Where did the Olympic Games originate? The first Olympic Games: history of development. Revival of the Olympic Idea

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 holidays of peace? In which country were they held for the first time?

The myth of the birth of the Olympic Games

In 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 Hellenes believed that the origin of the Olympic Games dates back to the time of Kronos, the son of the first god Uranus. In a 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. Such is the legend. There are, of course, other legends about the origins of the Olympic Games.

Historical sources confirming the holding of these festivals in Ancient Greece include Homer's Iliad. This book mentions a chariot race organized by the inhabitants of Elis, the region in the Peloponnese where Olympia was located.

Holy Truce

A mere mortal who played a significant role in the development of the ancient Greek Olympic Games was King Iphitus. During his reign, the interval between competitions was already four years. Having resumed the Olympic Games, Iphit declared a sacred truce. That is, during these celebrations it was impossible to wage 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 neighboring regions more than once. Why were the ancient Olympic Games called holidays of peace? Firstly, the holding of these competitions was associated with names of the gods who highly revered by the ancient Greeks. Secondly, the aforementioned truce was declared for a month, which had a special name - ἱερομηνία.

Scientists have still not come to a consensus about the types of sports in the Olympic Games held by the Hellenes. There is an opinion 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 there were those who were subjected to public dishonor and contempt of others, that is, atymia. They could not become participants in competitions. Only dear Hellenes. 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 Olympic Games, a woman did not even have the right to attend unless she was a priestess of the goddess Demeter.

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

From the history of the Olympic Games it is known that these events had quite an important social and cultural significance. Deals 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 tales 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 in full armor.

The first fist fight took place at the 23rd Olympics. Later, the ancient Greeks added martial arts such as pankration, wrestling. It was said above that women had no right to take part in competitions. However, in 688 BC, special competitions were created for the most purposeful inhabitants 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 sport had a logical connection. Artists exhibited their works on the market square. Poets and writers, as mentioned above, read their works. Sometimes, after the completion of the Games, sculptors were commissioned to create statues of the winners, and lyricists composed songs of praise in honor of the strongest and most dexterous.

Ellanodon

What were the names of the judges who watched the competition and awarded awards to the winners? Ellanodons were appointed by lot. The judges not only presented the award, but also managed the organization of the entire event. At the first Olympic Games there were only two of them, then nine, and even later ten. Beginning in 368 BC, there were twelve Hellanodons. However, later the number of judges was reduced. Ellanodons wore special purple clothing.

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

The order of the competition was determined by drawing lots. Then the herald publicly announced the name of the person entering the competition. Where were the Olympic Games held?

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. This 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 place 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 running track was equal in length to the one located in the stadium itself. Another platform for preliminary preparation - palaestra. It was a square building with a courtyard. Mostly athletes who competed in wrestling and fist fighting trained here.

Leonidoion, which performed the functions, was built in the fifth century BC according to the design of a famous architect in Ancient Greece. The huge building consisted of a courtyard surrounded by columns and included many rooms. The Olympic Games played an important role in the religious life of the Hellenes. Therefore, local residents erected several temples and sanctuaries here. The structures fell into disrepair after an earthquake that occurred in the sixth century. The racetrack was finally destroyed during a 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 reminiscent of 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 Olympias, held in the mid-19th century. But they, of course, were not so large-scale and had little in common with the competitions, which in our time are held once every four years. The 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 buildings. The work continued for more than ten years. At this time, everything related to Antiquity was popular in Europe. Many public and cultural figures became infected with the desire to revive Olympic traditions. At the same time, the French showed the greatest interest in the culture of sports competitions in Ancient Greece, although the archaeological discoveries belonged to the Germans. This can be easily explained.

In 1871, the French army suffered a defeat, which significantly undermined the patriotic spirit in society. Pierre de Coubertin believed that the reason was the poor physical training of the soldiers. He did not try to inspire his countrymen to fight Germany and other European powers. The French public figure spoke a lot about the need to improve physical culture, but also advocated for 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 to the world community his thoughts on the need to revive ancient Greek traditions. 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. The committee for holding international competitions was headed by Demetrius Vikelas. Pierre de Coubertin took over as secretary general.

The 1896 Olympic Games were the largest sporting event. Greek statesmen put forward a proposal to hold the Olympic Games exclusively in their homeland. However, the committee decided otherwise. The location 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 at that time the World Exhibition was being held in Paris. Some historians believe that the Olympic ideas were saved thanks to the intermediate games of 1906, held again in Athens.

Differences between modern Games and ancient Greek ones

The competitions were resumed on the model of ancient sports competitions. The modern Olympic Games unite athletes from all countries; discrimination against individuals on religious, racial, or political grounds is not allowed. This, perhaps, is the main difference between the modern Games and the ancient Greek ones.

What did the modern Olympic Games borrow from the ancient Greek ones? First of all, the names themselves. The frequency of competitions was also borrowed. One of the purposes of the modern Olympic Games is to serve peace and establish mutual understanding between countries. This is consistent 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 arose, of course, in antiquity. Some terms and rules for conducting competitions were also borrowed from the ancient Greeks.

