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

Start of the Olympic Games

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

The Olympic Games in Greece in ancient times are officially counted from 776 BC. NS. as part of a religious holiday celebrated on the 1st full moon after the summer solstice. The organizers of the competition are considered to be the ruler of Elis and the legislator of Sparta.

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

Rice. 1. Ancient Olympia.

At the time of the Olympic Games, a sacred truce was established. After the official announcement of the beginning of the celebration, it was forbidden to conduct hostilities throughout Greece.

Rules of conduct

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

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• the competition itself;
• religious ceremonies and honoring of 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 squad was placed under the control of the judges.

Only full-fledged male Greeks could participate in the Olympic Games (also the Romans after the seizure of the territories of Greece). 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 goddess of fertility Demeter. There was one trick to participate: women could drive chariots, and the owner of a horse or carriage 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 Races in Ancient Greece.

Types of ancient competitions

We list and briefly describe the types of competitions:

• Run : the first Olympic sport was represented by running one distance (192 m.) from 1st to 13th games, double run from 14th, long run (7 distances) from 15th, running in full armor (2 distances in a helmet, with a shield) from the 65s;
• Martial arts : represented by fist fights from 23 games (steps, kicks, grabbing were prohibited), pankration from 33 (hand-to-hand combat, punches and kicks), fighting 18 (strikes are prohibited, shocks are allowed);
• Pentathlon : pentathlon from 18 games, consisting of running, wrestling, long jump, javelin and discus throwing;
• Chariot racing : Quadriga races (two-wheeled cart with four horses) from 25 games, horse races from 33, chariot races with two horses from 93;
• Competition between trumpeters and heralds : Added from 96 games as a special kind of competition that combines aesthetics and sports.

Rice. 3. Antique running.

The Olympic Games lasted until 394 AD. NS. 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 of holding; learned the main types of competitions, the first of which was running. Using this information, you can compose a quality report on the topic outlined above for a 5th grade history lesson.

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Olympic Games - the most significant in the world sport competitions. They are held every four years. Every athlete dreams of winning these competitions. The origins of the Olympic Games date back to ancient times. They were carried out as early as the seventh century BC. Why were the ancient Olympic Games called the holidays of the world? In which country were they held for the first time?

The myth of the birth of the Olympic Games

V ancient times these were the greatest national festivals. Who is the founder of the ancient Olympic Games is unknown. Myths and legends played a significant role in the social and cultural life of the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that the birth of the Olympic Games dates back to the time of Kronos, the son of the first god Uranus. In the competition between mythical heroes, Hercules won the race, for which he was awarded an olive wreath. Subsequently, the winner insisted that sports competitions be held every five years. This is the legend. There are, of course, other legends about the origin of the Olympic Games.

The Iliad by Homer belongs to the historical sources confirming the holding of these festivities in Ancient Greece. This book mentions a chariot race organized by the inhabitants of Elis, the region in the Peloponnese where Olympia was located.

Sacred truce

King Iphit was a mere mortal who played a significant role in the development of the ancient Greek Olympic Games. During his reign, the interval between the competitions was already four years. Having resumed the Olympic Games, Ifit declared a sacred truce. That is, during these festivities it was impossible to wage a war. And not only in Elis, but also in other parts of Hellas.

Elis was considered a sacred place. It was impossible to wage war with her. True, later the Eleans themselves invaded the neighboring regions more than once. Why were the ancient Olympic Games called the holidays of the world? Firstly, the holding of these competitions was associated with the names of the gods who highly revered by the ancient Greeks. Secondly, the aforementioned truce was announced for a month, which had a special name - ἱερομηνία.

Scientists have not yet come to a consensus about sports in the Olympic Games held by the Hellenes. It is believed that initially athletes competed only in running. Later, wrestling and chariot racing were added to the sports in the Olympic Games.

Participants

Among the citizens in ancient Greece were those who were subjected to public dishonor and contempt of those around them, that is, atimia. They could not become participants in the competition. Respected Greeks only. Of course, barbarians, who could only be spectators, did not take part in the ancient Olympic Games. An exception was made only in favor of the Romans. At the ancient Greek Olympics, a woman did not even have the right to be present if she was not a priestess of the goddess Demeter.

The number of spectators and participants was enormous. If at the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece (776 BC) only running competitions were held, then other sports appeared later. And over time, poets and artists got the opportunity to compete in their skills. During the festivities, even the deputies competed with each other in the abundance of offerings to mythical deities.

It is known from the history of the Olympic Games that these events had a rather important social and cultural significance. Transactions were made between merchants, artists and poets introduced the public to their creations.

Competitions were held on the first full moon after the summer solstice. Lasted five days. A certain part of the time was devoted to rituals with sacrifices and a public feast.

Types of competitions

The history of the Olympic Games, as already mentioned, is full of legends and legends. However, there is reliable information regarding the types of competitions. At the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, athletes competed in running. This sport was represented by the following varieties:

• Distance running.
• Double run.
• Long run.
• Running fully armed.

The first fist fight took place at the 23rd Olympiad. Later, the ancient Greeks added martial arts such as pankration, wrestling. It was said above that women were not allowed to take part in competitions. However, in 688 BC, special competitions were created for the most purposeful residents in Ancient Greece. The only one a sport in which they could compete, there were horse races.

In the fourth century BC, a competition between trumpeters and heralds was added to the program of the Olympic Games - the Hellenes believed that aesthetic pleasure and sports had a logical connection. Artists exhibited their works in the market square. Poets and writers, as mentioned above, read their writings. Statues of the winners were sometimes ordered to sculptors after the end of the Games, lyricists composed songs of praise in honor of the most powerful and dexterous.

Ellanodons

What were the names of the judges who watched the competition and awarded the winners. Hellenodons were appointed by lot. The judges not only presented the award, but also supervised the arrangement of the entire event. At the first Olympic Games, there were only two, then nine, even later ten. Starting from 368 BC, there were twelve Hellenodons. However, later the number of judges decreased. The Ellanodons wore special purple clothing.

How did the competition begin? The athletes proved to the spectators and judges that the previous months had been devoted exclusively to preliminary preparation. They took an oath in front of the statue of the main ancient Greek god - Zeus. The relatives of those wishing to compete - fathers and brothers - also took an oath. A month before the competition, athletes demonstrated their skills in front of the judges at the Olympic Gymnasium.

The order of the competition was established by lot. Then the herald publicly announced the name of the competitor. Where did the Olympic Games take place?

Sanctuary of Ancient Greece

Where the Olympic Games took place is clear from the name. Olympia is located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. It was once located here temple-cultural complex and sacred grove of Zeus. On the territory of the ancient Greek sanctuary, there were religious buildings, monuments, sports facilities and houses in which participants and guests lived. This site was the center of Greek art until the fourth century BC. Later they were burned by order of Theodosius II.

