Physical Education 3

History of Athletics and Olympic Games

Irish M. Orgeta, MAEd

Instructor II
OBJECTIVES

•Identify the history of athletics

•Familiarize with the facilities and events in athletics.
•Trace the Olympic games from ancient to modern.
Warm up
Exercise
Are you familiar with this map?
The map…
• is the Map of Ancient Greece.
• The term Ancient, or Archaic, Greece refers to the years 700-480 B.C., not the Classical Age (480-323 B.C.) known for its
art, architecture and philosophy. Archaic Greece saw advances in art, poetry and technology, but is known as the age in
which the polis, or city-state, was invented. The polis became the defining feature of Greek political life for hundreds of
years.
• And because of the advancement that the ancient Greece done, Olympic games is one of the result of this.
History of Athletics and Olympic Games
The ancient Olympic Games were a sporting event held every four years at the sacred site of Olympia, in the western Peloponnese, in honor of Zeus, the
supreme god of Greek religion. Involving participants and spectators from all over Greece and even beyond, the Games were the most important cultural event in ancient
Greece and were held from 776 BCE to 393 CE, a run of 293 consecutive Olympiads. So important were the Games in the ancient world that they were even used as a basis
for the calendar.
Origins of the Games
At Olympia, in particular, some mythological accounts credit Zeus with beginning the
Games to celebrate his victory over Kronos whilst other accounts state the hero Pelops
began them in honour of Oinomaos. In any case, sport, a healthy body and the
competitive spirit were a large part of Greek education and so it is hardly surprising
that organised athletic competitions would at some point be created, as they had been
in the earlier Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations.
Origins of the Games
The first Olympics were held from May 22,
776 BCE at the first full moon after the
summer solstice (around the middle of July)
in honour of Zeus.
 Origins of the Games

The winner of the first and only event, the stadion foot-race
was Koroibos of Elis and from then on every victor was
recorded and each Olympiad named after them, thus giving us
the first accurate chronology of the ancient Greek world.
 Origins of the Games

An Olympiad was not only the name of the event itself but also of the period between games. During a
three-month pan-Hellenic truce, athletes and as many as 40,000 spectators came from all over Greece
to participate in the Games at Olympia. Later, other games would be organised at other sacred sites
such as Delphi, Isthmia and Nemea but the Olympian Games would remain the most prestigious.
 Origins of the Games

The Games started with a procession which went from the

host town of Elis to Olympia, led by the Hellanodikai (judges)
and on arrival at Olympia all athletes and officials swore an
oath to follow the established rules of the competitions and
to compete with honour and respect.
Origins of the Games
The most important religious ceremony of the event was the sacrifice of 100 oxen, known as the hecatomb, at the altar of
Zeus, carried out when the sporting events were over.
The Spectators
Heralds (spondophoroi) were sent from Elis to advertise the coming of the Games across Greece. Spectators came from not only
the Greek mainland but also the islands, Ionia and Magna Graecia. To facilitate the movement of spectators and athletes and in respect of
the religious importance of the Games a sacred truce (ekecheiria) was called across Greece. Initially, the truce was for one month but in
later centuries it was extended to three. No wars were permitted, no arms could be carried in the territory of Elis and no hindrance was to
be given to any spectator, athlete or theoriai - (the official missions representing particular cities) travelling to the games from wherever
they came from and whichever territory they had to cross.
The Spectators
The site of Olympia must have been positively buzzing during a Games with mass crowds of excited spectators staying in
make-shift camp sites (only later was accommodation provided for the visitors) and admiring the masses of fine statues and buildings at
the site. Food vendors, craftsmen, musicians, poets and philosophers took full advantage of the crowds to publicise their wares or ideas.
Just how many spectators attended each Games is unknown but we do know that around 45,000 spectators consisting of men, slaves and
foreigners sat and watched from the embankments of the stadium which hosted the main events. Spectators actively participated in the
events through their boisterous support of the athletes and after each event they showered flowers and laurel leaves on the victors.
The Athletes
Athletes trained under the watchful eye of a professional trainer (gymnastes) or
physical trainer (paidotribes) who knew how to best develop particular muscles,
the best diet and the correct amount of exercises to be done. Trainers were
often thanked by their more successful athletes by the dedication of a statue of
them at the site. Athletes also had an aleiptes who rubbed them down with oil
and massaged them both before exercising and after.
The Athletes
The athletes competed naked, probably for complete freedom of movement. Events were
open to all free Greek males and the list of victors illustrates just how pan-Hellenic the
Games were with athletes coming from all parts of Greece and in Roman times the no-
foreigner rule for athletes was relaxed. Victors were those who beat all other competitors.
There are practically no records of times and distances achieved by victorious athletes as
these were simply not considered important, the idea was to be first amongst the best,
not to beat records.
Other Sporting Events
Over time other events were added to the Games to bring the total
programme to 18 events spread over five days:
• diaulos - the two stadium lengths foot-race, added in 724 BCE.
• dolichos - longer foot-races 7 to 20 stadium lengths, added in 720
BCE.
Other Sporting Events