There are, of course, several significant differences between modern Games and ancient ones. The ancient Greeks held sports competitions 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 Olympic Games. And the competitions were different. In antiquity in the Olympic Not only athletes, but also poets participated in the games.

Symbolism

Everyone knows what the symbol of the Olympic Games looks like. Five fastened rings of black, blue, red, yellow and green. However, few people know that these elements do not belong to any specific continent. sounds in Latin, translated into Russian means “faster, higher, stronger.” The flag is a white panel with the image of rings. It has been lifted at every Games since 1920.

Both the opening and closing of the Games are accompanied by a grandiose, colorful ceremony. The best organizers of mass events are involved in developing the scenario. Famous actors and singers strive to take part 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 military action, 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. The Olympics have been held in Russia twice. In 1980 in Moscow and in 2014 in Sochi.

Olympic Games(Olympiads) are the largest modern international complex sports competitions, held every four years. The Summer Olympic Games have been held since 1896 (only during the world wars were these competitions not held). The Winter Olympic Games, established in 1924, were originally held in the same year as the Summer Olympics. But in 1994, it was decided to shift the timing of the Winter Olympic Games by two years relative to the timing of the Summer Olympics.

According to Greek myths, the Olympics were founded by Hercules after the successful completion of one of his glorious feats: cleaning the Augean stables. According to another version, these competitions marked the successful return of the Argonauts, who, at the insistence of Hercules, swore eternal friendship to each other. In order to adequately celebrate this event, a place was chosen above the Alpheus River, where a temple to the god Zeus was later erected. There are also legends that say that Olympia was founded by an oracle named Yam or by the mythical hero Pelops (son of Tantalus and ancestor of Hercules, king of Elis), who won the chariot race of Oenomaus, king of the city of Pisa.

Modern archaeological scientists believe that competitions similar to the Olympic ones were held in Olympia (western Peloponnese) around the 9th - 10th centuries. BC. And the most ancient document, which describes the Olympic Games dedicated to the god Zeus, dates back to 776 BC. According to historians, the reason for such a high popularity of sports competitions in Ancient Greece is extremely simple - the country in those days was divided into small city-states that were constantly at war with each other. In such conditions, in order to defend their independence and win the battle, both soldiers and free citizens were forced to devote a lot of time to training, the purpose of which was to develop strength, agility, endurance, etc.

The list of Olympic sports initially consisted of only one discipline - short-distance running - 1 stage (190 meters). The runners lined up at the starting line at full height, stretching their right hand forward, and waited for the signal from the judge (ellanodika). If one of the athletes was ahead of the starting signal (i.e. there was a false start), he was punished - the judge beat the offending athlete with a heavy stick reserved for this purpose. Somewhat later, competitions appeared in long-distance running - in stages 7 and 24, as well as running in full combat weapons and running behind a horse.

In 708 BC. Javelin throwing (the length of the wooden spear was equal to the height of the athlete) and wrestling appeared in the program of the Olympic Games. This sport had rather cruel rules (for example, tripping, grabbing an opponent by the nose, lip or ear, etc. were allowed) and was extremely popular. The winner was declared the wrestler who managed to knock his opponent to the ground three times.

In 688 BC. Fist fighting was included in the list of Olympic sports, and in 676 BC. they added a competition in chariots drawn by four or a pair of horses (or mules). At first, the owner of the team was obliged to drive the animals himself; later, for this purpose, it was allowed to hire an experienced driver (regardless of this, the owner of the chariot received the winner’s wreath).

Somewhat later, long jump competitions began to be held at the Olympics, and the athlete, after a short run-up, had to push off with both feet and sharply throw his arms forward (in each hand the jumper held a weight, which was supposed to carry him along with him). Also included in the list of Olympic competitions were competitions for musicians (harpists, heralds and trumpeters), poets, speakers, actors and playwrights. At first the festival lasted one day, later - 5 days. However, there were times when the celebrations dragged on for a whole month.

To ensure the safety of the participants in the Olympics, three kings: Cleosthenes (from Pisa), Iphitus (from Elis) and Lycurgus (from Sparta) entered into an agreement according to which any hostilities ceased during the games - messengers were sent from the city of Elis announcing a truce ( The IOC tried to revive this tradition in our days, in 1992, by calling on all nations of the world to renounce hostilities during the Olympics. In 1993, it was proclaimed that the truce should be observed “from the seventh day before the official opening of the Games to the seventh day after. official closure of the Games." The corresponding resolution was approved in 2003 by the UN General Assembly, and in 2005 the above-mentioned call was included in the Millennium Declaration, signed by the leaders of many countries around the world).

Even when Greece, having lost its independence, became part of the Roman Empire, the Olympic Games continued to exist until 394 AD, when Emperor Theodosius I banned this type of competition, because he believed that the festival dedicated to the pagan god Zeus could not be held in an empire whose official religion is Christianity.

The revival of the Olympics began about a hundred years ago, when in 1894 in Paris, on the initiative of the French educator and public figure Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the International Sports Congress approved the foundations of the Olympic Charter. It is this charter that is the main constitutional instrument that formulates the fundamental rules and main values ​​of Olympism. The organizers of the first revived Olympics, who wanted to give the competition the “spirit of antiquity,” experienced many difficulties in choosing sports that could be considered Olympic. For example, after long and heated debate, football was excluded from the list of competitions at the First Olympics (1896, Athens), since IOC members argued that this team game was sharply different from ancient competitions - after all, in ancient times, athletes competed exclusively in individual competitions.

