The Olympics of Ancient Greece Games

Introduction

The Olympic Games of Ancient Greece were held every four years from the classical period which last for five days. In this game athletes from all over the Greek world emerge on Olympia in the western Peloponnese, in the hope of winning a price. This consisted of an olive branch called Kotinos which was cut off from the sacred olive. The interval of four years that separated the games was called Olympiad. People do not know the exact date when they took place in the past, but we know that this was the first full moon after the summer solstice, that is between the last week of July and first half of August (Connolly and Andrew, pp. 52-92). It seems that in ancient times the Games were associated with fertility rites and the harvest festivals.

The Olympics became were so important in Greek life that they were not slow to use as a basis for dating the events of their long history. One year before the Games begin, the dignitaries responsible for their conduct Eleans sent heralds called "spondophores" in all regions of Helladic space and all the Greek colonies, which scattered throughout the Mediterranean from the Pillars of Hercules to the Great Greece, Asia Minor to the Black Sea and Azov Sea (Swaddling, pp. 156-198). Their mission was to publicize the date on which the games would begin and therefore, the date of entry into force of the sacred truce, which required the cessation of all hostilities between Greek city-states. During this period, executions were also reported.

The Olympic Games are the oldest of the four Panhellenic athletic festivals. In 676 BC these Games have conquered the entire Greek world and in 576 BC, their prestige and reputation are at their peak. The fame of the sanctuary of Olympia was then established and prestige grows with the Games. The mid-fifth century Elidiens complete the new temple, dedicated to the god in Greek mythology to Olympian Zeus (Oxlade and David, pp. 42-85).

Discussion

Track and Field

Stadium had a rectangular shape, and surrounded on all sides was the escarpment, where there were places for the audience. Runway length was 600 feet, or 192.8 m On both sides of the track starting blocks were placed, which had a special place to base rates for it. Initially starting line was traced in the sand. Same track separated from the spectators small stones, and which was excavated channel, which flowed water intended for drinking. The judges stood on the one hand, increase the treadmill and watched the course of the event. The audience watched the competition standing. Competitors and judges came to the stadium tunnel, which was combined with Altis. Stone walls and arches of the tunnel survived to this day.

In Olympia, the most dominant of exercise, the palaestra and gymnasium. In the ruins of the latter found the racetrack, which has the same dimensions as the track at the stadium. He had also the starting blocks, which meant that there probably trenowalo ...