set of medals was played among five athletes, and only two of them competed exclusively in wrestling - the rest took part in competitions in other disciplines.

Since there were no artificial pools in Athens, swimming competitions were held in an open bay near the city of Piraeus; the start and finish were marked with ropes attached to the floats. The competition aroused great interest - about 40 thousand spectators had gathered on the shore by the beginning of the first swim. About 25 swimmers from six countries took part, most of them naval officers and sailors of the Greek merchant fleet.

Medals were played in four types, all heats were "freestyle" - it was allowed to swim in any way, changing it along the course. At that time, the most popular swimming techniques were breaststroke, over-arm (improved sideways swimming) and treggen style. At the insistence of the organizers of the Games, the program also included an applied type of swimming - 100 meters in sailor clothes. Only Greek sailors took part in it.

In cycling, six sets of medals were played - five on the track and one on the highway. Track races were held at the Neo Faliron velodrome specially built for the Games.

In competitions for artistic gymnastics eight sets of awards were played. Competitions were held outdoors at the Marble Stadium.

In shooting, five sets of awards were played - two in rifle shooting and three in pistol shooting.

Tennis competitions were held on the courts of the Athens Tennis Club. Two tournaments were held - singles and doubles... At the 1896 Games, there was not yet a requirement that all team members be from the same country, and some couples were international.

Weightlifting competitions were held without division into weight categories and included two disciplines: squeezing a ball bar with two hands and lifting a dumbbell with one hand.

In fencing, three sets of awards were played. Fencing became the only sport where professionals were admitted: separate competitions were held among "maestro" - fencing teachers ("maestros" were also admitted to the Games of 1900, after which similar practice stopped).

The culmination of the Olympic Games was the marathon run. Unlike all subsequent Olympic marathon competitions, the marathon distance at the Games of the I Olympiad was 40 kilometers. Classic length marathon distance- 42 kilometers 195 meters. Greek postman Spiridon Luis, who became a national hero after this success, finished first with a score of 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds. In addition to the Olympic awards, he received the gold cup, established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on inclusion in the program of the Games marathon running, a barrel of wine, a voucher for free food throughout the year, free tailoring and a hairdresser for life, 10 centners of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.

Olympic Games, Games of the Olympics are the largest international complex sports competitions of our time, which are held every four years. The tradition that existed in ancient Greece was revived by a French public figure at the end of the 19th century Pierre de Coubertin... The Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics, have been held every four years since 1896, with the exception of the years during the World Wars. In 1924, the Winter Olympics were established and were originally held in the same year as the summer ones. However, since 1994, the time of the Olympic Winter Games has been shifted by two years from the time of the Summer Games.

Antique olympic games

The Olympic Games of Ancient Greece were religious and sports festival held at Olympia. Information about the origin of the games is lost, but several legends have survived that describe this event. The first documented celebration dates back to 776 BC. e., although it is known that the games were held earlier. At the time of the games, a sacred truce was declared, at this time it was impossible to wage a war, although this was repeatedly violated.

The Olympic Games lost their significance significantly with the arrival of the Romans. After Christianity became the official religion, games began to be seen as a manifestation of paganism and in 394 AD. NS. they were banned by the emperor Theodosius I.

The revival of the Olympic idea

The Olympic idea did not disappear for good even after the prohibition of ancient competitions. For example, in England during the 17th century, "Olympic" competitions and competitions were held several times. Later, similar competitions were organized in France and Greece. However, these were small events that were, at best, regional in nature. The first true predecessors of the modern Olympic Games are the Olympias, which were held regularly during the period 1859-1888. The idea of ​​reviving the Olympic Games in Greece belonged to the poet Panayotis Sutsos, brought it to life by a public figure Evangelis Zappas.

In 1766, as a result of archaeological excavations at Olympia, sports and temple structures were discovered. In 1875, archaeological research and excavations continued under German leadership. At that time, romantic-idealistic ideas about antiquity were in vogue in Europe. The desire to revive the Olympic mindset and culture spread rather quickly throughout Europe. French baron Pierre de Coubertin (French Pierre de Coubertin) said then: “Germany has unearthed what remains of ancient Olympia. Why can't France restore the old greatness? "

Baron Pierre de Coubertin

According to Coubertin, it is the weak the physical state French soldiers was one of the reasons for the defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. He seeks to change the situation through improvement physical culture French. At the same time, he wanted to overcome national selfishness and contribute to the struggle for peace and international understanding. The "youth of the world" were supposed to measure their strength in sports, not on the battlefield. The revival of the Olympic Games seemed in his eyes the best solution to achieve both goals.

At a congress held on June 16-23, 1894 at the Sorbonne (University of Paris), he presented his thoughts and ideas to the international public. On the last day of the Congress (June 23), it was decided that the first Olympic Games modernity should take place in 1896 in Athens, the ancestor country of the Games - Greece. To organize the Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded. The first president of the Committee was a Greek Demetrius Vikelas, who was president until the end of the I Olympic Games in 1896. Baron became General Secretary Pierre de Coubertin.

The first Games of our time were really a great success. Despite the fact that only 241 athletes (14 countries) took part in the Games, the Games became the largest sporting event ever since ancient Greece. Greek officials were so pleased that they put forward a proposal to host the Olympics "forever" in their homeland, Greece. But the IOC introduced a rotation between different states so that every 4 years the Games would change the venue.

After the first success, the Olympic movement experienced the first crisis in its history. The 1900 Games in Paris (France) and the 1904 Games in St. Louis (Missouri, USA) were combined with the World Exhibitions. Sports competitions dragged on for months and almost did not enjoy the interest of the audience. Almost only American athletes participated in the Games in St. Louis, since it was very difficult to get from Europe across the ocean in those years for technical reasons.