The Olympic stadium was built gradually. He became the first in Ancient Greece. In the fifth century BC, this stadium hosted about forty thousand spectators. For training, a gymnasium was used - a structure whose treadmill was equal in length to that of the stadium itself. Another site for preliminary preparation - palestra... It was a square structure with a courtyard. Mostly athletes trained here, who competed in wrestling and fistfights.

Leonidoion, which performed the functions, was built in the 5th century BC by a famous architect in Ancient Greece. The huge building consisted of a columnar courtyard and many rooms. Olympic Games played important role in the religious life of the Hellenes. That is why local residents have erected several temples and sanctuaries here. The structures fell into disrepair after an earthquake in the sixth century. Finally, the racetrack was destroyed during the flood.

The last Olympic Games in Ancient Greece took place in 394. Banned by Emperor Theodosius. In the Christian era, these events were regarded as pagan. The revival of the Olympic Games took place two millennia later. Although already in the 17th century, competitions resembling the Olympic ones were held repeatedly in England, France and Greece.

Revival of ancient Greek traditions

The predecessors of the modern Olympic Games were the Olympia, held in mid XIX centuries. But they, of course, were not so large-scale and had little in common with the competitions, which nowadays take place every four years. French Pierre de Coubertin played a significant role in the revival of the Olympic Games. Why did Europeans suddenly remember the traditions of the ancient Greeks?

In the middle of the 17th century, archaeological research was carried out in Olympia, as a result of which scientists discovered the remains of temple structures. The work continued for over ten years. At this time, everything related to Antiquity was popular in Europe. Many public and cultural figures have become infected with the desire to revive the Olympic traditions. At the same time, the greatest interest in the culture of holding sports in ancient Greece, the French showed, although archaeological discoveries belonged to the Germans. This can be easily explained.

In 1871, the French army was defeated, which significantly undermined the patriotic spirit in society. Pierre de Coubertin believed that the reason was weak physical fitness soldier. He did not try to inspire his compatriots to fight Germany and other European powers. French public figure talked a lot about the need for improvement physical culture, but also advocated overcoming national egoism and establishing international understanding.

The first Olympic Games: modern times

In June 1894, a congress was held at the Sorbonne, at which Coubertin presented his thoughts on the need to revive ancient Greek traditions to the world community. His ideas were supported. On the last day of the congress, it was decided to hold the Olympic Games in two years. They were supposed to take place in Athens. Committee for the international competitions headed by Demetrius Vikelas. Pierre de Coubertin took over as Secretary General.

The 1896 Olympic Games became the largest sporting event... Greek statesmen have put forward a proposal to host the Olympic Games exclusively in their homeland. However, the committee decided otherwise. The venue of the Games changes every four years.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Olympic movement was not widely popular. This is partly due to the fact that the World Exhibition was held in Paris at that time. Some historians believe that olympic ideas managed to save thanks to the intermediate games of 1906, held again in Athens.

Differences between the modern Games and the ancient Greek ones

The competitions were resumed on the model of ancient sports competitions. The modern Olympic Games unite athletes from all states, in relation to individuals, discrimination on religious, racial or political grounds is not allowed. This is perhaps the main difference. modern Games from the ancient greek.

What did the modern Olympic Games borrow from the ancient Greek ones? First of all, the name itself. The frequency of the competitions was also borrowed. One of the purposes of the modern Olympic Games is to serve the world, to establish mutual understanding between countries. This is in tune with the ideas of the ancient Greeks about a temporary truce during the days of the competition. The Olympic flame and torch are symbols of the Olympics, which, of course, arose in antiquity. The ancient Greeks also borrowed some terms and rules for conducting competitions.

There are, of course, several significant differences between the modern Games and the ancient ones. The ancient Greeks held sports exclusively in Olympia. Today the Games are organized each time in a different city. In ancient Greece, there was no such thing as the "Winter Olympics". And the competitions were different. In antiquity in the Olympic the games were attended not only by athletes, but also by poets.

Symbolism

Everyone knows what the symbol of the Olympic Games looks like. Five interconnected rings in black, blue, red, yellow and green. However, few are aware that these elements are not specific to any particular continent. sounds in Latin, translated into Russian means "faster, higher, stronger." The flag is a white cloth with rings. He has been rising in all Games since 1920.

Both the opening and closing of the Games are accompanied by a grandiose, colorful ceremony. The best organizers of public events are involved in the development of the script. Famous actors and singers strive to participate in this spectacle. The broadcast of this international event attracts tens of millions of viewers around the world to television screens.

If the ancient Greeks believed that in honor of the Olympic Games, it was worth suspending any hostilities, then in the twentieth century the opposite happened. Sports competitions were canceled due to armed conflicts. The games were not held in 1916, 1940, 1944. In Russia, the Olympics were held twice. In 1980 in Moscow and in 2014 in Sochi.

The ancient Olympic Games were brutal competitions in which athletes shed their blood and even sacrificed their lives for glory and primacy, in order to avoid shame and defeat.

The participants in the games competed naked. Athletes were idealized not least because of their physical perfection. They were praised for their fearlessness, endurance and will to fight, bordering on suicide. In bloody fistfights and chariot races, few came to the finish line.

The emergence of the Olympic Games

It is no secret that the will was the main thing for the ancient Olympians. There was no place for politeness, nobility, exercise in amateur sports and modern Olympic ideals in these competitions.

The first Olympians fought for the award... Officially, the winner received a symbolic olive wreath, but they returned home as heroes and received unusual gifts.

They fought desperately for something that modern Olympians cannot understand - for immortality.

There was no afterlife in the religion of the Greeks. Hope for continuation of life after death could only through glory and valiant deeds, perpetuating in sculpture and song. Losing meant complete collapse.

In ancient games there were no silver and bronze medalists, the losers did not receive any honors, they went home to their disappointed mothers, as the ancient Greek poet writes.

Little remains of the ancient Olympic Games. The festivities that once shook these places cannot be returned. These columns once supported the vaults in whose honor the games were arranged... The now unremarkable field was the stadium where the competitions were held; 45 thousand Greeks gathered there.

A tunnel has survived, in which the footsteps of the Olympians were heard as they entered the field. From the top of the triangular column, the winged goddess of victory, the symbol and spirit of the Olympic Games, gazed at all this.

The origin can be called prehistoric, people lived here in stone houses around 2800 BC. Around 1000 BC Olympia became a temple to the god of thunder and lightning.

How did games come about?

From religious rituals. The first competition was running to the altar of Zeus – ritual energy offering to god.

The first recorded games took place in 776 BC., they were held every 4 years continuously for 12 centuries.

All citizens could participate. Non-Greeks, whom the Greeks themselves called, were not allowed to participate, women and slaves were also not allowed.

The games took place in August on the full moon. Athletes arrived here 30 days before the opening to train for a month. They were closely watched by the judges named.

