First Olympic Games briefly. Ancient greece olympics

For its many years history Olympic Games have undergone many changes. The rules are constantly being tightened, new records are being set, sports are improving and new ones are appearing. The sports that are familiar to everyone today, which are considered traditional, were not at all those several decades ago. They supplanted the previous groups, which for some reason became irrelevant.

For the current generation, the old varieties of the Olympic competition are somewhat outlandish in nature. Some of them were only indicative, but there were also those in which records were set and medals were awarded. For interest and general development, it will not be superfluous to plunge into history and recall the most unusual Olympic games.

Long distance diving

This type was preceded by scuba diving, which almost immediately turned out to be uninteresting and boring for the audience. Therefore, in 1904, the organizers decided to make adjustments - now it has become long-range diving. According to the rules, athletes simultaneously jumped into the water and froze for a while so that the judges could estimate the distance of the jump. True, there were not many athletes - only five people, and all of them were from the United States. According to the archives, best result featured a swimmer named William Dickey. He made a jump of 19 meters. History of the first Olympic Games

Hot air balloon flights

This sport was indicative. Hot air balloon races were included in the unofficial roster of the 1900 Olympic Games. Undoubtedly, the scale, grandeur and "airiness" of this show did not leave indifferent any spectator. But serious controversy began to arise over the evaluation criteria. Without coming to a unanimous opinion, this competition was excluded from the competitive games.

Swimming with hurdles

This is truly one of the most difficult, intricate and by no means safe sports. The first trial competitions were held at the Olympics in 1896. The second time, in 1900, they took place on the Seine River in Paris. The swim was 200 meters, surrounded by bizarre obstacles. These were wooden poles, along which swimmers climbed and dived into the water again, and boats, under which they sailed along with the fruit. That's right, it is historical fact... The fruit had to be pinched anywhere, some athletes even tried to push it forward with the tip of their nose during the swim.

Where and when were the first Olympic Games of our time

One of the barriers went 60 meters deep, and poor swimmers were forced to dive to such depth. Another inconvenience was the sailor suits, in which they sailed the entire distance. Another unpleasant moment was the fact that the Olympians had to swim in muddy and dirty water. Indeed, in those years, a huge amount of waste and slop was thrown into the Seine. There were also few participants in the swim - 12 athletes from five countries of the world. Of course, there was also a champion. It turned out to be Frederick Lane from Australia. That year was the last year for the hurdles.

Pigeon shooting

This species has broken all records for bloodlust. This is another unpleasant and extremely brutal sport for which the 1900 Olympics distinguished themselves. In addition to the mocking swims, there were days in those competitions when innocent animals and birds were deliberately killed. For example, the pigeons that the participants shot at. According to historical records, a total of three hundred pigeons died in that competition. The most accurate athlete was Leon de Lunden from Belgium. Only his victory cost the lives of 21 pigeons. Fortunately, this competition was soon modified, and instead of pigeons, they began to throw plates into the air as targets. This sport is now known as clay pigeon shooting.

These are not all the strange types of competitions in the olympics of the past. Such competitions also distinguished themselves when two teams had to tug-of-war. Yes, once this entertainment was seriously evaluated by the justices of the peace. There were also pistol duels. Fortunately, the participants did not shoot at each other, but at the dummies with targets on their chests. This kind of gymnastic performances, like exercises with pins, also took place.

The current sports are somewhat vaguely reminiscent of the previous ones, some are a revised model with new rules and evaluation criteria, some are completely new and are only gaining momentum. But this makes the Olympics only more interesting and spectacular. This means that the world of sports, like any other field, does not stand still, but develops new directions and conquers new heights.

Today, the Olympics are no longer at all like the one that was a hundred, or even fifty years ago. As in all times, this is the most important public event, the main goal of which is to unite all the peoples of the world.

From time immemorial it was organized by Hercules in the 1210s. They were held once every five years, but then after unknown reasons this tradition was interrupted and was revived under King Iphit.

The first Olympic Games in Greece were not numbered, they were called solely by the name of the winner, and in the only form of competition at that time - running a certain distance.

