Ancient Olympia

The port of Katakolon is the doorstep to the Ancient Greek town of Olympia. Viking sky docked here today for our last full day of this Mediterranean Adriatic sojourn. A 40-minute bus ride took us to the ancient site of the first Olympic Games, whose recorded history goes back to the year 776 BC. Our guide showed us the site of the gymnasium, where boys from 10 to 15 years of age would engage in boxing, wrestling, and track and field events. There was also a race for girls aged 10-12 who, incidentally, wore white dresses as they ran. Nearby was the hippodrome. Only adult men could participate in the chariot races, though some of the most famous horse breeders in Olympic history were women.

We saw the ruins of the Temple of Zeus where athletes were required to take an oath to perform honorably without cheating. For most events (but not all) boys and men competed nude. This was to insure that no participant was wearing any item of clothing (like Nike shoes) that would give him an unfair advantage. It was also to prevent any contestant from carry a small weapon that could be used against his opponents. Occasionally an athlete was convicted of misbehavior, such as bribing a judge, ingesting a forbidden substance, or attempting to poison an opponent. The disgraced athlete’s name, along with the names of their family and hometown were inscribed at the base of a statue of Zeus hurling a thunderbolt. This statue was placed in a “Hall of Shame” at the entrance to the stadium. At every Olympic competition thereafter, the crowds would note the names of the cheaters. They and their families would be practically ruined, and many chose to leave Greece after being so publicly embarrassed. Those who won honorably were given a crown of woven olive wreaths, free food for the rest of their lives, and their statue was placed in the hall of heroes. Additionally, for the rest of their lives in their hometown they would be treated as superstars.

The games awarded a particular honor to the adult who won the 800 meter run. The stadium was 196.2 meters long. Contestants ran in a straight line, down and back, four times while wearing full armor and a full military pack. Their load weighed about 70 pounds. The winner was awarded not only the regular Olympic prizes, but also was allowed to serve as the commander of his hometown militia.

The 45-foot high statue of Zeus was carved out of marble, ivory and gold by the noted sculptor Phidias, and was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. He had completed a similar statue of Athena for the Parthenon in Athens. Shortly after finishing Athena, he was exiled from Athens and came to Olympia, vowing that his next statue would put the one in the Parthenon to shame. From all contemporary reports it did exactly that. He also completed a statue of Hermes, which was discovered at the site of Olympia by archaeologists on this site, and still exists today. It is housed in the excellent archaeological museum adjacent to the excavated site.

The ancient Olympic Games ended around 394 A.D. when Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, declared pagan festivals in to be illegal. Of course the modern Olympic games were revived in the early 20th century, but visiting Olympia, one cannot help imagining how it must have been in ancient times.Read more