ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES

ANCIENT OLYMPIC STADIUM 
IN GREECE

The very first games of Olympia were held about 2,700 BC and it was sacred for the Greek religion.

The original stadium is near the port of Katakolon on the Greek Peloponnese. There are still ruins from the Gymnasium where athletes were training naked.  A posh hotel where the officials lived. Tradition will carry on. 

Close by the place where the temple of Zeus once stood and was part of the Seven Wonders of the World. Unfortunately it was destroyed by fire.

THE LIGHTING CEREMONY OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH  AT THE TEMPLE OF HERA

Next to it is the temple of Hera where the torch was lit for these Olympic Games. The Olympic fire was started by the Sun on May 10 on which the torch was lit and carried around till Friday when at the Opening Ceremony the Olympic 2012 fire at London will be lit.

The foundation for today’s modern Olympics was laid in 770 BC. The athletes had really been strong and tough.  They had to run a 186 metre sprint but with full battle gear. This means helmet, leg greaves, breastplate and carrying their shield and spears and weighs about 60lb made in bonze. Not to forget the high temperature of the Sun in August in Greece.

At the ancient Olympic stadium athletes competed in front of 45,000 spectators. They were seated on grassy banks. The word stadium came from the Greek word stadion which meant a unit of 600ft. Therefore the Olympia venue had a stadion length. Over the years it became known as stadium.

Looking at the picture it is hard to imagine and awe inspiring that Hercules was once standing there at the starting line.

Close by there is a museum showing all the wonders of a bygone age. There is a statue of Nike the goddess of victory and Hermes the gods’ messenger. The most remarkable treasure though is two helmets. One Persian and one a Greek general’s. They were worn at the battle of Marathon in 490BC. At the battle the eastern hordes of Darius were defeated by the Athens’ army.

The Olympic games very so important that any wars were stopped and the athletes were able to compete. 

In those days only males could compete as athletes and they had to be free Greeks. Whoever won was crowned with an olive wreath.

To keep the Gods happy during all these five-day events they killed 100 oxen on the middle day.