To those who carefully prepared for the Olympics, were not lazy and did not do anything reprehensible, the Hellenodics said boldly move forward... But if someone didn't train properly, they should have left.

In those times the whole ancient world came to the Olympiad, 100 thousand people camped in the fields and olive groves. They arrived here by land and sea: from, Africa, the territory of modern France and the southern coast modern Russia... Often people came here from city-states that fought with each other: the Greeks were by nature rather quarrelsome.

Games were of great importance and were respected, and therefore in honor of Zeus signed a truce on a sacred disk, which for three months protected all arriving guests. Perhaps due to the fact that it was reinforced by those who intimidated everyone, the truce was almost never broken: even the most sworn enemies could see and compete at the Olympics in the world.

But on the first day of the Olympiad there was no competition, it was a day of religious cleansing and parting words. The athletes were led to - the sanctuary and meeting place. There was also a statue of Zeus with a lightning bolt in his hand.

Under the stern gaze of God, the priest sacrificed the genitals of the bull, after which athletes took the Solomon oath Zeus: compete honestly and follow the rules.

Everything was serious. The punishment for breaking the rules was brutal... In the distance, athletes saw statues of Zeus, called zans, erected with money received in the form of fines paid by violators of the rules of the competition.

The victory had to be earned not by money, but by the speed of the legs and the strength of the body - the instructions of the Olympiad read. But the victor's crown was given with considerable blood.

Fist fight

The ancient Greeks admired the beauty and power of sports, but they were attracted by both savagery and violence: in this they saw a metaphor for life.

In Greek, competition sounds like "agon," from which the word agony comes. The concept of wrestling is one of the central in Greek culture... In the context of athletics, agon meant competition with pain, suffering and fierce competition.

Without a doubt, no other sport has such a fierce struggle as in boxing, which has its origins in

Fist fighting entered the game program in 688 BC, followed by wrestling and more cruel look sports -. They all quickly became the crowd's favorite sports because the risk of injury or even death was extremely high here, and the sacrifices were supposed to appease Zeus, because the battles were held in the sacred part of Olympia - in front of the 9-meter altar of Zeus, made from the ashes of sacrificial animals.

Modern boxers would be horrified by the rules of the competition, or rather, from their practical absence: there were no weight restrictions, there were no rounds, the rivals fought without a break, water, a coach in the corner of the ring and gloves - the fighters were left to their own devices.

They were reeling straps of rough leather on fists and wrists to increase the force of the blow. The skin cut into the enemy's flesh. The blows were often to the head, everything was splattered with blood, they fought non-stop until one of the opponents falls.

Starting from 146 BC. the Romans became the hosts of the Olympiad... With them, the rivals began to insert three-centimeter metal spikes between the belts - it was more like a knife fight than a fist fight, some almost immediately dropped out of the competition, some were very successful. For many newbies, these belt gloves were slashed or rather, they were even torn to pieces.

To intensify the fighting, they were held in the afternoon in August under the scorching Mediterranean sun. Thus, the rivals fought each other with blinding light, dehydration and heat.

How long did the battles last? Four hours or more, until one of the athletes gave up, for this it was enough to raise a finger.

But defeat was much more humiliating than today: many wrestlers would rather die than lose.

The Spartans, fanatical soldiers, were trained to never surrender, so they did not participate in fist fights, since defeat was a mortal disgrace.

Fighters were admired not only for the blows they could inflict on their opponents, but also for the pain they could endure. They appreciated physically and philosophically the ability to withstand pain to such an extent that you will receive blow after blow under the scorching sun, heat, breathing dust - in this they saw virtue.

If it was going to a draw, or there was a dead center in the fight, the judges could show up climax when the fighters were supposed to exchange open blows. There is famous story about two fighters who have reached such a moment in the match - Cravg and Damoxena... Each had to strike at the enemy. The first was Damoxen, he used the piercing blow of karate, pierced the flesh of the opponent and ripped out his intestines. Cravg was posthumously declared the winner. because the judges said that technically Damoxen hit him with not one blow, but five, because he used five fingers to pierce the enemy's body in several places at once.

The ancient fighters did not have training equipment, but they were not inferior in physical strength modern colleagues.

Pankration - fighting without rules

Wrestling matches were almost a deadly battle, but for savagery - low blows and illegal techniques- had its own sport, pankration.

Pankration was a very brutal event, it was the most brutal of all ancient competitions... They say about him that this is a mixture of unclean boxing with unclean wrestling: it was allowed to beat, push, choke, break bones - anything, no prohibitions.

Pankration appeared in 648 BC. It had only two rules: you can't bite and gouge out your eyes, but these prohibitions were not always observed. Opponents fought completely naked, blows to the genitals were forbidden, but even this rule was often violated.

Technique was not important in these ancient fights without rules, very soon they became the most popular event at the Olympiad.

Pankration was the epitome of violence in ancient sports, it was the most exciting and popular sight, and it gives us some insight into the spirit of humanity in those days.

Wrestling is a relatively civilized combat sport

Wrestling was the only combat sport that could be called relatively civilized by today's standards, but even here the rules were not very strict. Simply put, everything was used: many of the things that are prohibited today - strangling grips, breaking bones, running boards - everything was considered a normal technique.

Ancient fighters were perfectly trained and trained in a variety of techniques: throw over the shoulder, vice and various grips. Competitions were held in special shallow pit.

There were two types of competitions: lying on the ground and standing... The wrestlers fought either while standing on their feet - in this case, any three falls meant defeat, or the rivals fought in slippery mud, where it was difficult for them to stay on their feet. The fight continued, as in wrestling or pankration, until one of the participants gave up. Fighting was often akin to torture.

In the 7th century BC. NS. judges realized the need to introduce ban on breaking fingers but he was often ignored. In the 5th century BC. Antikoziy won two victories in a row, breaking the fingers of his opponents.

Chariot racing is the most dangerous sport

But it wasn't just wrestlers who risked their bodies and lives in the ancient Olympics.

Long before the appearance of the Olympic Games, the Greeks liked to combine sport with sometimes even deadly danger. Bull jumping was a popular sport in the 2000s BC. Acrobats literally took the racing bull by the horns, performing on its back.

The most dangerous Olympic sports were chariot racing... Chariots competed at the hippodrome, on the site of which there is now an olive grove: the hippodrome was washed away when around 600 AD. river Althea unexpectedly changed the course.

The race lane of the hippodrome was about 135 meters long, and it contained 44 chariots in width, each of which was drawn by 4 horses.

Tens of thousands of Greeks watched the races that were real a test of control skill and nerve endurance... 24 laps of 9 kilometers each freely accommodated 160 horses kicking at the start.

The most difficult thing on the course was the U-turn: the chariot had to be turned 180 degrees practically on the spot, i.e. the chariot revolved around its axis. It was at this point that most accidents occurred: chariots were overturned, athletes were thrown out, and horses bumped and stumbled against each other.