Ancient authors, based on the materials, began the countdown of the competition from 776 BC. e., it was from this year that the Olympic Games became known by the name of the athlete who won them. However, there is an opinion that they simply could not establish the names of the earlier winners, and therefore the holding itself could not be considered a valid and reliable fact at that time.

The first Olympic Games were held in Olympia, a town located in southern Greece. Participants and tens of thousands of spectators from many cities in Hellas traveled to the place by sea or by land.

Agility and strength competitions were attended by runners, as well as wrestlers, discus throwers or spears, jumpers, fist fighters. The games were held in the hottest month of summer, and at this time, wars between the policies were prohibited.

Throughout the year the heralds carried the news to the cities of all Greece about the declaration of the sacred world and that the roads leading to Olympia were safe.

All Greeks had the right to participate in the competition: the poor, and the noble, and the rich, and the ignorant. Only women were not allowed to be present, even in the role of spectators.

The first, like the next, in Greece were dedicated to the great Zeus, it was an exclusively male holiday. According to legend, one very brave Greek woman in men's clothing secretly entered the city of Olympia to watch her son perform. And when he won, his mother, unable to restrain herself, rushed to him in delight. The unfortunate woman was supposed to be executed according to the law, but out of respect for her winner, the offspring, she was pardoned.

Almost ten months before the start of the Olympic Games, everyone who was going to participate in them had to start training in their cities. Day after day for ten months in a row, athletes continuously exercised, and a month before the opening of the competition, they arrived in southern Greece and there, near Olympia, continued training.

Usually, most of the participants in the games were usually wealthy people, because the poor could not afford to exercise. whole year and not work.

The first Olympic Games only lasted five days.

On the fifth day, in front of the temple of the main god Zeus, a table made of Ivory and gold, and on it they put awards for the winners - olive wreaths.

The winners approached one by one to the chief judge, who placed these award wreaths on their heads. At the same time, he announced the name of the athlete and his city. At the same time, the audience exclaimed: "Glory to the winner!"

The fame of the Olympic Games has survived for many centuries. And today every inhabitant of the planet knows five rings, which mean the unity of the continents.

The first Olympic Games of our time marked the beginning of the tradition of taking an oath. There is also another wonderful tradition: to light the Olympic flame in Greece, as in antiquity, and then carry it by relay race across the countries in the hands of people devoted to sports, to the site of the next Olympics.

And although as a result of a strong earthquake, all the Olympic structures of antiquity were razed to the ground, however, in the 18th century, as a result of excavations in ancient Olympia, many attributes of the games of that time were found.

And already at the end of the 19th century, the permanent and first Baron de Coubertin, inspired by the works of the archaeologist Curtius, revived the games, and also wrote a code defining the rules for their conduct - the "Olympic Charter".

There were only competitions in running at a distance of one stadium (from the Greek stage = 192 m). Gradually, the number of sports increased, and games turned into an important event for the entire Greek world. It was a religious and sports holiday, during which a mandatory "sacred peace" was declared and any military action was prohibited.

The history of the first Olympiad The period of the armistice lasted a month and was called Ekeheiriya. It is believed that the first Olympiad took place in 776 BC. NS. But in 393 A.D. NS. Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic Games. By that time, Greece was under the rule of Rome, and the Romans, having converted to Christianity, believed that the Olympic Games, with their worship of pagan gods and the cult of beauty, were incompatible with the Christian faith. The Olympic Games were remembered at the end of the 19th century, after they began to carry out excavations in ancient Olympia and discovered the ruins of sports and temple structures. In 1894, at the International Sports Congress in Paris, the French public figure Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937) proposed to organize the Olympic Games on the model of the ancient ones. He also came up with the motto of the Olympians: "The main thing is not victory, but participation." De Coubertin wanted only male athletes to compete in these competitions, as in Ancient Greece, but women also participated in the second Games. Five multi-colored rings became the emblem of the Games; the colors were chosen that are most often found on the flags of various countries of the world.

The first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896 in Athens. In the XX century. the number of countries and athletes participating in these competitions has steadily increased, and the number of Olympic sports has also increased. Today it is already difficult to find a country that would not send at least one or two athletes to the Games. Since 1924, in addition to the Olympic Games, which are held in summer, the Winter Games have also begun to be held, so that skiers, skaters and other athletes who are involved in winter sports can compete. And since 1994, the Winter Olympic Games have not been held in the same year as the summer ones, but two years later.

