Olympic History
Perhaps no other civilization in the history of the world embraced athletic competition and
intellectual development as did the ancient Greeks. The foundation for the tradition of athletics emblematic of
the Hellenes was influenced in part by the Egyptians, the people of Crete, and possibly by the Phoenicians.
Various athletic contests and games were carried to mainland Greece by merchant sailors from distant lands.
We can assume that during the course of military expeditions, the Greeks adopted some of the ways of their
conquered enemies, including games and sports that appealed to them.
The Olympic Games enjoyed a great deal of popularity in the ancient world. The athletic festival in
Olympia appealed to Greeks and non-Greeks. Josephus, a Jewish philosopher and historian who lived in the
first century A.D., wrote that the appeal of Greeks institutions was widespread. King Herod was interested in
the Olympic Games and Josephus says that “…it is not surprising to see some elements of Greek athletics
appearing in Judea.”
The poet Homer provides us with an account of the Funeral Games in Book XXIII of the Iliad,
written between 900 and 700 B.C. along with the Odyssey. The Funeral Games described by Homer is a story
about Patroclus, a friend and fellow soldier of the legendary Achilles. Patroclus was killed during the battle of
Troy, and Achilles, wishing to honor and mourn his friend, instituted Funeral Games in his honor. It began
with a feast along with the cremation of four horses and twelve unfortunate Trojan prisoners. After the
cremation, the Funeral Games took place, consisting of chariot races, discus throwing, archery, wrestling,
footraces, spear contests, and boxing.
Greek sports evolved primarily from the games described by Homer in the Iliad and the Odyssey,
which eventually manifested itself in the concept of the amateur athlete. The primary goal of the athlete was
to compete in a “circuit” of four major national competitions designated the Panhellenic Games. The
Panhellenic Games were scheduled to ensure that one major contest was held every year. The Panhellenic
Games consisted of the following:
1. Olympic Games-held at Olympia to honor Zeus. The oldest and most prestigious of the
Panhellenic Games. First record of the Olympic Games appears in 776 B.C.. Victors were
crowned with an olive wreath.
2. Pythian Games-held in Delphi at the sacred site of Apollo. Victors were crowned with a
wreath of laurel. Second in prestige.
3. Isthmian Games-held in Corinth to honor Poseidon, the sea god. Victors received a wreath
of pine from a sacred grove.
4. Nemean Games-held in Nemea to honor Zeus every second year. Victors received a wreath
of celery.
According to legend, the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Heracles (the Roman
Hercules), a son of Zeus. Yet the first Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in
776 BCE. At the first Olympic Games, a naked runner, Coroebus (a cook from Elis), won the sole event at the
Olympics, the stade, which is a run of approximately 192 meters (210 yards). This made Coroebus the first
Olympic champion in history.
The ancient Olympic Games grew and continued to be played every four years for nearly 1200
years. In 393 CE, the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the games because of their pagan
influences.
Approximately 1500 years later, a young Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin began the revival
of the Olympic Games. Coubertin is now known as le Renovateur. Pierre de Coubertin began the revival
because he believed that exercise, more specifically sports, made a well-rounded and vigorous person. In
1890, he organized and founded a sports organization, Union des Societes Francaises de Sports Athletiques
(USFSA). This lead to Coubertin to construct an international committee to lead the Olympic Games. The
committee became the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Demetrious Vikelas from Greece was
selected to be its first president.
The very first Olympic Games opened in the first week of April 1896 in the city of Greece. Since
the Greek government had been unable to fund construction of a stadium, a wealthy Greek architect, Georgios
Averoff, donated one million drachmas (over $100,000) to restore the Panathenaic Stadium, originally built in
330 BCE, with white marble for the Olympic Games.
Since the Games were not well publicized internationally, contestants were not nationally chosen
but rather came individually and at their own expense. Pole vaulting, sprints, shot put, weight lifting,
swimming, cycling, target shooting, tennis, marathon and gymnastics were all events at the first Olympics.
Approximately 300 athletes participated, representing thirteen countries. Beijing, China is the city where the
summer Olympics will be held. It will be held August 8-24, 2008.