The danger of racing reached the point of absurdity, mainly due to the lack of dividing lines. The chariots often collided head-on. The poet writes that in one of the races, 43 of 44 chariots crashed, the winner was the only survivor on the field.

Zeus ruled Olympus, but the fate of the chariots rather depended on the god of horses, whose statue gazed at the hippodrome. His name was, he made the horses fearful, so before the race the participants tried to appease him.

The only element of order in this racing chaos was brought in at the start. The Greeks came up with an original mechanism to ensure fairness on the field: the bronze eagle of Zeus rose above the crowd, which meant the start of the race.

The chariots were small and had two wheels, at the back they were open, so that the charioteer was not protected in any way.

It was erected by participants almost as prestigious as the Olympic ones. The Greeks extolled control and composure amid violence and chaos. The statue embodies these ideals.

Was it possible for women to participate in competitions? Not as charioteers, but they could display their chariots.

On the pedestal, on which stood the statue of the king's daughter, there is an inscription: “ Sparta kings are my fathers and brothers. Conquering chariots on swift horses, I, Kiniska, erected this statue. I am proud to say: I was the only one of all women who received this wreath. "

Kiniska was the first woman to win the Olympics by sending his chariot to the games.

As today, boys were often used as jockeys in the horse races that followed chariot races. The main thing here was the right combination of uncontrollability and control. Jockeys rode bareback horses controlling them with only knees and a whip.

The horses were wild. In 512 BC. a mare named Wind threw off the jockey, barely bursting into the field, ran without a rider and won the races.

Pentathlon is the most prestigious competition

The Olympians trained here in palestre exercising in fist and hand-to-hand fighting. In the gymnasium, they trained for the most prestigious competition among the ancient Olympic Games - pentathlon.

If in chariot races the Greeks demonstrated fearlessness and fury, then in the pentathlon other Olympic ideals were valued: balance, grace and all-round development.

The event was imbued with idealism, the Greeks attached great importance proportions and balance in a person... We can see all of this embodied in the pentathletes.

It was the pentathletes who served a sample perfect body when ancient sculptors depicted the gods. Greeks appreciated correct proportions, the winner in the pentathlon was admitted chief athlete of games.

He participated in five different competitions: running, jumping, discus throwing, javelin throwing and wrestling... Skill and timing were extremely important.

The pentathletes practiced for years in the gymnasium to the rhythm of the flute. Competitions differed in an interesting way from modern ones. For example, in javelin throwing, the Greeks used a loop in the middle of the spear shaft to enhance the throw... They threw a disc weighing 6 kilograms 800 grams - three times heavier than the modern one. Perhaps that is why they performed such perfect twists and throws that these techniques have survived to this day.

The most intriguing difference is in the long jump: the Greeks held loads from 2 to 7 kilograms to amplify the impulse and increase the length of the jump.

It seems absurd to hold weights in order to jump further. In fact, you can catch the impulse of a flying cargo and it literally drags you through the air so that you feel the inertial force on you. This really adds length to the jump.

The length is incredible: the jump pit was designed for 15 meters, which is 6 meters longer than the current world record. Pentathletes, like all Olympians, competed in the nude.

Nude olympics

In point of view modern people nudity is the most amazing aspect ancient Olympic games. Everything the competition took place without clothes: running, throwing a discus, wrestling and everything else.

But why participants began to appear naked? History has it that this has been the case since the 8th century BC. In 720 a runner named Arsip lost my loincloth during the competition... He won and all the runners decided to compete naked. Gradually, this custom has spread to other sports.

Modern scientists reject such explanations and note that nudity and homosexuality were not considered shameful in Greek society... The very word "gymnasia", where the Greeks studied, meant "nakedness."

Invented in the 600s BC. These were training facilities. And at the same time, the importance of homosexuality increased, it ceased to be a secret among the Greeks. Perhaps this is partly why nudity was introduced into games.

Homosexuality was not only not shameful in, it was even encouraged, because it is important for a man to marry a virgin and give birth to children. The only way to keep virgins intact was through homosexual relationships. The atmosphere at the Olympics was very electrifying, they were the best men of the city-states: they were the most attractive, trained and there was a sexual attraction between them.

As well as between men and women who were allowed to watch nude games. Oddly enough, but married women were strictly forbidden to watch games, even just to cross the Altis River, which skirted the sacred site. Violation of the prohibition was punishable by death... Women caught on sacred ground were thrown into the abyss that gaped near the temple.

But young virgin girls could watch the games, despite the nakedness of the athletes and the brutality of the spectacles. Unmarried girls were allowed into the stadium because in a way they were ignorant, they needed to get used to the idea that a man would be a part of their life. The best prelude was the performance of naked men.

Someone from modern researchers said that such an order has developed so that married women do not see what they can no longer have, but young maidens looked at the best of the best to know what to aim for.

Gerey games

Virgos could compete in their games called Hereei in honor of the wife of Zeus. The Gereys consisted of three races: for girls, teenage girls and young women, one track at the Olympic stadium, shortened by one-sixth in proportion to the woman's stride.

Spartan girls trained from birth on a par with boys, so they were the leaders of the games.

Unlike men, girls did not compete naked: they wore short tunics, chitons, opening the right chest.

The women's competition was a ritual act, something like public demonstration of their strength and spirit before they were tamed by the bonds of marriage, and before they became women, it was a ritual transition.

The women's races took place on a day when the men were resting. It was a day of rituals and feasts that culminated in the religious portion of the ancient games.

Art in Olympia

But people came to Olympus not only for the sake of games, they literally wanted people to see and show themselves: - here any of them could be met in the crowd. , the world's first professional historian, has earned his fame here, reading his writings at the temple of Zeus.

People came to enjoy the works of art that adorned the temple. Those who first saw this place were amazed at its beauty. Once upon a time there were thousands of masterpieces on the site of these ruins, a “forest of sculptures,” as one writer put it.

But only a few of them have survived to our times - those that archaeologists pulled out from under the cobblestones a little over a century ago. Unfortunately, nothing remained of the legendary one that stood in the temple and was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

It took myriad of gold and ivory... The whole body of Zeus was made of ivory, his throne was made of ivory, ebony and precious stones. Zeus's robe was made entirely of gold - gold foil.

Dozens of lion-headed gutters adorned the temple and surrounded the statue. Outside, around the perimeter of the temple, sculptures depicted scenes from. Bright ornaments on the walls of some buildings of the complex made the temple even more dazzling.

The ruins, surrounded by 182 columns, were once a hotel Leonidio, where only the richest people stayed. Of the hundreds of thousands who came to Olympus, only 50 guests could stay here at the same time.

Not a trace remains of the altar of Zeus... Once it was located between the temples of Zeus and, it was the main shrine Olympia, animals were sacrificed here daily. This altar in the form of a cone with a height of more than 9 meters was famous throughout Ancient Greece. It consisted entirely of the ashes of sacrificial animals. The altar was a symbol of worship of Zeus: the more sacrifices were made to him, the more honors he received, and this is a visual reminder of how many sacrifices were made to his divine essence.

