Games in Antiquity: between myth and reality

The ancient Olympic Games were first celebrated in 776 BC in Olympia, an ancient Greek city located in the Elis region. The Games were held every four years for more than a thousand years, until 393 AD, when Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned pagan celebrations. The ancient Olympic Games were dedicated to the Greek gods and were considered one of the most important events in ancient Greek culture.

The ancient Olympics were different from the modern Olympics in many ways. First of all, the ancient Olympics were reserved for free men in ancient Greece, meaning women, slaves, and foreigners were not allowed to participate. Additionally, the ancient Olympics were not only a sporting competition, but also an opportunity to celebrate ancient Greek culture, with competitions in music, poetry and drama. Athletic events included running races, long jumps, javelin and discus throws, wrestling, boxing, and pankration, a combat sport that combined wrestling and boxing.

The ancient Olympic Games were also an important religious event. The Games were dedicated to Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, and were held in the sanctuary of Olympia, which housed a temple dedicated to Zeus. Victorious athletes were considered heroes and were honored by their hometown. The ancient Olympic Games were also an occasion for truce, with wars and conflicts suspended for the duration of the Games. This tradition has been carried over into the modern Olympic Games, with the Olympic flame symbolizing peace and unity. It was also not a question of money, whereas today, as in an online casino, the subject of money is central in the organization of the games, between the potential revenue and the very significant costs. which are generated by this global event.

Games in Antiquity (Archaeology Files No. 45)

Faton Editions offers an old issue for online purchase but which has not lost its relevance concerning games in Antiquity. Published for the first time in 1980, this issue of Archeology Files covers the issue in a very enlightening manner.

Throughout the pages we discover the legendary story of the Marathon runner, but also a detailed presentation of the four great Panhellenic sanctuaries linked to the games. A particular point is proposed concerning the games that could be found in the theater both in Greece and then in Rome. The authors also address the question of amphitheaters in the Roman world, and their central role in the diffusion of culture. Finally, a chapter focuses more particularly on games and religious festivals within Gaul, a question rarely addressed.

On the trail of ancient games (Armand Colin, 2024, €22.90)

In immediate connection with current events, Armand Colin editions offer this richly illustrated work, supported by infographics, friezes, maps and fact sheets concerning major personalities linked to the question of games. We discover the training conditions of the athletes, the way they ate, but also all the parties that were organized around the events themselves. The question of the geopolitical stakes of these games is addressed, but also the place which was then reserved for women. The question of sports clothing did not yet arise as it does today…

While the ancient Olympic Games are a familiar subject, there is still much to discover about this ancient Greek tradition. Although the Olympic Games are often considered the most important sporting event of ancient times, they were in reality only one of the many festivities that punctuated the lives of the Greeks every four years, in what is known as the period. The Pythian, Isthmian, Nemean and Olympic Games followed one another, and certain legendary athletes like Milo of Croton saw their fame span the centuries.

But the ancient Olympic Games were much more than just a sporting competition. They were also a symbol of peace and unity between Greek city-states, which were often at war with each other. For the duration of the Games, a sacred truce was imposed, allowing athletes and spectators to travel safely to witness the event. This tradition has contributed to an unprecedented globalization of the Mediterranean world, with cultural, commercial and sporting exchanges between the different regions.

Olympic Games (C. Hervan, Y. Plateau, J. Martin, Casterman, €14.50)

In a simpler and more accessible way, this work, in which we find the mythical character of Alix, invented by Jacques Martin from 1948, invites us to a pleasant illustrated and documented discovery of the world of the Olympic Games in the Antiquity.

This volume of Alix’s adventures, while it includes the usual charm of Jacques Martin’s drawings, also allows us to restore the magic of the places of the time. With constant documentary precision, we are immersed in the central institutions of ancient Greece and in the unique issues of the Olympic Games.

Olympia – The games during Antiquity (Toubi’s, 124 pages, 2004, €28)

Signed by Anna Marandi, this enlightening work puts a special emphasis on the site of Olympia. In ancient times, the Greeks believed that certain sacred places were places where gods communicated with humans. This is why they chose places full of meaning to address these divine beings. The peaceful, wooded banks of the Alpheus River, located in a peaceful region that did not experience the dramatic conflicts that marked the Hellenic space, were one of these places.

Since its origins, this place, now classified by UNESCO, has encouraged peaceful meetings and competition between Greeks from all over the country and the Mediterranean. They all gathered around the altar of Olympian Zeus, which was brought early in history by the Eleans from the north, then placed within the enclosure of the Altis, which means “wood” in Greek, by Heracles. It is also to Heracles that we owe the term “Olympic Games”, since he was the first to give this name to the funeral games which accompanied the burial of the hero Pelops.

Today, the word “Olympic” is often reduced to a common and insignificant term, associated with artificial language and the popularization of ideas and meanings. However, a visit to Olympia allows you to rediscover the deep meaning of this word and to relive the history and religious life of the sanctuary. The natural landscapes and monuments of the Altis Sanctuary will revive the values ​​that have been cultivated through physical effort, such as the beauty of the human body, the spirit of competition and the idea of ​​peace. Beyond its aesthetic value, it is the knowledge of the history and religious life of the sanctuary which allows us to revive its glorious past, this unique moment in the history of humanity which saw its birth.

Illustration credits Pexels CC 0