• wrestling - added in 708 BCE.

Competitors had to throw their
opponent to the ground three
times to gain victory.
Other Sporting Events
• pentathlon - also added in 708 BCE. All done in a single day, the event order was: jumping (in a soft soil pit using hand-weights or halteres and
accompanied to music), discuss (in stone, iron or bronze), stadion, javelin (in wood and thrown using a leather thong), and wrestling. Just how an
athlete won the overall event is unclear, three event victories may have guaranteed overall victory.
Other Sporting Events

• boxing - added in 688 BCE. Athletes wore straps of leather

(himantes) around their hands, initially as protection but they
evolved into destructive weapons with metal pieces added. Rules
were limited to no low-blows and no holding. Serious injuries
were common and deaths not unknown.
Other Sporting Events

• tethrippon - the four-horse chariot race added in 680

BCE, run over ten or twelve circuits of the hippodrome. A
version using foals over 8 circuits was added in 384 BCE.
• keles - a horse race added in 648 BCE and run over 6
cicuits. A version for foals was added in 256 BCE..
Other Sporting Events

• pankration - a mix of boxing and wrestling also

added in 648 BCE. The pankration was a brutal
event and the only moves not allowed were biting
and gouging, although competitors did not wear the
damaging leather thongs of the boxers
Other Sporting Events

• hoplitodromos - the race in hoplite armour

(helmet, shield and spear) between 2 and 4
stadium lengths was added in 520 BCE and was
usually the last event of the Games.
Competition Rules & Judges
Rules were very rarely broken and when they were penalties were imposed ranging from exclusion and
fines to flogging. Fines were paid both to the sanctuary and the wronged athlete. If an offender did not pay the
fine then the city he represented had to or else be excluded from the next Games. Revenue from fines was in part
used to erect statues of Zeus known as zanes and a number of the bases of these statues can still be seen at the
site today.
Olympic Prizes
A victor received a crown made from olive leaves, and was entitled to have a statue of himself
set up at Olympia.
His success increased the fame and reputation of his community in the Greek world.
It was common for victors to receive benefits such as having all their meals at public expense
or front-row seats at the theater and other public festivals.
One city even built a private gym for their Olympic wrestling champion.
What was the penalty for cheating…
Anyone who violated the rules was fined by the judges. The money was used to set up statues of Zeus, the patron god of the Games at Olympia.
Actions:
In addition to using bribes.
Other offenses included deliberately avoiding the training period at Olympia. One athlete claimed that bad winds kept his ship from arriving in time,
but was later proved to have spent the training period traveling around Greece winning prize money in other competitions.
Another athlete was so intimidated by his opponents that he left the Games the day before he was to compete, and was fined for cowardice.
Thank you…