The ashes were mixed with water and pressed into a mold. Steps were carved on the slope of this ash mound, along which the priests climbed to make another sacrificial offering.

At noon on the third day of games the sacrifice became a special sight: a herd of bulls - a whole hundred - stabbed and burned in honor of Zeus... But in reality, only a small symbolic piece from each animal was given to God.

They took the most useless animal parts, put them on the altar, and then burned them for the gods. 90% of the carcasses they cut and cooked, and in the evening each got a piece. The meat was handed out to the crowd, it was a whole event.

Running is the very first sport

An even bigger event was the next morning: the men's running competition. The very first and once the only sport was of particular importance to the Greeks, who named each Olympiad after the winners of the cross or sprint.

Treadmills practically did not differ from modern ones. There were notches on the starting line that runners might have had their toes against. The distance was about 180 meters long. According to legend, he could run just such a distance in one breath. On both sides on the slopes sat 45 thousand roaring spectators. Many of them camped here and cooked food at night.

Interestingly, even under the August heat, they watched games with their heads uncovered: wearing hats at the stadium was prohibited because they could block someone's view.

Despite the wealth and prestige of the games, on the hillsides never built shops as in other stadiums. The Greeks wanted to keep the ancient democratic tradition of sitting on the grass... Only 12 stone thrones in the center were intended for the Hellenodic judges. Another seating position was reserved the only married woman who could be present at the stadium- the priestess, the goddess of the harvest, who was once worshiped on Olympus even before Zeus.

20 runners could compete in the stadium at the same time. Starting positions were drawn by drawing lots, then they were called to the start one at a time. False starts were strictly prohibited: those who jumped off ahead of time, the judges beat with rods.

In the 4th century BC. the Greeks invented the Hisplex starting mechanism - wooden starting gate that guaranteed a fair start.

What was the main the difference between ancient races and modern ones? At the starting positions. Such an arrangement of runners would seem strange to us, but we had to understand how everything was arranged: when the fence board fell, the athletes' arms dropped, the body moved forward, the toes pushed off from the depressions in the ground - the starting dash turned out to be very powerful.

It is not known how fast the Greeks ran; they would not have recorded the time, even if they had stopwatches. They never compared the competition to any kind of record. For the Greeks, the idea and the meaning of sport was in a duel between men, in the struggle and what they called the word "agon."

However, the legends of speed have survived. One of the statues says that Phlegius from Sparta did not run, but flew over the stadium. Its speed was phenomenal, incalculable.

In addition to running a short distance, the Greeks competed in double distance running, i.e. there and back on a treadmill, as well as in Darikos - here it was necessary to run 20 times along a circular path with a length of 3800 meters.

Ironically famous torch relay race were not included in the program of the Olympic Games, as well as which the Greeks considered form of communication being phenomenal runners on long distances... Immediately after the victory in Doricos in 328, an athlete named Augeus ran from Olympus to his home in 97 kilometers in one day.

The last race on such a day was the most unusual: a grueling test of speed and strength, in which the Greek infantrymen, named, ran two times back and forth along the track of the stadium in full uniform and equipment. Imagine what kind of running with 20 kilograms of weapons 400 meters at the highest speed and turn around.

Interestingly, the hoplite race was held at the very end of the Olympiad, it meant end of the Olympic truce and a return to hostility and hostilities. It was a reminder that the beauty of games had to come to an end, and other important events were coming to replace it.

Legends of the ancient Olympic Games

More than 12 centuries the best athletes Of the ancient world came to Olympia to compete in games that were the main test of strength and dexterity.

What did the winners get? Only a branch cut from an olive tree in the grove behind the temple of Zeus. But as soon as they returned home, they were showered with gifts: free food for the rest of your life and a reward for every victory, commensurate with the modern hundred thousand dollars.

Them worshiped like heroes or even to the gods, even their sweat was awe-inspiring as a symbol of struggle. Athletes' sweat was an expensive commodity... It collected together with dust from the site during the competition, was placed in bottles and sold as a magic potion.

A stone has been preserved that stores the names of the winners of the Olympiad. Unfortunately, statues of legends of games, such as - wrestler, winner of 6 Olympiads in a row... They were so afraid of him that his rivals were eliminated from the game at once, crushed by his glory. It was said that he possessed superhuman strength. Ancient texts report that once Milo carried an adult bull through the stadium, then butchered it and ate it whole in a day.

Another Olympian was a famous strongman - the champion of pankration in 408 BC. He was known for his exploits and outside the stadium: they said that Polydam fought with a grown lion and killed him with his bare hands, as well stopped the chariot at full speed grasping the back with one hand.

Among the runners, the best was Leonid of Rhodes... They said that he was fast as a god. He won three races in four Olympiads in a row. He was revered as a god.

But the main Olympic record belongs to the jumper Fail who participated in the 110th Olympiad. The story goes that the jumping hole was 15 meters long, which is unimaginable for us, because modern athletes jump a little further than 9 meters. They said that File jumped over that pit and landed about 17 meters with such force that he broke both his legs.

But Fail's leap is nothing compared to the leap of the Olympiad itself in time. The temple also reflects an outstanding history. This round monument was erected by the king and his son to commemorate the victory over the Greeks in 338 BC. They built this memorial in the heart of Olympia to show their strength and power.

The Romans did the same a couple of centuries later, by placing 21 golden shields around the temple of Zeus when Greece became a Roman province. Thus, Olympia became the embodiment of Roman greatness, and the Romans put a lot of effort into maintaining the sanctuary in a decent condition: they built an aqueduct that brought water to one of the structures, in addition, the Romans built there thermae and a kind of club for athletes, discovered by German archaeologists only in 1995 year.

Only the winners of the games could be members of the club. The building was lined with marble tiles, even the walls were covered with it. There is evidence in ancient sources that similar clubs existed... The victorious athlete at Olympia was immediately ranked among the elite.

The building was built by an emperor who considered himself a god. In 67 he took part in the chariot competition... Driving a carriage drawn by 10 horses, Nero lost control and, having crashed the chariot, did not finish the race. Nevertheless, it was he who was declared the winner... A year after the death of the emperor, this the decision was revised.

The end of the ancient Olympic Games

How and when did the gaming tradition end?

Until very recently, it was believed that the last Olympiad took place in 393 AD, when the emperor Theodosius I who was a deeply religious Christian, put an end to all pagan traditions.

30 years later, in 426 A.D. his son finished what he started, burning the sanctuary and the Temple of Zeus.

However, scientists were able to find evidence that the tradition of games continued for almost a century up to 500 A.D. This information was found on marble tablet found at the bottom of an ancient lavatory. It had inscriptions left by the hand of 14 different athletes - Olympic winners. The last inscription dates back to the very end of the 4th century AD. Thus, it should be considered that the history of games should be extended for another 120 years.