Sometimes quite exotic types of competitions were considered Olympic. For example, at the II Olympics (1900, Paris), competitions were held in underwater swimming and swimming with obstacles (athletes covered a distance of 200 meters, diving under anchored boats and going around submerged logs). At the VII Olympics (1920, Antwerp) they competed in javelin throwing with both hands, as well as in club throwing. And at the V Olympics (1912, Stockholm), athletes competed in the long jump, high jump and standing triple jump. Also, competitions in tug-of-war and cobblestone pushing (which was only replaced in 1920 by the shot, which is still used today) were considered an Olympic sport for a long time.

The judges also had a lot of problems - after all, each country at that time had different competition regulations. Since it was impossible to create uniform requirements for all participants in a short period of time, the athletes were allowed to perform in accordance with the rules to which they were accustomed. For example, runners at the start could stand in any way they wanted (taking a high start position, with their right arm extended forward, etc.). The “low start” position, generally accepted these days, was adopted by only one athlete at the first Olympics - American Thomas Bark.

The modern Olympic movement has a motto - "Citius, Altius, Fortius" ("Faster, Higher, Stronger") and its own emblem - five intersecting rings (this sign was found by Coubertin on one of the Delphic altars). The Olympic rings are a symbol of the unification of the five continents (blue symbolizes Europe, black - Africa, red - America, yellow - Asia, green - Australia). The Olympic Games also have their own flag - a white cloth with the Olympic rings. Moreover, the colors of the rings and the flag are chosen so that at least one of them is found on the national flag of any country in the world. Both the emblem and the flag were adopted and approved by the IOC at the initiative of Baron Coubertin in 1913.

Baron Pierre Coubertin was the first to propose reviving the Olympic Games. Indeed, thanks to the efforts of this man, the Olympics became one of the largest sporting competitions in the world. However, the idea of ​​reviving this type of competition and bringing it to the world stage was expressed a little earlier by two more people. The Greek Evangelis Zapas organized the Olympics in Athens with his own money back in 1859, and the Englishman William Penny Brooks in 1881 proposed to the Greek government to hold competitions simultaneously in Greece and England. He also became the organizer of games called "Olympic Memory" in the town of Much Wenlock, and in 1887 - the initiator of the nationwide British Olympic Games. In 1890, Coubertin attended the games in Much Wenlock and praised the Englishman's idea. Coubertin understood that by reviving the Olympics it was possible, firstly, to raise the prestige of the capital of France (it was in Paris, according to Coubertin, that the first Olympics should have taken place, and only persistent protests from representatives of other countries led to the fact that primacy was given to the birthplace of the Olympic Games - Greece), secondly, to improve the health of the nation and create a powerful army.

The motto of the Olympics was invented by Coubertin. No, the Olympic motto, consisting of three Latin words - "Citius, Altius, Fortius!" was first pronounced by the French priest Henri Didon at the opening ceremony of sports competitions in one of the colleges. Coubertin, who was present at the ceremony, liked the words - in his opinion, this particular phrase expresses the goal of athletes around the world. Later, at the initiative of Coubertin, this statement became the motto of the Olympic Games.

The Olympic flame marked the beginning of all Olympics. Indeed, in ancient Greece, competitors lit fires on the altars of Olympia to honor the gods. The honor of personally lighting a fire on the altar to the god Zeus was given to the winner of running competitions - the most ancient and revered sports discipline. In addition, in many cities of Hellas there were competitions of runners with lit torches - Prometheus, dedicated to the mythical hero, god-fighter and protector of people Prometheus, who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to people.

At the revived Olympic Games, the flame was first lit at the IX Olympiad (1928, Amsterdam), and, according to researchers, it was not delivered, according to tradition, by a relay from Olympia. In fact, this tradition was revived only in 1936 at the XI Olympiad (Berlin). Since then, the running of torchbearers delivering the fire lit by the sun in Olympia to the site of the Olympics has been a solemn prologue to the games. The Olympic flame travels thousands of kilometers to the competition site, and in 1948 it was even transported across the sea to give rise to the XIV Olympic Games held in London.

The Olympics have never caused conflict. Unfortunately, they did. The fact is that the sanctuary of Zeus, where the games were usually held, was under the control of the city-state of Ellis. According to historians, at least twice (in 668 and 264 BC) the neighboring city of Pisa, using military force, attempted to capture the sanctuary, thus hoping to gain control over the Olympics. After some time, a panel of judges was formed from the most respected citizens of the above-mentioned cities, which assessed the performance of the athletes and decided which of them would receive the winner's laurel wreath.

In ancient times, only Greeks participated in the Olympics. Indeed, in ancient Greece, only Greek athletes had the right to participate in competitions - barbarians were prohibited from entering the stadium. However, this rule was abolished when Greece, which had lost its independence, became part of the Roman Empire - representatives of different nationalities began to be allowed to participate in competitions. Even emperors condescended to participate in the Olympics. For example, Tiberius was a champion in chariot racing, and Nero won a musician's competition.

