Ancient Olympics The ancient Olympic games signify much more than athletics. The games represent a much bigger idea of peace and religion. While the athletics played a part in the games, the idea that people of Greece can come together without fighting for a while to compete in games to honor Zeus played another part. Men from all over Greece, in top physical condition from training for months in advance, traveled to Olympia to try and bring pride and fame to the town which they hail from. The Olympic games began as merely a friendly peace filled competition among citizens of olympia to honor zeus and evolved into an international display of athletic ability and world peace. Historians all agree that “the ancient Olympics seem to have begun
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The first day began with the competitors marching into the stadium and swore to the statue of Zeus. After the opening ceremonies the young boys wrestled and ran to give viewers a glimpse at the future Olympians. On the second day the equestrian events took place. These consisted of the regular horse races along with the chariot races. That same afternoon the pentathlon began. The pentathlon consisted of five events including : discus, javelin, jumping, running, and wrestling. The way a winner was decided was “if a single athlete won these first three events, he was declared the victor and the pentathlon ended. If not, the final two events, a stade sprint and a wrestling match, took place. The man who placed highest in all five events was the champion”(Christopher). On the next day running events took place. These running events consisted of the dolichos (about two and a half to two and three quarter miles); the diaulos (about 400 meters); and the stade(about 200 meters) (Christopher). Many people competed in the stade because the games were named after the victor which is big honor. Wrestling, boxing, and a violent sport called pankration took place on the fourth day. Pankration was a mixture between wrestling and boxing and there were little to no rules. After the pankration was the hoplitodromos which was another foot race. In this race the athletes ran with helmets and heavy shields. The fifth and final day the victors were celebrated in the temple of Zeus. Throughout the entire games, sacrifices were made every so
The first day began with the competitors marching into the stadium and swore to the statue of Zeus. After the opening ceremonies the young boys wrestled and ran to give viewers a glimpse at the future Olympians. On the second day the equestrian events took place. These consisted of the regular horse races along with the chariot races. That same afternoon the pentathlon began. The pentathlon consisted of five events including : discus, javelin, jumping, running, and wrestling. The way a winner was decided was “if a single athlete won these first three events, he was declared the victor and the pentathlon ended. If not, the final two events, a stade sprint and a wrestling match, took place. The man who placed highest in all five events was the champion”(Christopher). On the next day running events took place. These running events consisted of the dolichos (about two and a half to two and three quarter miles); the diaulos (about 400 meters); and the stade(about 200 meters) (Christopher). Many people competed in the stade because the games were named after the victor which is big honor. Wrestling, boxing, and a violent sport called pankration took place on the fourth day. Pankration was a mixture between wrestling and boxing and there were little to no rules. After the pankration was the hoplitodromos which was another foot race. In this race the athletes ran with helmets and heavy shields. The fifth and final day the victors were celebrated in the temple of Zeus. Throughout the entire games, sacrifices were made every so