The history of the first Olympiad is the most interesting facts.

Sometimes the Olympic Games are called the Olympics, which is wrong: the Olympics are the four-year period between successive Olympic Games. When, for example, they say that the 2008 Games are the 29th Olympiad, they mean that from 1896 to 2008 there were 29 periods of four years each. But there were only 26 Games: in 1916, 1940 and 1944. There were no Olympic Games - the world wars interfered. The Greek city of Olympia today attracts crowds of tourists who want to look at the ruins of the ancient city excavated by archaeologists with the remains of the temples of Zeus and Hera and visit the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. otvetkak.ru

The content of the article

OLYMPIC GAMES OF ANCIENT GREECE- the largest sporting events of antiquity. They originated as part of a religious cult and were carried out from 776 BC. to 394 AD (a total of 293 Olympiads were held) in Olympia, which was considered a sacred place among the Greeks. The name of the Games also originated from Olympia. The Olympic Games were a significant event for the whole of Ancient Greece, which went beyond a purely sporting event. Victory at the Olympics was considered extremely honorable for both the athlete and the policy he represented.

From the 6th century. BC. following the example of the Olympic Games, other general Greek competitions for athletes began to be held: the Pythian Games, the Isthmian Games and the Nemean Games, also dedicated to various ancient Greek gods. But the Olympics were the most prestigious among these competitions. The Olympic Games are mentioned in the works of Plutarch, Herodotus, Pindar, Lucian, Pausanias, Simonides, and other ancient authors.

At the end of the 19th century. The Olympic Games were revived at the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin.

Olympic Games from inception to decline.

There are many legends about the origin of the Olympic Games. All of them are associated with ancient Greek gods and heroes.

The most famous legend says that the king of Elis Iphit, seeing that his people were tired of endless wars, went to Delphi, where the priestess of Apollo conveyed to him the command of the gods: to arrange the common Greek athletic festivals that they please. After which Iphitus, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus, and the Athenian legislator and reformer Kliosthenes established the procedure for conducting such games and entered into a sacred alliance. Olympia, where this festival was supposed to be held, was declared a sacred place, and anyone who entered its borders armed - a criminal.

According to another myth, the son of Zeus, Hercules, brought the sacred olive branch and instituted the Games of Athletes to commemorate the victory of Zeus over his ferocious father Cronus.

There is also a legend that Hercules, having organized the Olympic Games, immortalized the memory of Pelope (Pelops), who won the cruel king Enomai in the chariot race. And the name Pelope was given to the Peloponnese region, where the "capital" of the ancient Olympic Games was located.

Religious ceremonies were an obligatory part of the ancient Olympic Games. According to the established custom, the first day of the Games was reserved for sacrifices: athletes spent this day at the altars and altars of their patron gods. A similar ceremony was repeated on the final day of the Olympic Games, when awards were presented to the winners.

At the time of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, wars stopped and an armistice was concluded - ekeheria, and representatives of the warring policies held peace negotiations in Olympia with the aim of settling conflicts. On the bronze disc of Iphita, which was kept in Olympia in the temple of Hera, with the rules of the Olympic Games, the corresponding paragraph was recorded. “The Iphit disc contains the text of the truce announced by the Eleans during the Olympic Games; it is not written in straight lines, but the words go around the disk in the form of a circle "(Pausanias, Description of Hellas).

From the Olympic Games 776 BC (the earliest Games, the mention of which has come down to us - according to some experts, the Olympic Games began to be held more than 100 years earlier) the Greeks had a special "Olympic calendar" introduced by the historian Timaeus. The Olympic holiday was celebrated in the "holy month" beginning on the first full moon after the summer solstice. It had to be repeated every 1417 days that made up the Olympics - the Greek "Olympic" year.

