The Olympic Festival in Ancient Olympia

 While every town in ancient Greece had its own special festivals, there were also four great all-Greek sports festivals. The most important was the festival of Zeus, held every four years in ancient Olympia in southern Greece and open to all freeborn Greek males. Thousands of men and boys from all over the Greek world gathered here in a temporary encampment to take part and watch. To allow Greeks to travel safely to Olympia, all wars were put on hold until the games were over.

The Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia

The Olympic games, first held in 776 b.c.e., were part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the king of the gods. His temple in Olympia held a gold-covered statue of him. It was 43 ft (13 m) high. This was one of the Seven Wonder of 98 ft (30 m) in circumference, made of ash left from thousands of sacrifices made to Zeus.


The stadium was 633 ft (193 m) long. Up to 45,000 Greek men and boys would watch each race. On the south side, there was a platform for judges and officials. This is the entrance to the stadium, or running track, in Olympia. The whole length was originally roofed over—athletes would walk down a dark tunnel before emerging into bright sunlight.


The Olympic festival was much more than a sports and religious event. The games provided a common dating system and helped develop a shared identity between different poleis. Olympia was also a place for exchanging ideas. Writers would read their latest works to large crowds, ambassadors came to negotiate treaties, artists to seek commissions, and merchants to trade.

Archeologists have discovered some of the original equipment used by athletes in the games. This bronze discus, dating from the 6th century b.c.e, was thrown by an athlete called Exoidas. He was so proud of his victory that he dedicated the discus to Castor and Pollux, twin sons of Zeus, and left it in their temple

Victors had statues of themselves put up at Olympia and in their home cities, such as this statue of a victorious charioteer. Winning was all that mattered. The poet Pindar described the homecoming of unsuccessful wrestlers: "When they meet their mothers, they have no sweet laughter around them. In back streets out of their enemies' way they cower; disaster has bitten them."