Women did not participate in the ancient Olympics. Indeed, in Ancient Greece, women were not only prohibited from participating in the Olympic Games - beautiful ladies were not even allowed into the stands (an exception was made only for the priestesses of the fertility goddess Demeter). Therefore, sometimes especially passionate fans resorted to tricks. For example, the mother of one of the athletes, Kalipateria, dressed up as a man to watch her son’s performance and perfectly played the role of a coach. According to another version, she took part in a running competition. Calipateria was identified and sentenced to death - the brave athlete was to be thrown from the Typhian cliff. But, given that her husband was an Olympian (that is, an Olympic winner), and her sons were winners of youth competitions, the judges pardoned Kalipateria. But the panel of judges (Hellanodics) obliged the athletes to continue to compete naked in competitions in order to avoid a repetition of the above-described incident. It should be noted that girls in Ancient Greece were by no means averse to sports, and they loved to compete. Therefore, games dedicated to Hera (the wife of Zeus) were held at Olympia. In these competitions (which, by the way, men were not allowed), exclusively girls participated, competing in wrestling, running and chariot racing, which took place in the same stadium a month before or a month after the competition of male athletes. Women athletes also took part in the Isthmian, Nemean and Pythian Games.
It is interesting that in the Olympic Games, revived in the 19th century, at first only male athletes competed. It was not until 1900 that women took part in competitions in sailing, equestrian sports, tennis, golf and croquet. And representatives of the fair sex joined the IOC only in 1981.

The Olympics are just an opportunity to demonstrate strength and prowess, or a veiled way of selecting and training trained fighters. Initially, the Olympic Games were one of the ways to honor the god Zeus, part of a grandiose cult festival, during which sacrifices were made to the Thunderer - of the five days of the Olympics, two (the first and the last) were dedicated exclusively to solemn processions and sacrifices. However, over time, the religious aspect faded into the background, and the political and commercial components of the competition became more and more apparent.

In ancient times, the Olympic Games contributed to the peaceful coexistence of peoples - after all, during the Olympic truce, wars stopped. Indeed, the city-states participating in the games stopped hostilities for a period of five days (that’s how long the Olympics lasted) to allow athletes to freely get to the venue of the competition - Elis. According to the rules, competition participants and fans had no right to engage in combat with each other, even if their states were at war with each other. However, this does not mean a complete cessation of hostility - after the end of the Olympic Games, hostilities resumed. And the disciplines themselves chosen for the competition were more reminiscent of the training of a good fighter: javelin throwing, running in armor and, of course, the extremely popular pankration - a street fight, limited only by the prohibition of biting and gouging out the eyes of an opponent.

The saying “The main thing is not victory, but participation” was coined by the ancient Greeks. No, the author of the saying “The most important thing in life is not victory, but participation. The essence is in an interesting fight” was Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who in the 19th century revived the tradition of the Olympic Games. And in Ancient Greece, victory was the main goal of competitors. In those days, prizes were not even awarded for second and third places, and the losers, as written sources testify, were very hurt by their defeat and tried to hide as quickly as possible.

In ancient times, competitions were conducted fairly, only nowadays athletes use doping, etc., to achieve better results. Unfortunately, it is not. At all times, athletes, striving for victory, used not entirely honest methods. For example, wrestlers rubbed oil on their bodies to make it easier to free themselves from an opponent’s grip. Distance runners cut corners or trip up an opponent. There were also attempts to bribe judges. The athlete convicted of fraud had to fork out money - bronze statues of Zeus were made with this money, which were installed along the road leading to the stadium. For example, in the 2nd century BC, during one of the Olympics, 16 statues were erected, which indicates that even in ancient times not all athletes played fair.

In Ancient Greece, people competed only to receive a laurel wreath and unfading glory. Of course, praise is a pleasant thing, and the hometown greeted the winner with joy - the Olympian, dressed in purple and crowned with a laurel wreath, entered not through the gate, but through a specially prepared gap in the city wall, which was immediately sealed, “so that the Olympic glory would not left the city." However, not only the laurel wreath and praise were the goal of the competitors. The word “athlete” itself, translated from ancient Greek, means “competing for prizes.” And the rewards that the winner received in those days were considerable. In addition to the sculpture installed in honor of the winner either in Olympia at the sanctuary of Zeus, or in the athlete’s homeland, or even deification, the athlete was entitled to a considerable sum for those times - 500 drachmas. In addition, he received a number of political and economic privileges (for example, exemption from all types of duties) and until the end of his days he had the right to dine for free every day in the city government.

The decision to end the wrestling match was made by the judges. This is wrong. Both in wrestling and in fist fights, the fighter himself, who decided to surrender, raised his right hand with his thumb extended upward - this gesture served as a signal for the end of the fight.

Athletes who won competitions were crowned with laurel wreaths. This is true - it was the laurel wreath that was a symbol of victory in Ancient Greece. And they crowned not only athletes, but also horses that ensured their owner victory in a chariot race.

