Large gatherings such as Ancient Olympics have always provided an opportunity for people to make money in many ways such as setting up markets and selling food. Today, a huge amount of marketing is linked to the Olympics, such as the sale of t-shirts, key rings and so on. At Olympia, spectators would have marveled at the buildings of the Altis and made sacrifices at the altars to pray for their favoured competitors. They would have also played a full part in the ceremonies, processions and feasts. The ancient Greeks would also place bets upon the contestants they wished to win. Similarly, in today’s world onlookers still place bets on famous athletes. However in modern day Olympics, events such as the sacrifices, no longer occur.
Even in today's games we recreate with surprising accuracy the climate and circumstances surrounding the ancient Olympic Games. For example the vase painting on the right is shows a boxing contest ('pugme'). Two boxers wear leather 'himantes' or boxing gloves. The man with the long stick is either a judge or trainer. A naked youth stands by, holding extra 'himantes’. Similarly, when regarding current day boxing, boxers wear gloves and a referee in present day as well as a person who aids the contestant.
In ancient times the games were open purely to Greek- speakers. “Barbaroi” were not allowed to take part. Rivalry between the “poleis” was intense. Nowadays, although there may be disputes between countries, the Olympics have become an international event.
Unlike the ancient Greeks the modern day Olympics avoids extremely violent games, for instance chariot racing, and also in the ancient Greek times fouls were not recognized as much as they are today.
This vase painting shows chariot racing, there were both two-horse chariot and 4-horse chariot races, with separate races for chariots drawn by foals and covered a course of approximately 9 miles.
This was a very violent event in the time of the Greeks and they found great excitement in taking risks to show off their bravery. As these events seem to have remained popular, the Greeks spectators must have liked gruesome sights.
‘Pankratiasts… must employ backwards falls which are not safe for the wrestler…they must have skill in various methods of strangling; they also wrestle with an opponent’s ankle and twist his arm, besides hitting and jumping on him, for all these practices belong to the pankration, only biting and gouging being excepted’, philostratos.
Like our Olympics, though, winning athletes were heroes who quickly gained fame for themselves and their home towns.
Another violent event was wrestling. As in modern wrestling, an athlete had to throw his opponent to the ground, landing him either on the hip, shoulder or back. Three falls were needed to win a match. Unlike today matches had no time limit and there were no weight divisions, so bigger athletes dominated. This inequality in weight must have pleased the crowd but would not be approved of today.
In this vase painting you can see someone has been beaten to the floor and still being approached. While the other man in clothes looks like his not taking part, but some sort of referee just like they have in the modern days. And the man on the left looks like a spectator (possibly another athlete as he is naked) encouraging the wrestlers similar to how it is today.
Biting and genital holds were not permitted, but finger breaking was allowed. This differed from the modern day wrestling in many ways for instance in modern day wrestling the use of clothing is necessary such as a pair of shorts for hygiene and protection whereas with the Greeks clothing was not a necessity as the Greeks saw the human physique as a form of beauty to be displayed and admired.
Just as now, the aspect of fitness was essential. This emphasis on training ensured that the standard of competition was as high as possible. Like modern sportsmen, ancient athletes understood that diet for an athlete would normally be made up of fruit, cheese, vegetables, fish and bread. Similarly in the modern day athletes have to train for months and follow a certain diet to be able to enter for the Olympic Games. Most athletes today settle into the Olympic village well before the start of the games to adapt to unfamiliar conditions.
Religion pervaded the ancient Olympics unlike today. Zeus was thought to look down on the competitors, favouring some and denying victory to others. 'You could spur on a man with natural talent to strive towards great glory with the help of the gods', says Pindar in a victory ode. An athlete guilty of cheating or bribery was fined.
A grand sacrifice of 100 oxen was made to Zeus on the central day of the Games, and Zeus the apomuios, or 'averter of flies', was invoked to keep the sacrificial meat fly-free. Olympia was home to one of Greece's great oracles, an oracle to Zeus, with an altar to him consisting of a massive heap of solidified ash created by burnt sacrificial offerings. As the offerings were burnt, they were examined by a priest, who then pronounced an oracle. Athletes consulted the oracle to learn what their chances in the Games were; today they may well pray for success or merely check their horoscope!
Over here you can see a sacrifice being made and a libation being poured by the man on the left accompanied by music from the man on the right.
The modern Olympics are very diverse compared to those of ancient times and therefore different religions are followed, and some competitors are atheists, hereby making the need for a festival dedicated to one particular religion irrelevant.
Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest show of athletic skill and competitive spirit. They are also displays of nationalism, commerce and politics. These elements of the Olympics are not a modern invention. The conflict between the Olympic movement's high ideals and the commercialism or political acts which accompany the Games has been evident since ancient times.
