The ancient Olympic games were, as they are today, quite a happening. People came from far and wide to participate in the games or watch the athletes  The ancient Olympic games began in 776 B.C. and continued until 393 A.D. Just as they have in the modern Olympics, ancient Olympic sports changed and expanded over time. Sports in ancient Greece were a critical part of the culture, and the prominence of the Olympic games is the clearest sign of that.  The ancient Olympic games were also a part of a cycle of sporting events, including games at Corinth, Delphi and Nemea. By the height of the games, they were a five day festival of ancient Greek sports, with three days devoted to competition.

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The Trip to Olympia

Many ancient Greek men of wealth made the journey to see the ancient Olympic sports played live. The city of Olympia was a religious center, and the games began as a way to honor the gods of ancient Greece. Olympia is easy to reach by ship, and athletes and spectators traveled from as far away as Spain, the Black Sea and Egypt. An international truce was declared for a month before the games to allow people to travel to Olympia for to participate in or watch ancient Olympic sports. If you were traveling to the games, you likely had a long, but not terribly dangerous journey before you. Married women were not allowed to attend, even as a spectator; however, young unmarried women could attend.  The trip itself was costly; however, athletes might well have been sponsored by a wealthy individual. In order to participate in ancient Olympic sports, you had to be a young man, Greek or from a Greek colony, and capable of speaking Greek and born free. Furthermore, you had to swear before a statue of Zeus that you had trained for ten months. Just like modern competitors, ancient Greek athletes had to train at Olympia for a month prior to the games.

A Day at the Games

While in 776 B.C., at the first games, the only ancient Greek sport was the stadion race, a variety of other games were added in later years. By the height of the ancient Olympics, a large number of sports in ancient Greece were introduced, including chariot racing, boxing, wrestling, javelin and discus throwing. Many spectators, save the very wealthy, simply slept under the stars. The very rich brought tents and even servants along to make sure they were comfortable while watching the array of ancient Greek sports. Merchants and craftspeople of all sorts sold everything from food to souvenir items at the ancient Olympic games, and some of these souvenirs exist even today. Spectators would have spent time not only watching ancient Greek sports, but also in religious rituals of various sorts and even watching other performances, including poetry and rhetoric. For more information on watching ancient Olympic sports, visit http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/specs.html.

The Winners of the Ancient Olympic Sports

Sports in ancient Greece were an important part of the overall culture, and the athlete, nude and in top physical condition, personified this. Athletes competed in a variety of sports, ranging from simple foot races to violent boxing matches, complete with leather gloves weighted with metal. While most events were closed to women, who could participate in their own athletic competitions, women could participate in equestrian events as the owner of a chariot or horse at the ancient Olympic games. Fines were levied on athletes or trainers found guilty of cheating. More information on some particularly famous winners of sports in ancient Greece can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Olympic_Games. At the end of the games, there was a full day long banquet, consisting of 100 oxen that had been sacrificed to Zeus. In ancient Greece, sports were about more than who won, but also a competition in honor of the gods. Winners were awarded an olive branch or crown of olive leaves, and often returned home to considerable honors, including gifts of money from their city. Sculptors might well sculpt them, and they would have earned fame with their victory in ancient Greek sports. They also had the right to have their sculpture placed in Olympia.

Sports in ancient Greece were a part of daily life for many people, as they practiced wrestling or other activities for exercise. This served to ensure that they were in good health, kept a good physique and were prepared for war. Given this, it is no surprise that athletes in ancient Greece, sports of all sorts, and the ancient Olympic games were an important cultural event every four years. They were, moreover, quite a party with rituals, vendors, poetry and a huge crowd on the Olympic grounds in Olympia, Greece.




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