The ancient games finally disappeared along with Olympia herself, destroyed by two earthquakes at the beginning of the 5th century. Later, a small Christian village arose on the ruins, the inhabitants of which turned the only surviving building into a church - the workshop of the great sculptor who carved the once legendary statue of Zeus.

By the 6th century floods destroyed it along with everything what remained of ancient Olympia, hiding the ruins for 13 long centuries under an 8-meter layer of mud and earth.

The first excavations were carried out in 1829. German archaeologists appeared here in 1875 and since then the work has never stopped.

But, the excavations were so difficult and costly that the stadium was freed from earthen captivity only by the 1960s. The cost of excavating the hippodrome, hidden by the groves, is so great that it will probably remain underground forever.

But, the spirit of this place is reborn, as the Olympic Games themselves were revived in 1896 in the midst of excavations. Every 4 years for 12 centuries here the Olympic flame was lit and this tradition has been renewed in our time. From here, the fire begins its journey in the hands of the runners, symbolizing the beginning of games, games that will never manage to reach the magnitude and splendor of the olympiads of the past.

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Chelyabinsk State Academy of Culture and Arts.

Cultural Faculty.

Department: Social and cultural activities.

abstract

By discipline: History of social and cultural activities.

Topic: 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. The importance of the Olympic Games

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

All ancient Greek holidays and sports games are associated with the gods. The famous Olympic Games, which 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. NS. For the first time, the name of the winner in the race was written on a 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 Altis in Olympia. The location 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 during the Olympic Games. In the temple of Olympian Zeus there was a statue of a god created by the sculptor Phidias, which was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Thousands of spectators gathered in the sacred grove. In addition to the spectacles of athletic competitions, trade deals were concluded here, public performances by poets and musicians, exhibitions of works by sculptors and artists were held. Here new laws, agreements were announced, important documents were discussed. Since the announcement of the holy month of games, all the warring parties have ceased hostilities ...

Purpose of the research: 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 origins of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece coincided with the time when myths and legends made history. From the surviving works of ancient Greek historians, philosophers and poets, 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 Iphitus.

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. NS. Hellenic king Augeas 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 direction of the two rivers, passing them through the stables, so that the water helped him get the job done on time. When the king refused to fulfill his promise and give Hercules part of his horses, he killed the king and his family members, arranging in honor of this a large 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 southern side it was washed by the Alpheus River, on the western side - by the Kladey River, and on the northern side was Mount Kronos. In the east stretched a lowland, flooded with the waters of Alfey during the flood. The choice for the Olympic stadium near Mount Kronos is explained by the fact that the slopes served as a natural tribune for spectators, on which there were 40 thousand people each and an arena of approximately 213x29 m. On the territory of Olympia there were: a hippodrome (730-336 m) where horse races were arranged, gymnasiums, a courtyard surrounded by a colonnade, with running paths, throwing, wrestling, various exercises, ball games, rooms for hygiene procedures, saunas, etc .; the gymnasium was adjoined by living quarters for participants in the Olympic Games. (3)

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

This clearly manifested the physicality of ancient Greek culture. The cult of the body was so great that nudity did not evoke a feeling of shame. The rules forbade killing the enemy, resorting to unlawful tricks, and arguing with the judges. The awarding of the winners was also held solemnly. The winners of the games (olympionics) were awarded wreaths made of wild plum trees that grew near the temple of Zeus. On the last day of the holiday, a solemn procession was held in honor of the winners, and the return of the Olympian to his hometown turned into a worthless triumph. The whole city came out to meet him, the city authorities held a feast, and a statue of the winner was erected on the square: he became a national hero and was respected 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 the enormous social significance that the Games played in ancient Greece.

Athletes of this period reflected, on the one hand, the strength and power of their hometown, and on the other, the general Hellenic ideal of all-round development and physical perfection of the individual. And it is deeply symbolic that for a long and strenuous preparation, ordeals in competitions, the winner in Olympia was awarded only a wreath from an olive branch. It was a symbol of selfless 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 residents 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 hungry for fame flocked here. After the Persian wars, Themistocles appeared in Olympia and during the ceremonies attracted the attention of the people. There were also philosophers Anaxagoras, Socrates, Aristippus and Diogenes; some of them lectured 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 gave the opportunity to all Greece to listen to samples of their art. Poets Pindar, Simonides and many others were looking for inspiration here, and maybe clients.

Various charlatans mingled with great people, who aroused respectful amazement among the crowd of onlookers. Perhaps the most original of these charlatans was Menecrates. (3)

2 . Terms, conditions, traditionsthe olympic games in antiquity

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 hieromene, that is, the holy 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 ambassadors were sent from Olympia and sent in groups to the distant shores of the Black Sea, to Egypt and the Spanish colonies, informing the Greeks about the day of the festivities. At the same time, these ambassadors, called Feors, proclaimed a sacred world.

Here are some articles from this ruling:

1) All hostilities must be stopped in all countries as soon as the hieromenia is declared.

2) For all peoples participating 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 take possession of this territory or will not help the Eleians against the sacrilegious enemy, may be struck by the curse of the gods.

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

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

7) Anyone who offends a traveler going to the Olympic festival will be subject to a curse and a fine.

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 biggest draws in the festivities were religious ceremonies and games. Each donated according to his own means. Wealthy people made up whole hecatombs. More modest pilgrims contented themselves with sacrificing rams, a kid, a few drops of wine, and a few grains of incense. According to the established rules, the Olympic gods entered into direct communication only with the citizens of Elis. The 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 compliance with all the rules of the competition, sacrifices took place.

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

in the 3rd competition of men,

in the 4th horse rides,

the 5th day ended with sacrifices and was dedicated to a solemn awards ceremony.

The name of the Olympic winner, the name of his father and his fatherland were solemnly announced and carved on marble slabs exhibited in Olympia for all to see. The Olympionists 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 olive tree of beautiful wreaths", according to legend, planted by Hercules himself; from the 60th they were allowed to erect their statue in Altisa. During the feast that followed the competition, solemn epinic hymns composed by the famous poets Pindar, Simonides, Bacchilides and others were sung in honor of the Olympians. The ancient Greeks considered victory to be a sign of the location of the deity, Zeus's attention to the athlete and to the city where he was born. In their homeland, Olympians were exempt from all state duties and enjoyed places of honor in the theater and at all festivities; there are cases when Olympians were deified and revered as local heroes.

Judges and statutes of the competition. The leadership of all competitions belonged to the Hellenodics, or the judges of the Hellenes. These were the officials of Elis, appointed for each Olympiad by lot from a limited class of citizens. There were ten of these judges. They took up their duties ten months before the start of the festivities. Going to Olympia, before entering the sacred enclosure, they performed ablution and sacrificed a pig. In Booleuteria, they took the oath of office from the contestants, their families and teachers. The Hellenodics themselves vowed to fulfill their duty to the altar of Zeus of Herkea and tested athletes, children, horses and foals; they distributed them according to categories, making a list of opponents for each competition.

