While the Olympic Games are taking place in Paris it is worth taking a look at the archeological site of ancient Olympia, Archaia Olympia (Αρχαία Ολυμπία), where the history of the games began.
One can spend days visiting all the sights and museums within the vast landscaped park of Olympa, which is part of UNESCO World Heritage. Inevitably, the fairytale terrain stimulates your imagination and transports you back in time. A visit to the site of Ancient Elis (see below), which organized the games, is also recommended.
It all began with the gods of Olympus - above all the games orginally were a sacred ritual which was meant to pay homage to these gods. The competitions back then were not about medals, but the participating athletes benefited from many privileges in their later lives.
The center of the complex is the Sacred District of the Altis, a place of worship with shrines for various gods. On the site of today's excavation site at Olympia, there was probably a place where the god Kronos, the father of the god Zeus, was worshiped as early as the 11th century.
At the altar of Hera, at the Temple of Hera, the Olympic flame is lit every four years. However, this tradition stems from modern times and not from ancient times. It fact, it was first started by the Nazis, during the 1936 Olympics, who used the torch run for promoting their racist political ideals.
The first tangible evidence of the Olympic Games is a winner certificate from 776 BC. I states that a certain Koroibos from Elis won the 194.24 m long stadium run. It is worth noting, that at first there was only one race in which the athletes competed in. Much later, other sports competitions were added.
The Olympic Games took place every four years and lasted for five days. Only free citizens of Greece were allowed to take part, no slaves, no non-Greeks and no women. For women, there were the Heraia Games in the non-Olympic years, in which unmarried women were allowed to take part in a sprint run. The winners were awarded half a cow!
To the northeast of the Temple of Hera, on the slope of Kronos Hill, is the semicircular Nymphaeum. It was a well system from which the Altis was supplied with water. You can still clearly see a wide basin framed by two columns.
Ancient (Αρχαίa Ήλιδας)
For almost 1,000 years the games were organized by the city state of Elis, which is not far from ancient Olympia. The entire Elis region is named after this city state.
Four weeks before the games, the athletes arrived in Elis and familiarized themselves with the rules of the game. Then they trained at the Elis stadium.
In 776 B.C King Iphitos laid new rules according to which there should be a ceasefire between the participating parties during the games. At a time when the city states were constantly fighting among themselves, the games promoted peace, at least for the time they were held.
Next to the site is a modern archaeological museum which houses finds from the site and sheds light on the history.
You can find more detailed information about alle archaeological sites in our travel guide "Peloponnes" (in German language).
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