At the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens (Greece), sports competitions and results again took first place. Although the IOC initially recognized and supported the holding of these "intermediate Games" (just two years after the previous ones), these Games are now not recognized as Olympic Games. Some sports historians consider the 1906 Games a salvation Olympic idea as they prevented games from becoming "meaningless and unnecessary."

Modern Olympic Games

The principles, rules and regulations of the Olympic Games are determined by the Olympic Charter, the foundations of which were approved by the International Sports Congress in Paris in 1894, which, at the suggestion of the French educator and public figure Pierre de Coubertin, decided to organize the Games on the model of the ancient ones and to create an International Olympic Committee(IOC).

According to the charter of the Games of the Olympics, “... unite amateur athletes from all countries in fair and equal competitions. In relation to countries and individuals, no discrimination on racial, religious or political grounds is allowed ... ”. Games are held in the first year of the Olympiad (4-year period between games). The Olympiads have been counted since 1896, when the first Olympic Games took place (I Olympiad - 1896-99). The Olympiad also gets its number in those cases when the games are not held (for example, VI - in 1916-19, XII-1940-43, XIII - 1944-47). The symbol of the Olympic Games is five connected rings, symbolizing the unification of the five parts of the world in the Olympic movement, the so-called. Olympic rings. The color of the rings in the top row is blue for Europe, black for Africa, red for America, in the bottom row, yellow for Asia, green for Australia. In addition to Olympic species sports, the organizing committee has the right, at its choice, to include in the program demonstration competitions in 1-2 sports not recognized by the IOC. In the same year as the Olympics, the Winter Olympic Games have been held since 1924, which have their own numbering. Since 1994, the dates for the Winter Olympic Games have been shifted by 2 years relative to the summer. The venue for the Olympics is chosen by the IOC, the right to organize them is given to the city, not the country. Duration no more than 15 days (winter games - no more than 10).

The Olympic movement has its own emblem and flag, approved by the IOC at the suggestion of Coubertin in 1913. The emblem is the Olympic rings. The motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius (faster, higher, stronger). The flag is a white cloth with Olympic rings, since 1920 it has been raised at all Games.

Among the traditional rituals of the Games:

* lighting the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony (the fire is lit from the sun's rays in Olympia and delivered by the torch relay of athletes to the host city of the Games);
* pronouncement by one of the outstanding athletes of the country in which the Olympics take place, the Olympic oath on behalf of all participants in the games;
* taking an oath of impartial judging on behalf of the judges;
* presentation of medals to the winners and prize-winners of the competition;
* raising the national flag and singing the national anthem in honor of the winners.

Since 1932, the host city has been building “ olympic village»- a complex of living quarters for the participants of the games. According to the charter, the Games are competitions between individual athletes, not between national teams. However, since 1908, the so-called. unofficial team scoring - determining the place occupied by teams by the number of medals received and points scored in competitions (points are awarded for the first 6 places according to the system: 1st place - 7 points, 2nd - 5, 3rd - 4, 4 -e - 3, 5th - 2, 6th - 1). Rank Olympic champion is the most honorable and desirable in the career of an athlete in those sports for which Olympic tournaments... An exception is football, since the title of world champion in this sport is much more prestigious.

The history of the Olympic Games is more than 2 thousand years old. They originated in Ancient Greece. At first, the games were part of the festivities in honor of the god Zeus. The first Olympiad took place in ancient Greece. Once every four years, athletes flocked to the city of Olympia in the Peloponnese, a peninsula in the south of the country. There were only competitions in running at a distance of one stadium (from the Greek stage = 192 m). Gradually, the number of sports increased and the games became an important event for the entire Greek world. It was a religious and sports holiday, during which a mandatory "sacred peace" was declared and any military action was prohibited.

History of the first Olympiad

The truce period lasted a month and was called Ekeheiriya. It is believed that the first Olympiad took place in 776 BC. NS. But in 393 AD. NS. Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic Games. By that time, Greece was under the rule of Rome, and the Romans, having converted to Christianity, believed that the Olympic Games, with their worship of pagan gods and the cult of beauty, were incompatible with the Christian faith.

The Olympic Games were remembered at the end of the 19th century, after they began to carry out excavations in ancient Olympia and discovered the ruins of sports and temple structures. In 1894, at the International Sports Congress in Paris, the French public figure Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937) proposed to organize the Olympic Games on the model of the ancient ones. He also came up with the motto of the Olympians: "The main thing is not victory, but participation." De Coubertin wanted only male athletes to compete in these competitions, as in Ancient Greece, but women also participated in the second Games. Five multi-colored rings became the emblem of the Games; the colors were chosen that are most often found on the flags of various countries of the world.

The first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896 in Athens. In the XX century. the number of countries and athletes participating in these competitions has steadily increased, and the number of Olympic sports has also increased. Today it is already difficult to find a country that would not send at least one or two athletes to the Games. Since 1924, in addition to the Olympic Games, which are held in summer, they began to arrange and winter Games so that skiers, skaters and other athletes involved in winter sports can also compete. And since 1994, the Winter Olympic Games have not been held in the same year as the summer ones, but two years later.

Sometimes the Olympic Games are called the Olympics, which is wrong: the Olympics are the four-year period between successive Olympic Games. When, for example, they say that the 2008 Games are the 29th Olympiad, they mean that from 1896 to 2008 there were 29 periods of four years each. But there were only 26 Games: in 1916, 1940 and 1944. There were no Olympic Games - the world wars interfered.