Here are the main articles of the charter: 1) Slaves and barbarians are excluded from games. 2) Also excluded: those who were punished by the court; all murderers, even those who have committed a crime through negligence; people on whom sacrilege gravitates; all individuals or citizens of those states who have not paid the fines imposed on them. 3) All participants in the competition must register in advance, within the time limits established by law, in the Elisha gymnasium, perform a well-known test there and take the oath. 4) Those who fail to appear by the deadline are not allowed to participate in the competitions. 5) Married women are certainly prohibited from appearing in Altis and on the competition grounds during the great festivities. 6) Competitors' teachers during stage games are placed behind an adjacent fence and must remain completely naked there. 7) Under the threat of deprivation of the award and imposition of a fine, it is prohibited to kill your opponent intentionally or by negligence in wrestling or in fistfight. eight). It is forbidden to push your opponent and resort to any unscrupulous tricks. 9) It is forbidden to intimidate your opponent and offer him a monetary reward for giving in to the fight. 10) Anyone who attempts to bribe judges is threatened with a rod punishment. 11) It is prohibited to express public protest against the decision of the judges. 12) Any participant in the competition, dissatisfied with the verdict of the Hellenodics, can complain to the Olympic Council and seek the conviction of the guilty judges at their own risk and risk.

Any wrong action was punishable by a fine established by law and imposed by a sentence of judges. Not only the competitor's family but also his hometown were responsible for paying this fine.

Competitors. All those wishing to take part in the Games were included in special lists during the year from their opening. They took an oath that they would prepare for the upcoming competition for at least ten months. Except for former Olympia winners and a few world-renowned athletes. But most of the future participants in the competition spent in this gymnasium all ten months intended for exercises. They were housed in rooms adjacent to the gymnasium. The training took place in special schools, in which the participant paid for the stay. Then, 30 days before the opening of the Games, all potential participants arrived in Olympia for a centralized gathering, all had to withstand a series of tests in the Elis gymnasium for 30 days; The athletes who arrived at the competition began training under the supervision of special judges ("ellanodics"), who then dealt with the admission of athletes to the Games.

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

As the games approached, athletes were transported to Olympia and settled in special rooms. Their entry into the Booleuterium was accomplished with great pomp and in the presence of their fathers, brothers and teachers. Entering there, the participants in the competition stretched out their hand on the altar of Zeus of Herkea, where they indulged in burning the insides of a wild boar, and before the Hellenodics they swore an oath to behave in accordance with the requirements of the charter. (5)

The first day opened with competitions on stage. Long before dawn, all the pilgrims, distributed by nationality, crowded on the slopes of the mountains. As the sun rose, there was a trumpet sound. Ellanodics in red robes crossed the entire field of the competition and took their places opposite the start. Around them in places of honor were seated officials and priests of Elis, public guests, representatives of different states, all eminent foreigners. Nearby was the throne of the only married woman allowed to be present 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, for an infinite number of hours experienced divine pleasure, contemplating how people inflicted on each other fatal blows fists, and the horses competed in running speed. But it was not the gross passion for gambling of modern European horse racing that attracted the Greeks to this spectacle. Aesthetic aspirations, the need to admire the two kings of nature - a man and a horse - in the flowering of their beauty and an outburst of courage - that was what captivated the Hellenes. This pleasure was mingled with patriotic excitement. Everyone turned to the gods their impatient prayers for the victory of their hometown in these arenas, where all the Greek peoples gathered. It goes without saying that the motivation of the competitors was, above all, their personal pride. They strove to evoke admiration for their strength or luxury, but they were also pleased that with victory they would glorify their homeland.

Greek gods and mythological heroes are involved in the emergence of not only the Olympic Games in general, but also their individual disciplines. For example, it was believed that running one stage was introduced by Hercules himself, who personally measured 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 of Theseus with the Minotaur. (1)

In addition to athletic competitions, an arts competition was also held at the Olympic Games, which from the 84th Games (444 BC) became an official part of the program.

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

At the 14 Olympic Games (724 BC), the program included diaulos - running in 2 stages, and 4 years later - dolichodrom (endurance run), the distance of which ranged from 7 to 24 stadia.

Foot race.

But then the trumpets sounded again. A herald appears in the arena and loudly shouts: "Competers in the run, come out!" One of the commanding police officers summons the athletes, and the herald introduces them to the crowd, telling them their name and place of homeland, and asks if anyone is challenging their dignity as a citizen and an honest person. One of the Hellenodics addresses the athletes and orders the unworthy to retire. 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 appear again already naked, Zeus's urn is brought to the arena, i.e. a silver vase containing wooden plaques with letters engraved on them. Each participant of the competition draws one of twenty places by lot, which he will have to take. Alitarch takes these boards, checks them and takes the athlete to his place. A trumpet sound is heard, and the four rivals start to run.

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

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

Running with weapons.

It was postponed until the end of the games. This competition consisted in the fact that it was necessary to run twice on the stage in military armament. Initially, this run was carried out in full armor, that is, with a shield, spear, helmet and legguards, but little by little this weight was relieved, and in the IV century they went out only with a shield. (4)

Wrestling.

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 a 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 fist wrestling and in the so-called pankrat.

At the 23 Olympic Games (688 BC), fistfights were included in the competition program. Coming out to fist wrestling, the wrestlers put on a special bronze cap on their heads, and wrapped their fists with leather belts with metal cones. It was a fierce fight. When preparing to strike, the wrestler at the same time took precautions: he protected his head with raised hands, tried to make the enemy blinded by the sun; then, with all his might, he struck with his fist, as if chained in iron, on the ribs, face and various members of his opponent. As a rule, they came out of this struggle disfigured, crippled, bleeding; often it ended in death. The fight continued until one of the opponents admitted himself defeated.

Pankrat.

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

Pentathlon.

Pentathlon included five different competitions: jumping, discus and dart throw, 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 kettlebells. Thanks to this, jumps reached enormous sizes - 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 Race.

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

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

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

At the 33 Olympic Games (648 BC), horse racing appeared in the Games program (in the middle of the 3rd century BC, horse races were also held) and pankration, a single combat that combined elements of wrestling and fist fight with minimal restrictions on "forbidden techniques" and in many ways resembling modern battles no 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 expanded, they began to last for three days. For the opening, children's exercises were arranged, the next morning, adults were scheduled to run. Afternoon - wrestling, fistfight and pankrat. Horse racing took place on the morning of the third day, and pentathlon and arms racing took place in the afternoon. But exceptions have been made to this rule more than once.

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

In the 4th century, two more competitions were invented: heralds and trumpeters.

