First Olympic Games

If you believe the legends, the first Olympic Gamesin time immemorial organized by Hercules in the 1210s. They were held once in five years, but then for unknown reasons this tradition was interrupted and was revived under the reign of King Iphith.

The first Olympic Games in Greece were not numbered, they were called exclusively by the name of the winner, and in the only then the kind of competition - running for a certain distance.

Ancient authors based on materials beganthe countdown of competitions from 776 BC. E., it is from this year that the Olympic Games became known by the name of the athlete who won them. However, there is an opinion that they simply could not establish the names of the earlier winners, and therefore the conduct itself could not at that time be considered as a valid and reliable fact.

Although Africa Julius, the author of the third century, claims that the games considered the first to be 776 BC. - Error, in fact they are the fourteenth.

The first Olympic Games took place in Olympia, a small town located in South Greece. Participants and tens of thousands of spectators from many of the Polis policies traveled by sea or by land.

In competitions in agility and strength participatedrunners, as well as wrestlers, discus throwers or spears, jumpers, fist fighters. Games were held in the hottest month of summer, and at this time, on pain of death, wars between politicians were banned.

Heralds throughout the year carried around the cities of all Greece the news of the declaration of the sacred world and the fact that the roads leading to Olympia are safe.

All Greeks had the right to participate in the competitions: both the poor and the noble, rich and not ignorant. Only women were not allowed to attend them, even as spectators.

The first Olympic Games, like the following, in theGreece was dedicated to the great Zeus, it was an exclusively male feast. According to legend, one very brave Greek woman in men's clothing secretly entered the city of Olympia to look at the performance of her son. And when he won, his mother, unable to restrain herself, enthusiastically rushed to him. The unfortunate woman by law was to be executed, but out of respect for her victorious son, she was pardoned.

Almost ten months before the start of the Olympic Gamesall who were going to participate in them, had to start training in their cities. Day after day for ten months in a row athletes were continuously exercising, and a month before the opening of the competition they arrived in South Greece and there, not far from Olympia, they continued training.

Usually most of the participants in the games were usually prosperous people, because the poor could not afford to train for a year and not work.

The first Olympic Games lasted only five days.

On the fifth day in front of the temple of the chief god Zeus, a table made of ivory and gold was set up, and on it prizes for the winners were placed - wreaths of olive.

The winners came one by one to the supremeThe judge who placed these award-winning wreaths on their heads. At the same time, the herald publicly announced the name of the athlete and his city. At the same time, the audience exclaimed: "Glory to the winner!".

The glory of the Olympic Games has survived many centuries. And today every inhabitant of the planet knows the Olympic symbol: five rings, which mean the unity of the continents.

The first Olympic Games of our time putthe beginning of the tradition: to swear an oath. There is another wonderful tradition: to light the Olympic flame in Greece, as in ancient times, and then to carry it through the countries in the hands of dedicated people to the venue of the next Olympiad.

And although as a result of the strongest earthquake allthe Olympic constructions of antiquity were wiped off the face of the earth, however in the XVIII century, as a result of excavations in ancient Olympia, many attributes of the games were found.

And already at the end of the XIX century the permanent and the firstPresident of the IOC Baron de Coubertin, inspired by the work of archaeologist Curtius, revived the games, and also wrote a code that defines the rules for their conduct - the "Olympic Charter".

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