The inhabitants of Elis were the best athletes in Greece. Unfortunately, it is not. Despite the fact that in the center of Elis there was a Pan-Hellenic shrine - the Temple of Zeus, where the Olympics were regularly held, the inhabitants of this area enjoyed a bad reputation, because they were prone to drunkenness, lies, pederasty and laziness, little corresponding to the ideal of a population strong in spirit and body. However, one cannot deny their belligerence and foresight - having managed to prove to their neighbors that Elis was a neutral country against which war could not be waged, the Eleans, nevertheless, continued attacks on nearby regions with the aim of capturing them.

Olympia was located near the sacred Mount Olympus. Wrong opinion. Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, on the top of which, according to legend, the gods lived, located in the north of the country. And the city of Olympia was located in the south - in Elis, on the island of Peloponnese.

In addition to ordinary citizens, the most famous athletes of Greece lived in Olympia. Only priests lived permanently in Olympia, and athletes and fans, who flocked to the city in huge numbers every four years (the stadium was designed for the presence of 50,000 spectators!), were forced to huddle in self-made tents, huts, or even just in the open air . A leonidayion (hotel) was built only for honored guests.

To measure the time it took athletes to cover a distance, in Ancient Greece they used a clepsydra, and the length of jumps was measured in steps. Wrong opinion. Instruments for measuring time (sun or hourglass, clepsydra) were inaccurate, and distances were most often measured “by eye” (for example, a stage is 600 feet or the distance that a person can walk at a calm pace during full sunrise, i.e. i.e. in about 2 minutes). Therefore, neither the time it took to complete the distance nor the length of the jumps mattered - the winner was the one who reached the finish line first or jumped the furthest.
Even today, visual observation has been used for a long time to evaluate the achievements of athletes - until 1932, when at the X Olympics in Los Angeles a stopwatch and a photo finish were first used, which greatly facilitated the work of judges.

The length of the marathon distance has been constant since ancient times. This is wrong. Nowadays, a marathon (one of the disciplines of athletics) is a race over a distance of 42 km 195 m. The idea of ​​​​organizing the race was proposed by the French philologist Michel Breal. Since both Coubertin and the Greek organizers liked this proposal, the marathon was one of the first to be included in the list of Olympic sports. There are road marathons, cross-country running and half marathons (21 km 98 m). The road marathon has been included in the Olympic Games program since 1896 for men and since 1984 for women.
However, the length of the marathon distance has changed several times. Legend has it that in 490 BC. The Greek warrior Pheidippides (Philippides) ran non-stop from Marathon to Athens (approximately 34.5 km) to please his fellow citizens with the news of victory. According to another version, set forth by Herodotus, Pheidippides was a messenger sent for reinforcements from Athens to Sparta and covered a distance of 230 km in two days.
At the first modern Olympics, marathon running competitions took place along a 40 km route laid between Marathon and Athens, but subsequently the length of the distance varied within quite a wide range. For example, at the IV Olympics (1908, London), the length of the route laid from Windsor Castle (royal residence) to the stadium was 42 km 195 m. At the V Olympics (1912, Stockholm), the length of the marathon distance was changed and was 40 km 200 m, and at the VII Olympics (1920, Antwerp) runners had to cover a distance of 42 km 750 m. The length of the distance changed 6 times, and only in 1921 the final length of the marathon race was established - 42 km 195 m.

Olympic awards are awarded to athletes who show the best results in competitions, after a long struggle with worthy opponents. This is true, but there are exceptions to this rule. For example, gymnast Elena Mukhina, who injured a cervical vertebra during one of her training sessions a few days before the Olympics, was awarded the Olympic Order for courage. Moreover, the IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch personally presented her with the award. And at the III Olympics (1904, St. Louis, Missouri), American athletes became the undisputed winners due to the almost complete lack of competition - many foreign athletes who did not have enough money were simply unable to take part in the competition, giving the palm to the hosts of the Olympics .

Athletes' equipment can influence the results of competitions. This is true. For comparison: at the first modern Olympics, the athletes’ uniforms were made of wool (an accessible and inexpensive material), and shoes, the soles of which were equipped with special spikes, were made of leather. It is clear that this form caused a lot of inconvenience to the competitors. The swimmers suffered the most - after all, their suits were made of cotton fabric, and, being heavy from the water, slowed down the speed of the athletes. It should also be mentioned that, for example, there were no mats for pole vaulters - the competitors were forced to think not only about how to clear the bar, but also about the correct landing.
Nowadays, thanks to the development of science and the emergence of new synthetic materials, athletes experience much less discomfort. For example, suits for track and field athletes are designed to minimize the risk of muscle strain and reduce the force of wind resistance, and the silk- and lycra-based materials used to make sportswear are low hygroscopic and ensure rapid evaporation of moisture. Special tight-fitting suits with vertical stripes are also created for swimmers, allowing them to overcome water resistance as efficiently as possible and develop the highest speed.
Sports shoes specially designed taking into account the expected loads also contribute a lot to achieving high results. It was thanks to a new shoe model equipped with internal chambers filled with carbon dioxide that American decathlete Dave Johnson demonstrated the best result in the 4x400 m relay in 1992.

