Hercules was a demi-god, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, a mortal woman. There is another theory, according to which the mythical Hercules was involved in starting the Olympic Games. Was the legendary Hercules involved in the Olympic Games? These were eventually called “the Olympic Games”. To honour the gods, Pelops continued organizing chariot races, and introduced more athletic events. Pelops became the king of the Peloponnese, and this beautiful region of Greece was named after him. His trophy was the king’s daughter, Hippodamia, who had fallen in love with him. There, he challenged king Oenomaus to a horse race, and won. Pelops went along, and found himself in a town called Pisa, a few kilometres from Olympia. She was mourning her daughter Persephone’s death, so she was probably a little absent-minded.Įventually, the gods put Pelops back into one piece, and exiled his father to Greece for trying to trick them. The only exception was Demeter, who had a small piece, but there was a reason for it. Yikes! Unsurprisingly, none of the gods accepted to eat the morbid dish. As he wasn’t sure whether the gods were omniscient, he decided to put them to a test.įor this reason, he chopped his son Pelops into small pieces, cooked them, and offered them to the gods. His father, Tantalus, who lived somewhere in today’s Turkey, was a son of Zeus himself. The macabre story of Pelops, the mythical king of the PeloponneseĪnother legend on the origin of the Olympic Games talks about Pelops, one of the mythical kings in the Peloponnese. As for the length of the stadium, it was set at 192 metres, or the equivalent of 600 Greek feet. Note – this Heracles is not to be confused with the mythical Hercules who is famous for the twelve labours. The olive wreath became a symbol for peace. Zeus became the King of Gods, and the Games were held in his honour. This is Pausanias’ version of how the Olympic Games were born. At the end of the race, the winner was crowned with an olive wreath. It was the oldest brother, Heracles, who set the location and the dimensions of the racing stadium. The contest was held in Ancient Olympia – this is nowhere near Crete, but it’s a minor detail! In an attempt to keep the young god entertained, the brothers organized a race between them. One of the places where Zeus spent some time during his childhood is Diktaion Andron cave, also in Crete. This is where five brothers, known as the Idaean Dactyls, lived, and Rea put them in charge of raising Zeus. To avoid this, Rea took baby Zeus to mount Idi, in Crete. Kronos wanted to eliminate Zeus, fearing that his son would want to overthrow him when he grew up. We are far from experts in Ancient Greek mythology and history, but seriously, some of these stories are just bizarre! The legend of Zeus and the Idaean DactylsĪccording to the great Greek geographer Pausanias, the Games were first organized after Zeus was born to Kronos and Rea. Here are some of the most popular ones, along with a comment or two from us. There are different myths and legends as to why and how the Olympic Games were first organized. While initially they were a one-day event consisting of races, they gradually became much larger. The first Ancient Olympic Games were held in 776 BC in Ancient Olympia, in the Peloponnese. How did the original Olympic Games in Ancient Greece begin though? The ancient and modern Olympic Games are the biggest athletic events in the known world. While they are not exactly comparable, they have one thing in common. The contemporary event is a lot bigger than the original Olympic Games. Here’s some insight on the origins of the Ancient Greek Olympic Games, and how they compare to the modern ones. What are the Origins of the Olympic Games?Įvery four years, we all follow the world’s biggest sports event, the Olympic Games. Do you know much about the origins of the Olympic Games though? Here are some useful insights! You probably know that the Olympic Games started in Ancient Greece.
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