Started as a local competition, the Olympic Games eventually became a pan-Greek event. Many people came to the Games not only from Greece itself, but also from its colonial cities from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

The Games continued even when Hellas fell into submission to Rome (in the middle of the 2nd century BC), as a result of which one of the fundamental Olympic principles was violated, which allowed only Greek citizens to participate in the Olympic Games, and even some of the winners were Roman emperors (including Nero, who "won" the chariot races drawn by ten horses). Affected the Olympic Games and began in the 4th century BC. general decline of Greek culture: they gradually lost their former meaning and essence, turning from a sports competition and a significant social event into a purely entertainment event, in which mainly professional athletes participated.

And in 394 A.D. The Olympic Games were banned - as a "relic of paganism" - by the Roman emperor Theodosius I, who forcibly implanted Christianity.

Olympia.

Located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Here was Altis (Altis) - the legendary sacred grove of Zeus and the temple and cult complex, which was finally formed around the 6th century. BC. On the territory of the sanctuary there were religious buildings, monuments, sports facilities and houses where athletes and guests lived during the period of the competition. The Olympic sanctuary remained the focus of Greek art until the 4th century. BC.

Soon after the ban of the Olympic Games, all these structures were burned by order of Emperor Theodosius II (in 426 AD), and a century later they were finally destroyed and buried by strong earthquakes and river floods.

As a result, held in Olympia at the end of the 19th century. archaeological excavations managed to discover the ruins of some buildings, including sports facilities, such as the palaestra, the gymnasium and the stadium. Built in the 3rd century. BC. palaestra - a platform surrounded by a portico, where wrestlers, boxers and jumpers trained. Gymnasium, built in the 3rd and 2nd centuries. BC - the largest building in Olympia, it was used for training sprinters. The gymnasium also kept a list of winners and a list of the Olympics, and there were statues of athletes. The stadium (212.5 m long and 28.5 m wide) with stands and seats for judges was built in 330-320 BC. It could accommodate about 45,000 spectators.

Organization of the Games.

All free-born Greek citizens were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games (according to some sources, men who could speak Greek). Slaves and barbarians, i.e. persons of non-Greek origin could not participate in the Olympic Games. “When Alexander wished to take part in the competition and for this he arrived in Olympia, the Greeks, the participants in the competition, demanded his expulsion. These contests, they said, were for the Hellenes, not for the barbarians. Alexander, however, proved that he was Argos, and the judges recognized his Hellenic origin. He took part in a running competition and came to the goal at the same time as the winner "(Herodotus. History).

The organization of the ancient Olympic Games provided for control not only over the course of the Games themselves, but also over the preparation of athletes for them. Control was exercised by the Hellenodics, or Helanodics, the most authoritative citizens. During the 10-12 months before the start of the Games, athletes underwent intensive training, after which they passed a kind of exam of the Hellenodic Commission. After fulfilling the "Olympic standard", future participants in the Olympic Games spent another month preparing for special program- already under the leadership of the Hellenodics.

The fundamental principle of the competition was the honesty of the participants. Before the start of the competition, they took an oath to abide by the rules. Ellanodics had the right to deprive the champion of the title if he won by fraudulent means, the offending athlete was also subject to a fine and corporal punishment. In front of the entrance to the stadium in Olympia, they stood for the edification of the participants zana - copper statues of Zeus, cast with money received in the form of fines from athletes who violated the rules of the competition (the ancient Greek writer Pausanias indicates that the first six such statues were placed in the 98th Olympiad, when Thessalian Eupolus bribed three fighters who spoke with him). In addition, persons convicted of a crime or sacrilege were not allowed to participate in the Games.

Entry to the competition was free. But only men could visit them, women under fear death penalty it was forbidden to appear in Olympia during the entire festival (according to some sources, this ban only extended to married women). An exception was made only for the priestess of the goddess Demeter: a special marble throne was erected for her at the stadium, in the most honorable place.

Antique Olympic Games program.