Only young, full of energy athletes participate in the Olympic Games. Not necessary. The oldest participant in the Olympic Games is Oscar Swabn, a resident of Switzerland, who took second place in the shooting competition at the VII Olympics (1920, Antwerp) at the age of 72 years. Moreover, it was he who was selected to participate in the 1924 competition, but was forced to refuse due to health reasons.

The most medals at the Olympics were won by athletes from the USSR (later from Russia). No, in the overall standings (according to data on all Olympic Games, up to and including 2002), the USA is superior - 2072 medals, of which 837 are gold, 655 silver and 580 bronze. The USSR is in second place - 999 medals, of which 388 are gold, 317 silver and 249 bronze.

Painting from an ancient Greek vase: competition of young men in jumping over a rod

Three thousand years ago, in beautiful Hellas, the distant ancestors of modern Greeks - the Hellenes - held the first Olympics.
The Hellenes valued beauty, and they considered strong, dexterous, and healthy people to be beautiful. From a very early age, they taught their children to exercise, compete in strength and speed, and play outdoor games. In a word, in our words, to physical education and sports.
But sport is unthinkable without competition, without a fight for primacy, and in the small states into which Hellas was divided, sports festivals were held.
Then the custom arose of holding competitions with the participation of athletes from all over Hellas. These competitions were held at the foot of Mount Olympus, in the small Hellenic state of Elis, and were called the Olympic Games.
The Hellenes were very fond of attributing to their gods and heroes participation in the lives of people. There was also a legend about the origin of the Olympic Games in Hellas. Here she is.
The oracle predicted to King Oenomaus that he would die at the hands of the husband of his daughter Hippodamia. Then Oenomaus announced that he would give his daughter only to the one who defeats him in a chariot race. But woe to the groom if he is defeated! Death awaits him. Hippodamia was so beautiful that even the fear of death did not stop the young men. However, they all died at the hands of the cruel Oenomaus, because he had no equal in the art of driving a chariot, and his horses were faster than the fastest wind. And then one day the grandson of Zeus Pelops came to the king.
- Do you want my daughter? – Oenomai told him with a grin. - Don’t you know how many heroes laid down their lives for her?
“I am not afraid of the fate of the dead heroes,” Pelops answered proudly.

Painting from an ancient Greek vase: a young man throwing a discus

He entered into single combat with Oenomaus. In this single combat, the cruel king died, crashing with his chariot. Pelops married Hippodamia and became king instead of Oenomaus. According to legend, Pelops' grandson Hercules introduced the Olympic Games in memory of his grandfather's victory.
But this is a legend. Historical legend explains the origin of the Olympic Games in a completely different way. About three thousand years ago, worried about the incessant strife and wars that the Hellenes waged among themselves, the king of Elis, Iphitus, proposed to the ruler of Sparta, Lycurgus, to conclude an agreement “so that not with weapons and blood, but with strength and dexterity, the greatness of people would be asserted.” According to this agreement, once every four years it was planned to hold large sports festivals, during which the ringing of weapons throughout Hellas was supposed to cease.
Not only the area at the foot of Olympus was declared sacred, but also the whole of Elis. No one had the right to enter it with weapons in their hands. Lycurgus agreed to Iphitus's proposal, and in honor of this large sports competitions were organized. The Treaty on the Olympic Games was engraved on the disk that flew the farthest. The disk was placed in the temple of Hera, where it was kept for more than a thousand years.
In Olympia, in the picturesque valley of the Althea River, at the foot of Kronos Hill, stood the famous temple with a huge statue of the lord of the gods Zeus. The golden statue was so beautiful and majestic that even in ancient times it was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Not far from the temple of Zeus, near the sacred grove, there were sports facilities: a gymnasium, a palaestra and a stadium. Here Hellenic youths learned various exercises, developing strength and dexterity.
For three years there was silence in the sacred grove. But every fourth year, after the summer solstice, in the first month, the beginning of which coincided with the new moon, the great Hellenic holiday opened - the Olympic Games.
Before the opening of the games, heralds were sent to all parts of Hellas. They informed the people about the timing of the Olympiad and declared ekihireya - a sacred truce.


Ancient Greek sculpture: wrestlers

At first, the Olympic Games were ruled by one judge, who had to be a descendant of King Iphitus. Over time, the number of judges reached ten. These judges were called Hellanodics.
The Olympic Games were subject to the strictest rules and began with a solemn oath of the participants to sacredly observe them. The basic rule was: victory is achieved in a fair fight. It was not for nothing that the statue of Zeus had the inscription: “Olympic victory is not acquired by money, but by the speed of the feet and strength.”
At first, the athletes competed only in a short run - one stage, that is, 192 meters 27 centimeters. The name “stadium” comes from the name of this first distance. The Greek stadium was not like our modern ones. It was simply a straight track, one stage long. At the ends of the path there was a post. When running in two stages was later introduced, Hellenic athletes ran to the pillar and, having gone around it, returned to the starting point. The longest distance was a run of twenty-four stages, which was about four and a half kilometers.
Gradually the program expanded. Competitions were introduced in chariot riding, wrestling, running with weapons and, finally, pentathlon competitions. The pentathlon included long jump, running, wrestling, javelin and discus throwing. This was the prototype of modern pentathlon.