The ancient Olympic Games, part of a major religious festival honouring Zeus, the chief Greek god, were the biggest event in their world. They were the scene of political rivalries between people from different parts of the Greek world, and the site of controversies, boasts, public announcements and humiliations. For instance, strong political rivalries existed between the Athenians and Spartans, as well as rivalry emerging from the Arcadians who wished to gain their own independence.
There have also been times in recent history when Olympics have been used to make political points such as terrorist attacks. For instance, modern Olympic Games such as the Berlin Olympics in 1936, which Hitler and the Nazis used as a showcase and propaganda portrayal of the third Reich; in particular, among the most prominent symbols of modern Olympic games is the torch relay, which is an element of modern Olympics derived from the Nazis in the Berlin Olympics of 1936.
The Greeks tried to keep some aspects of politics out of the Olympics, but their efforts met then, as such efforts do now, with limited success. The Olympic Truce was meant to lead to a cessation of hostilities throughout Greece, to allow competitors to travel and participate safely, but it was not always observed.
Security arrangements now for the games are very strict due mainly to the threat of terrorism.
Unlike today the Olympic stadium was built facing the temple and all the events would end going towards the temple of Zeus (A model which is shown on the right).
In contrast to most Greek sites, Olympia is green and lush, amidst groves of trees and was an appropriate setting for the Olympic Games. The simple crown of wild olive was sufficient to immortalize the victor, his family, and his city. This desire for recognition of achievement and fame is just as strong today as it was in the ancient times.
The Greeks referred to the Sanctuary of Zeus as the Altis. The name Altis came from a corruption of the Elean word for grove, alsos. Like many sanctuaries it contained temples, treasuries, altars, statues, and other structures.
The Greeks used athletic competitions to honour the gods and the games were just one part of a massive religious festival whereas today it is an international major sporting event. We have a spectacular opening ceremony in which each country that is taking part in the Olympics is represented.
The lighting of the torch is a symbolic link to the ancient Olympics, but unlike the Greeks who had the Olympics in the same place every four years, in the modern day it switches to a different country each time the Olympics takes place. Furthermore the Greeks only did a limited number of sports in the summer whereas in the Olympics today we have a combination of winter sports and summer sports.
The equipment used in the early versions of the ancient Olympics was very few compared to modern day Olympics.
For instance in the picture on the left we can see five runners, wearing no clothes and no footwear. Today of course we have specifically designed sports clothing
In the ancient Olympics they would have a straight track dirt track to run on and the last lap was run going towards the temple of Zeus.
In this photo we can see that more than 5 people are running the race. Also all the participants are in sports clothing. Compared to how the Greeks have a straight track, in the Olympics today the track is oval also people are positioned at different stages as well as having clearly defined ‘lanes’ to avoid collisions.
Only free men who spoke Greek could compete in the ancient times, instead of athletes from any country as is the case today. Unlike today women were not allowed to compete in the ancient Games themselves. However, they could enter equestrian events as the owner of a chariot team or an individual horse, and win victories that way. The winner of the first Olympic chariot and pair race is listed as "Belistiche, a woman from the seaboard of Macedonia."Although young girls were allowed to watch the events, any woman of marriageable age was barred. Any women caught at the Olympic Games faced a death penalty.
‘On the road to Olympia … there is a precipitous mountain … called Typaeum. It is law of Elis that any Woman discovered at the Olympic Games will be pitched headlong from this mountain’, Pausanias, Guidebook to Greece.
However women today are freely allowed to join the Olympics with the correct training and today equality between men and women is generally seen as desirable and fair, which was not the case in ancient Greece.
In addition the Greeks admired the perfect body and generally “exposed” disabled or unwanted babies whereas in the modern day we have the Paralympics for athletes with disabilities. We also have youth games for young teenagers whereas with the Greeks the young 16 year old boys performed in the Olympics alongside with the older and experienced contestants, therefore not giving them a fair chance at winning.
In conclusion I think the extent to which the traditions of the ancient Olympic games are reflected in those of today are very few as people in the modern day have stopped a lot of the rituals such as the sacrifices and now it’s more of an inclusive worldwide challenge rather than just one country taking part in it. On the other hand quite a few traditions are still kept such as the procession and lighting of the torch and having elaborate opening and closing events. Additionally the Olympics today are a lot less violent and have more rules compared to those of the ancient Greek times and there is greater scrutiny as to how they are enforced.
The sources I used to help me in the production of my coursework.
Websites used
Books used
- Duckworth, These Were the Greeks H.D. Amos A.G.P Lang.
- James Renshaw, In search of the Greeks.