At first, there was only a stadium in the program of the Olympic Games - running one stage (192.27 m), then the number of Olympic disciplines increased. Let's note some cardinal changes in the program:

- at 14 Olympic Games (724 BC) diaulos was included in the program - running in 2 stages, and 4 years later - dolichodrom (running for endurance), the distance of which ranged from 7 to 24 stadia;

- at 18 Olympic Games (708 BC) wrestling and pentathlon (pentathlon) competitions were held for the first time, which included, in addition to wrestling and the stadium, jumping, as well as javelin and discus throwing;

- at 23 Olympic Games (688 BC) a fist fight was included in the competition program,

- at 25 Olympic Games (680 BC) chariot races were added (drawn by four adult horses, over time this type of program expanded, in the 5th – 4th centuries BC chariot races were held, pulled by a pair of adult horses , young horses or mules);

- at 33 Olympic Games (648 BC) in the program of the Games there were horse races (in the middle of the 3rd century BC horse races were also held) and pankration - single combat, combining elements of wrestling and fist fighting with minimal restrictions on "forbidden techniques" and in many ways reminiscent of modern fighting without rules.

Greek gods and mythological heroes are involved in the emergence not only of the Olympic Games in general, but also of their individual disciplines. For example, it was believed that running one stage was introduced by Hercules himself, who personally measured this distance in Olympia (1 stage was equal to the length of 600 feet of the priest of Zeus), and pankration goes back to the legendary fight of Theseus with the Minotaur.

Some of the disciplines of the ancient Olympic Games, familiar to us from modern competitions, differ markedly from their current counterparts. Greek athletes did not jump in length from a running start, but from a place - moreover, with stones (later with dumbbells) in their hands. At the end of the jump, the athlete threw stones abruptly back: it was believed that this allows him to jump further. This jumping technique required good coordination. Javelin and disc throwing (over time, instead of a stone, athletes began to throw an iron disc) was carried out from a small elevation. In this case, the spear was thrown not at range, but at accuracy: the athlete had to hit a special target. In wrestling and boxing, there was no division of the participants by weight categories, and the boxing match continued until one of the rivals admitted that he was defeated or was unable to continue the fight. The running disciplines also had very peculiar varieties: running in full armor (i.e. in a helmet, with a shield and weapon), running heralds and trumpeters, alternating running and chariot racing.

From the 37th Games (632 BC), young men under the age of 20 also began to participate in the competition. At first, competitions in this age category included only running and wrestling, over time pentathlon, fist fighting and pankration were added to them.

In addition to athletic competitions, an arts competition was also held at the Olympic Games, which from the 84th Games (444 BC) became an official part of the program.

Initially, the Olympic Games took one day, then (with the expansion of the program) - five days (that is how long the Games lasted during their heyday in the 6-4 centuries BC) and, in the end, “stretched out” for a whole month.

Olympionics.

The winner of the Olympic Games received universal recognition along with the olive wreath (this tradition started from 752 BC) and purple ribbons. He became one of the most respected people in his city (for the inhabitants of which the victory of his countryman at the Olympics was also a great honor), he was often freed from state duties, and given other privileges. Posthumous honors were also given to Olympionics at home. And according to the introduced in the 6th century. BC. In practice, the three-time winner of the Games could put up his statue in Altis.

The first Olympic athlete known to us was Korab of Elis, who won the race by one stage in 776 BC.

The most famous - and the only athlete in the history of the ancient Olympic Games who won 6 Olympics - was the "strongest among the strong" wrestler Milon from Crotona. A native of the Greek colony city of Croton (south of modern Italy) and, according to some sources, a student of Pythagoras, he won his first victory at the 60th Olympiad (540 BC) in competitions among youths. From 532 BC to 516 BC he won 5 more Olympic titles - already among adult athletes. In 512 BC. Milo, who was already over 40 years old, tried to win his seventh title, but lost to a younger rival. Olympionic Milon was also a multiple winner of the Pythian, Isthmian, Nemean Games and many local competitions. Mentions about him can be found in the writings of Pausanias, Cicero and other authors.

Another outstanding athlete - Leonidas from Rhodes - won three "running" disciplines at four Olympiads in a row (164 BC - 152 BC): in one and two stages, as well as in running with weapons.

Astil from Croton went down in the history of the ancient Olympic Games not only as one of the record holders for the number of victories (6 - in one and two stages at the Games from 488 BC to 480 BC). If at his first Olympics, Astil played for Croton, then at the next two - for Syracuse. Former countrymen took revenge on him for his betrayal: the statue of the champion in Croton was demolished, and he former house turned into a prison.