Sculpture of the Hellenic sculptor Polyctetes: discus thrower (discus thrower)

The largest figures of ancient Hellas more than once took part in the Olympiads. King Philip of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great, competed in chariot racing, and the famous mathematician Pythagoras was the winner of the Olympics in fist fighting.
The Olympic Games interested all Hellenes. Crowds of people, festively decorated with flowers, flocked from all over the country to Olympia.
Having taken a comfortable place in the evening, they patiently waited all night for the opening of the competition. The ancient Greek writer Lucian, who visited the Olympic Games five times, said that neither the heat of the scorching sun, nor the tormenting thirst, nor the dust and crowded conditions could break the patience of the spectators. It turns out that fans already existed three thousand years ago. Just like in our time, they worried and shouted, encouraging their favorites. Just like in our time, they were ready to get into competitions at any cost.
All women, with the exception of the priestess of the temple of Hera, were forbidden to watch the games on pain of death. Legend speaks of a woman who, dressed in men's clothing, entered the stadium. It was Ferenika. She was in charge of her son's training and wanted to witness his victory. However, she failed to deceive the strict Hellanodics. Ferenika was captured. She was facing execution. She was supposed to be thrown off a cliff into the abyss. The judges spared Ferenika only because her father, brother, husband, and son were winners of the Olympic Games at different times.
One day, a peasant named Demil saw his son Glaucus drive a plow into the ground with a blow of his fist. Amazed by such strength, he brought the young man to the Olympic Games. But during the battle, Glaucus began to weaken. Demil noticed this. Excited, as a fan should be, he shouted over the noise of the crowd: “My son, don’t give in! Remember the plow!” Hearing his father’s words, Glaucus gathered all his strength, dealt a crushing blow to the enemy and won.


Painting from a Greek vase: a chariot before a race

The sage philosopher Socrates was also a fan. He came to Olympia from Athens on foot, covering a good two hundred kilometers. When one Athenian was horrified to learn about this, Socrates answered him: “Dear friend, what horrifies you? Think about it, don’t you walk around your house all day long? If you add up all your walks around the house in five to six days , then you will get a distance no less than from Athens to Olympus."
There was nothing more honorable in Greece than victory at the Olympic Games. The awards ceremony took place on the last day of the Olympics in front of the Temple of Zeus. Wreaths were woven from branches of the sacred olive tree cut with a golden knife, and the Hellanodics placed them on the heads of the winners. The heralds loudly shouted the name of each young man crowned with victory, the name of the city where he came from, and the name of his father. The best sculptors carved statues of victorious athletes from marble, and these statues were installed in the temple of Zeus. Upon returning to his homeland, new honors awaited the hero. Poets dedicated odes of praise to him, he was exempt from taxes, and the best seats in the theater were allocated for him. Sometimes, as a sign of special honor, a passage was cut through the city walls for the entry of the winner.
The first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC. For twelve centuries the terms of the agreement between Iphitus and Lycurgus were fulfilled. But then the Romans conquered Hellas, and the wonderful national custom gradually began to be forgotten. Then, with the spread of Christianity, the Roman Emperor Theodosius completely banned the Olympic Games as pagan.
They were resumed only many centuries later, in our time.

If yes, you might be very interested to know impressive details of the origins of the Olympic races. The history of the Olympic Games is fascinating and full of surprises. So, let's dive into the uncharted waters of the world Olympiads?

How it all began

The famous Olympic Games in honor of Olympian Zeus originated in Ancient Greece and were held since 776 BC. e. every 4 years in the city of Olympia. Sports competitions were such a great success and of great importance for society that for a while OlimpiyskOuchthe races stopped the wars and ekehiriya - a sacred truce - was established.

People flocked to Olympia from everywhere to watch the competition: some traveled on foot, some on horseback, and some even sailed by ship to distant lands just to get a glimpse of the majestic Greek athletes. Entire tent settlements grew up around the city. To watch the athletes, spectators completely filled the hillsides around the Alpheus River valley.

After the solemn victory and the award ceremony (presentation of a wreath of sacred olives and a palm branch), the Olympian lived happily ever after. Holidays were held in his honor, hymns were sung, statues were made, and in Athens the winner was exempted from taxes and burdensome public duties. And the winner was always given the best seat in the theater. In some places, even the children of an Olympian enjoyed special privileges.

Interesting, that women were not allowed to participate in Olympic competitions under penalty of death.

Brave Hellenes competed in running, fist fighting (which Pythagoras once won), jumping, javelin throwing, and so on. However, the most dangerous were the chariot races. You won’t believe it, but the winner of equestrian competitions was considered the owner of the horses, and not the poor cab driver who risked his life to win.

There are many legends associated with the Olympic Games. One of them says that the first competitions were allegedly organized by Zeus himself in honor of the victory over his father. Whether this is true or not, it was Homer who first mentioned the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece in literature in the poem “The Iliad.”

Archaeological excavations indicate that in Olympia, 5 rectangular or horseshoe-shaped stadiums with stands for fans were built specifically for the competition.

