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| Tuesday, 25 May 2004 |
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The ancient Olympics in Greece by Derrick Schokman Soon it will be the 2004 Olympic Games of the modern cycle, which Baron Piere de Coubertin of France was largely responsible for reviving in Athens in 1896. It goes back this year to Athens after 108 years - to where it all started originally way back in 776 BC. In those times there were several religious sanctuaries in Greece dedicated to their gods. The most important was the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia. Torch races were popular in religious festivals. Individuals or teams of runners would compete to be the first to carry a lighted torch to the altar. As a part of the festival of Zeus, a foot race was conducted in honour of the God at Olympia. This festival was conducted by the people of Elis, a nearby town. At the time of making the appointed sacrifice, the runners would race to wards the altar where a priest acting as umpire would hand the winner the torch to set alight the offering on the altar. This dedicatory foot race to Zeus was believed to be the only athletic event at the festival for several years after its traditional inception in 776 BC, when Koriobos, a butcher in Elis is recorded as having won the event. Koriobos and subsequent winners of this foot race (the stade) received an olive crown as an award from the sacred olive grove in the sanctuary. Other events Over a period of time more events were added to the programme. A second race in 724 BC and another in 720. A pentathlon and wrestling were introduced in 708, boxing in 688, and in 680 the four-horse chariot race which was considered to be the most spectacular of all events. The chariot race was patronised by the privileged classes like the landed aristocracy and the wealthy commercial classes. The humbler social classes had to be satisfied with a two-horse chariot race, colt and more races and mule-cart races. At a later date Heralds' and Trumpeters' contests were included to make the games more spectacular. The Olympics, now conducted over five days, continued without a break until the middle of the 3rd century AD, and was not dissolved until very late in the 4th century. Excavations Excavations at the ancient Olympic site have indicated that the temple, race course and stadium were all within the sanctuary. The race course was rectilinear and the stadium was comprised of elevated embankments for the spectators. It is estimated from these ruins and the evidence of hundreds of wells in the area that at the height of the Games in the 5th century BC about 40,000 spectators could have been accommodated in the open-air stadium. The Games were opened to all free Greeks. Any male could watch and worship, there being no admission fee. Only a few seats were reserved in the stadium. Competitors Equal opportunities were provided for competitors by the adaption of judges and the use of lots for lanes, byes and starting lines. Theoretically therefore it would appear that the Games presented a "level paying field". But practically there were physical and financial difficulties in the way of competitors getting to the Games from afar and having to spend several months in training. As a result the ancient Olympics was heavily dominated by the privileged classes who had the means and the time. Subsequently however with a shift from the elitism of birth and the elitism of wealth, talented youth from the less privileged social classes were able to find a place. Given the opportunity for glory and gain they gambled, exposing themselves to injury, defeat and shame. Only victory brought rewards. Participation was not enough. There was no dignity in defeat. And yet like iron filings to a magnet they were attracted to the Games at Olympia. In the words of Pindar: "Olympia was to other games as the sum is to the stars". The same thing may be said of the modern Olympic Games. Not even the soccer World Cup or World Cricket Cup have the same attraction. Neither does the World Series or Super Bowl in the USA. Surrounded by a huge spectacle Olympic sports events are encased in aura of rituals. From the lighting of the sacred flame in ancient Olympia and its relay to the "New Olympia", by the award of medals in an honorary way like the olive crowns cut from the grove of Zeus at Archaria in Olympia, to the extinguishing of the flame at the termination of the Games, the modern Olympics continues to be the greatest sports show on Earth. |
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