There are entire Olympic dynasties in the history of the ancient Greek Olympic Games. So, the grandfather of the champion in fist fighting Poseidor from Rhodes Diagoras, as well as his uncles Akusilai and Damaget were also Olympians. Diagoras, whose exceptional perseverance and honesty in boxing fights won him great respect from the audience and were glorified in the odes of Pindar, witnessed his sons' Olympic victories - in boxing and pankration, respectively. (According to legend, when grateful sons put their champion wreaths on their father's head and lifted him on his shoulders, one of the applauding spectators exclaimed: "Die, Diagoras, die! Die, because you have nothing more to wish for from life!" died immediately in the arms of his sons.)

Many Olympians were distinguished by exceptional physical data. For example, the champion in a two-stage race (404 BC) Lasphenes of Tebea is credited with a victory in an unusual race with a horse, and Aegeus of Argos, who won a long distance race (328 BC), then jogging , without making a single stop on the way, covered the distance from Olympia to his hometown in order to quickly bring the good news to his fellow countrymen. Victories were also achieved through a kind of technique. So, an extremely hardy and agile boxer Melankom from Caria, winner of the Olympic Games 49 AD, during the fight he constantly kept his arms outstretched forward, due to which he avoided the blows of the opponent, and at the same time he rarely retaliated. in the end, the physically and emotionally exhausted rival admitted defeat. And about the winner of the Olympic Games 460 BC. in the dolichodrome of Ladas from Argos, they said that he runs so easily that he does not even leave marks on the ground.

Among the participants and winners of the Olympic Games were such famous scientists and thinkers as Demosthenes, Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Hippocrates. Moreover, they competed not only in the fine arts. For example, Pythagoras was the champion in fist fighting, and Plato was in pankration.

Maria Ischenko

Older than Christ

The very first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC, in Ancient Greece, on the banks of the small river Anfea, in the village of Olympia. The program of the first Olympiad consisted of only one discipline - running at 193 meters (one stage). Only naked men participated in the competition, who could not even put on sandals. Women were forbidden to be present at the stadium, the only exception was the priestess of the goddess Demeter.

Expansion of the repertoire

The Olympic Games were held every four years, during which a truce was declared between warring states and cities, and all wars were prohibited. At each Olympiad, new types of competitions appeared: running not only per stage, but also in two stages (diaulos), and at 24 stages (dolichodrom), running in combat clothes and with weapons, throwing a dart at a target, long jumping with dumbbells, discus throwing, fistfights, pentathlon. The winners of the Olympics were honored no less than the Gods, statues were erected and gifts were presented to them.

There should be no demonic games!

The Olympic Games were held for 1168 years, and already in 394 AD, the Roman emperor Theodosius the First banned the competition, citing the fact that it was a pagan entertainment. And 128 years later, as a result of a powerful earthquake, the Olympic facilities were wiped off the face of the earth.

Only in the 18th century, excavations began in the area of ​​ancient Olympia, and only at the end of the 19th century, the scientist Baron Pierre de Coubertin, inspired by the works of the French archaeologist Ernst Curtius, revived the Olympic Games and wrote a set of rules for their conduct - the Olympic Charter.

Return of the Olympics

So, the first Olympic Games of our time were the competitions held in Athens on April 6, 1896. The competition was attended by athletes from 13 countries of the world: Australia, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark, USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden. Russian athletes due to financial difficulties were unable to take part in the competition. The Olympiad program featured nine sports disciplines: classic wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, Athletics, swimming, bullet shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. More than 80 thousand spectators were present at the newly reconstructed stadium.

In the new history of the Olympic Games, several Olympics did not take place due to world wars: the VI Olympiad in Berlin (1916), the XII Olympic Games in Helsinki (1940), the XIII Olympiad in London (1944). But, despite this, the numbering of the Games is preserved, and none of the Games are considered lost.

Winter games influence

Beginning in 1924, the Olympic Games were divided into winter and summer. This is how the numbering of the Winter Olympics began (I Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix) and the summer ones continued (VIII Summer Olympic Games in Paris). And in 1992, the last time the Winter and Summer Olympics were held in the same year. The next XVII Winter Olympic Games were held two years later (1994) in Lillehammer, and the XXVI Summer Games were held two years later (1996) in Atlanta.