Unfortunately, nothing is currently known about the time of the champions. It was enough to be the first to reach the finish line to gain the right to light the sacred fire. But legends tell us about Olympians who ran faster than hares, and just look at the talent of the Spartan Ladas, who left no traces on the sand while running.

Modern Olympic Games

Modern international sports competitions, known as the Summer Olympics, have been held every four years since 1896. The initiator was the French baron Pierre de Coubertin. He believed that it was insufficient physical training that prevented French soldiers from winning the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. Young people should measure their strength on sports grounds, not on battlefields, the activist argued.

The first Olympic Games were held in Athens. To organize the competition we created International Olympic Committee, whose first president was Demetrius Vikelas from Greece.

Since then, the holding of the World Olympiad has become a good tradition. With the backdrop of impressive excavations and archaeological finds, the idea of ​​Olympism spread throughout Europe. Increasingly, European states organized their own sports competitions, which were watched by the whole world.

What about winter sports?

To fill the gap in winter sports competitions, which were technically impossible to hold in the summer, The Winter Olympic Games have been held since January 25, 1924. The first were organized in a French city Chamonix. In addition to figure skating and hockey, athletes competed in speed skating, ski jumping, etc.

293 athletes, including 13 women, from 16 countries of the world expressed a desire to compete for championship in the competition. The first Olympic champion of the Winter Games was C. Jutrow from the USA (speed skating), but in the end the leaders of the competition were the teams of Finland and Norway. The race lasted 11 days and ended on February 4.

Attributes of the Olympic Games

Now the symbol and emblem The Olympic Games have five intertwined rings that symbolize the unification of the five continents.

Olympic motto, proposed by the Catholic monk Henri Dido: “Faster, higher, stronger.”

At the opening ceremony of each Olympics they raise flag- white cloth with the emblem (Olympic rings). Lights up throughout the Olympics Olympic fire, which is brought to the venue each time from Olympia.

Since 1968, each Olympiad has its own.

The 2016 Olympic Games are planned to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the Ukrainian team will present their champions to the world. By the way, the first Olympic champion of independent Ukraine was a figure skater Oksana Baiul.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games are always a vibrant spectacle, which once again emphasizes the prestige and planetary importance of these global competitions.

In Paris, a commission to revive the Olympic Games met in the Great Hall of the Sorbonne. Baron Pierre de Coubertin became its general secretary. Then the International Olympic Committee - the 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 in the same stadium in Olympia that hosted the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece. 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 ancient stadium in Athens, the Greek King George declared the first Olympic Games of modern times 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 with three directions of Christianity at once - Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. This first opening ceremony of the Games established two Olympic traditions - the opening of the Games by the head of state where the competition is taking place, and the singing of the Olympic anthem. However, such indispensable attributes of modern Games as a parade of participating countries, the ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame and the recitation of the Olympic oath did not exist; they were introduced later. There was no Olympic village; invited athletes provided their own 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 competed separately), Germany, Greece, Denmark, Italy , USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden.

Russian athletes were quite actively preparing for the Olympics, but 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, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. 43 sets of awards were drawn.

According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletic competitions.

Athletics competitions became the most popular - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. The largest number of species - 9 - were won by representatives of the United States.

The first Olympic champion was American 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, and 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's 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 swimming pools in Athens, swimming competitions were held in an open bay near the city of Piraeus; the start and finish were marked by ropes attached to the floats. The competition aroused great interest - by the start of the first swim, about 40 thousand spectators had gathered on the shore. About 25 swimmers from six countries took part, most of them naval officers and sailors of the Greek merchant fleet.

Medals were awarded in four events, all swims were held “freestyle” - you were allowed to swim in any way, changing it along the course. At that time, the most popular swimming methods were breaststroke, overarm (an improved way of swimming on the side) and treadmill style. At the insistence of the Games organizers, the program also included an applied swimming event - 100 meters in sailor's clothing. Only Greek sailors took part in it.

In cycling, six sets of medals were awarded - five on the track and one on the road. The track races took place at the Neo Faliron velodrome, specially built for the Games.

Eight sets of awards were competed for in the artistic gymnastics competitions. The competition took place outdoors at the Marble Stadium.

Five sets of awards were awarded in shooting - two in rifle shooting and three in pistol shooting.

Tennis competitions took place on the courts of the Athens Tennis Club. Two tournaments were held - singles and doubles. At the 1896 Games there was no requirement that all team members represent the same country, and some pairs were international.

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

Three sets of awards were competed for in fencing. Fencing became the only sport where professionals were allowed: separate competitions were held among “maestros” - fencing teachers (“maestros” were also admitted to the 1900 Games, after which this practice ceased).

The highlight of the Olympic Games was the marathon running. Unlike all subsequent Olympic marathon competitions, the marathon distance at the Games of the First Olympics was 40 kilometers. The classic marathon distance is 42 kilometers 195 meters. The Greek postman Spyridon Louis finished first with a result of 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds, who became a national hero after this success. In addition to the Olympic awards, he received a gold cup established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on including marathon running in the program of the Games, a barrel of wine, a voucher for free food for a year, free tailoring of a dress and the use of a hairdresser throughout his life, 10 centners of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.