5 Historical Facts About the Ancient Olympic Games

Did you know that the Olympic Games, designed by Pierre de Coubertin, were inspired by the Olympic Games of ancient Greece? This great sporting competition has existed for centuries but has evolved over the decades: rules and disciplines were not the same as today. France 3 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté went to the MuséoParc Alésia, an opportunity for our teams to discover sports from yesteryear.

The MuséoParc Alésia allows us to discover, through workshops and exhibitions, the connection between ancient and modern games, witnesses of a golden age past and present. Since their birth in -776, the games lasted for almost a thousand years before being interrupted in 4^th century, to finally be reborn in 1896 thanks to Pierre de Coubertin. For more than a millennium, the ancient Olympic Games were celebrated in honor of a god, Zeus. The term “Olympic Games” finds its origin in this homage paid to Zeus, master of the gods of Olympus, “Olympic” referring to Olympia, the sacred place where these games were celebrated.

France 3 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté ventured into the remains of Antiquity, where many anecdotes about the Olympic Games were heard. We share 5 of them with you in this article.

In Antiquity, competitions in the ancient Olympic Games were strictly prohibited for women, under penalty of death. Only unmarried women can attend competitions. Some, however, emerged victorious, thanks to horse racing. Indeed, in the case of these races, women could be owners of the horses. In case of victory, it is the horses and the owners who win the race. Kyniska of Sparta is the first woman to win the ancient Olympic Games thanks to these horse races.

Another woman has stood out in the history of the Olympic Games: Kallipateira. On the occasion of his sons’ participation in the ancient Olympic Games, Kallipateira disguised himself as a coach and found himself on the field to assist them. She will finally be unmasked, after the victory of one of her sons and in a burst of joy which will cause her clothes to fall off. Thanks to her family renowned for its Olympic champions, the young woman will not be punished. However, a rule will be put in place after the event: all coaches must be naked when attending the next Olympic Games.

The ancient Olympic Games are made up of several stages. The starting event is the horse race or chariot race : this is the first event contested during the 5 days of the game program. It is said that the aristocrats are the most numerous to participate in this event, which makes it prestigious. This race is also known to be dangerous, because of the turns that are often difficult to take. Big names in history took part in the race, including Philip II of Macedonia and the father of Alexander the Great.

At MuséoParc Alésia, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the era of Antiquity by watching and listening to a fictitious chariot race.

The ancient Olympic Games continue with the pentathlon. The pentathlon is a mixture of five events from the ancient games, with five different sporting disciplines. Ancient athletes began with the javelin throw, then the discus throw, and finished with the long jump. If there is no winner, the referees decide between the athletes with a running event and if there is still no winner, they decide with a final wrestling event.

• The ancient javelin is made of elderwood and measures 1.50 meters, or 50 centimeters less than the modern javelin. For the ancient javelin throw, athletes do not gain momentum. To throw the javelin, simply extend your arm backwards and propel the javelin into the air. The athlete who throws the javelin the farthest wins.
• The antique discus throw can have several diameters and several weights (up to 5 kg). It is the arbiters, appointed in each of the Greek cities participating in the competition, who are responsible for reaching an agreement on the weight and size of the disc. Unlike contemporary discus throwing, the athletes start with their backs facing the desired direction, then, with their legs bent, they turn around before throwing the discus.
• Unlike the contemporary long jump, the ancient long jump is practiced without gaining momentum. Athletes help themselves with weights, on which they lean. Weights are made of bronze, iron or stone and can weigh up to 2 kg. Thus, the speed of the swing of the arms and the weights allows them to make five consecutive jumps. The athlete who reaches the longest jumping distance wins the event.

At the time, some athletes were unable to complete all the events: there was an elimination system. After three failed events, the athlete was disqualified.

At the MuséoParc Alésia, the teams present Olympic sporting activities as they were practiced more than 2,000 years ago. The opportunity for visitors to try out a few tests.

Before each competition, ancient athletes took great care of their bodies. After their training, they went to the bath, exfoliated and cleaned their skin with a strigil, a device that removes oil. In addition to the physical body, athletes had to have a beautiful soul. To perfect their culture and knowledge, they took rhetoric courses and attended conferences.

The Olympic torch relay, symbol of the link between ancient and modern games, is not ancient. It appeared well after the start of the Olympic Games.

The flame was born in 1928 at the Amsterdam games and the relay in 1936 at the Berlin games. However, historical research shows that the flame was likely inspired by ancient ancient traditions. Indeed, at the beginning of the ancient games, there were messengers who traveled throughout Greece to announce the games.

Far from contemporary rewards, the ancient athlete received an olive wreath upon his victory. There was no podium but only one winner.

Several Greek myths explain the presence of olive on the crown. One of the legends says that Heracles brought an olive tree from the mythical Hyperborean country, to shade the spectators at Olympia. This would then have become the reward of the winners.

At the MuséoParc Alésia, a crown creation workshop awaits visitors.

In the special show “Alésia : the ancient games”, Pascal Gervaize and Fabienne Acosta set up at the MuséoParc Alésia, to discover and share with us the history of the Olympic Games. Pascal receives guests to share historical anecdotes and Fabienne introduces us to sports from yesteryear.

“Alesia : ancient games”, a program available now on the france.tv platform.