The Ancient
Olympics
by CTCWeb Editors
And just
as at the Olympic games the wreaths of victory are not bestowed
upon the handsomest and strongest persons present, but on men
who enter for the competitions . . . so it is those who act rightly
who carry off the prizes and good things of life - Aristotle, Nicomachean
Ethics, 1099a 1
Introduction
The first Olympic runners leapt from the
blocks at Olympia in 776 BCE. The winner of the stadion
race was a true amateur athlete. His name was Koroibos. He was
a cook from Elis. Hippias of Elis recorded Koroibos’ victory,
along with the names of the other victors at the first Olympic
games. Aristotle, Eratosthenes, Phlegon of Tralleis, and Julius
Africanus continued to record the names of Olympic victors over
the years. Ancient texts, coupled with archaeological evidence,
provide a clear understanding of the ancient Olympic games, including
the origin and nature of each event, and the rules and regulations
that governed it. Most of the events that challenged ancient
Olympic athletes no longer exist. Yet, the competitive spirit,
tradition, and honor in athletic achievement resounds from ancient
times to present today.
Following the initial games in 776 BCE,
the ancient Olympics were contested every four years until the
Romans introduced the gladiatorial games. The Romans replaced
the Olympic games with gladiatorial contests when athleticism
went out of vogue among the Roman elite. No longer could a simple
cook compete in the games because, in Roman times, competitors
were professional athletes. (To learn more about the Roman gladiator,
see "The Gladiator.")
In 393 CE, the Emperor Theodosius I abolished the ancient games.
More than 1,500 years passed before the modern era of Olympic
competition was inaugurated in Athens in 1896.
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