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

Games in 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 were never held in one year.

Except for the Panhellenic Games at Olympia major competitions were held in Athens. They are known as Panathenaic Games.

These Games were part of the Great Panathena, the largest festival in Athens, held every four years in honor of the goddess Athena.

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

Olympionic.

After each competition, the announcement by the herald of the name of the winner, his father and the name of his homeland took place. The athlete or the owner of the chariot approached the judges. The next Olympics was named after the athlete who won these competitions. The Olympionists (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" (5)

Then relatives, friends, compatriots, acquaintances and unfamiliar fans greeted him, threw flowers at him and lifted him on their shoulders. Distribution of awards was carried out on the last day of the holiday. Initially, precious things, tripods, and expensive materials served as rewards. Subsequently, simple wild olive wreaths decorated with ribbons were 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 awards ceremony took place. The Hellanodics laid wreaths on the heads of the victors in the presence of officials and Elid priests, as well as in front of representatives of all Greek countries. Then a procession was arranged. Hellenodics moved ahead, then new Olympians, accompanied by civil and spiritual authorities, public guests and deputies of different nationalities, as well as statues of the gods; they descended to 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 the 12 gods, the victors, surrounded by the gathered crowd, made sacrifices and prayers of thanks. Then the procession set off again. Now it was moving towards Pritania, where the citizens of Elis prepared a great feast, to which all the privileged officials of Olympia, priests, proxeni and feora were invited. The crowd gathered at the door eagerly listened to the joyous exclamations that reached them. As soon as the names of the winners were entered in the gymnasium's list of Olympians, the glory of the winners, as it were, received final recognition.

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

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

Such portrait statues were usually commissioned by the best sculptors. The costs associated with this were borne by the winner himself, his family, teacher or hometown. "The most precious possession," said one proverb, "this 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 people, he rode in purple robe on a quadriga. A certain Exenet from the city of Agrigenta made his entry with an infinite number of chariots, three hundred of which were drawn by white horses. At first, the procession was directed to the temple of Zeus, to which the winner had to dedicate his wreath. Then, when the hymn was sung and the trumpets sounded, it moved in the pritania. A magnificent national feast was held in honor of the new hero.

The celebration of the anniversary of this event took place afterwards for a long time. On this day, the Olympionist appeared at 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 themselves. The state provided him with various privileges. In honor of him, two statues were often erected - one in Olympia, and the other in a public square, in a temple or in a gymnasium in his hometown. The painted portrait of him was exhibited under the porticoes. In memory of the Olympic victories in many countries, and especially in Sicily, special coins were struck. In Athens, the winner was given a prize of 500 drachmas, in other places he received a life pension, in Argos - a bronze shield, in Pellen - a woolen mantle. Apparently, he was assigned in advance to perform public duties, in particular - to run a gymnasium. He enjoyed a place of honor in the theater, as well as at festivities and during battles. Sometimes the state took charge of the construction of his tomb. The victorious horses were provided with a well-fed existence and a happy old age. At burial, they received honors in the form of a large burial mound with a pyramid at the top.

By the time the winner returned or the anniversary of his victory, some great poet, for example, Pindar, Simonides, was ordered a triumphal ode, performed like an opera, with the accompaniment of music and dances. 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 Olympian had no limits. Thanks to a momentary success, he fell into the ranks of the first people of his era. He became an important person, sometimes acted as a mediator between different states, 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 Olympians began during their lifetime: Euthymius of Locrus made libations and sacrifices to his own image. (3)

4 . Tradlighting the Olympic flame

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, according to legend, who 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 carried out secretly in a reed. Together with fire, he took from Hephaestus "a 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 back 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. He was constantly on the altar of Hestia (the goddess of the hearth). During the Olympiads, glorifying Zeus, fires 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, fire was ignited 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), which allocated 40 trained youths for this process. Young people delivered the 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 to this day one of the most striking images in Greek mythology... The expression "Promethean fire" means striving for lofty goals in the fight against evil. Did not the ancients put the same meaning when they lit the Olympic flame in the Altis grove about three millennia ago?

During the summer solstice, competitors and organizers, pilgrims and fans paid homage to the gods by lighting fires 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, there was a rivalry between athletes, a competition of artists, an agreement on peace was concluded by envoys from cities and peoples.

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

Eleven women posing as priestesses perform the modern Olympic lighting ceremony at Olympia. 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 at one point thanks to its curved shape. The energy from the sun creates a large amount of heat, which 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 at the antique Olympic Stadium, where it lights the torch of the first runner of the relay.

In addition to the main torch, special lamps are also lit from the Olympic flame, designed to store the 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, an attempt at improvement and the struggle to win, as well as peace and friendship.

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

5. The importance of the Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were the unifying center of the entire Hellenic world, the sacred ambassadors of the theor represented all Greek states in Olympia. The Greeks from remote places especially revered the Olympic Games, whom they helped to keep in touch 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; 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 writings. During the Olympiads, the Greek states announced the conclusion of important treaties, sealed them with oaths at the altar of the gods and notifying all of Greece. The name, solemnly announced at the Olympic Games, became known to the entire Greek-speaking world. At the turn of 4-3 centuries BC. NS. the historian Timaeus of Siculus proposed to keep the chronology according to the Olympiads, four-year time periods, from one Olympiad to the next.

By the 2nd century BC. NS. Games are losing their splendor, becoming more and more an event local significance... In 85g. BC NS. the Roman general Sulla, who allowed his soldiers to devastate the treasures of Olympia, moved the Games to Rome (175th Olympiad-80 BC), but after 4 years they were resumed 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. NS. became the winner in the chariot race. In violation of all age-old rules, the Emperor Nero announced games 2 years earlier than the deadline, ordered the destruction of the statues of all former Olympians and introduced singing competitions, in which he became the first "winner". After his murder, the games were declared invalid. In 394, the Olympic Games, 293 in a row, were banned as a pagan festival by decree of the Roman emperor Theodosius I the Great.

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

And, nevertheless, the Olympic movement today is a deterrent factor in conflicts between peoples.

Bibliography

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

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

3. Guiraud 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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In Paris, in the Great Hall of the Sorbonne, a commission for the revival of the Olympic Games met. 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 Olympic Games of our time 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, there were no such indispensable attributes of the modern Games as the parade of the participating countries, the ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame and the recitation of the Olympic oath; 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 I 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 actively preparing for the Olympics, however, due to lack of funds, the Russian team was not sent to 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 became the American athlete James Connolly, who won the triple jump with a score of 13 meters 71 centimeters.

The wrestling competitions were held without uniform approved rules for conducting fights, and there were no weight categories either. 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 in the course of the distance. 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 allowed: separate competitions were held among "maestros" - fencing teachers ("maestros" were also admitted to the Games of 1900, after which this practice ceased).

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 dressmaking and the use of a hairdresser for life, 10 centners of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.