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<center><h1><font color="#003800">Athletic Events in Prehistory</font></h1></center>
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Hippias of Elis, a sophist of the fifth century BC, was the first to compile
the initial victor list of the Olympic games. From him we learn that the
first athletic contest, the foot race, was held at the sacred place of
Olympia, in western Peloponnese, for the first time in <nobr>776 BC</nobr>, in honor of the
Olympian Zeus. Later ancient sources inform us that the Olympic festival
gained considerable importance, ranked among the largest and most famous
Panhellenic festivals by the time of early 5th century.
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Was the athletic competition always organized? <br>
And what did athletic competition mean to the earlier cultures of the Mediterranean?
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<A HREF="egypt.html">Ancient Egyptians and the people of Mesopotamia</A> had a
long tradition in athletic activities, as shown by the reliefs depicting athletic
scenes carved on the tombs of their kings and their nobles. They did not hold
regular festivals, however, and when they did, it seems that these were
only attended by kings and the higher class.
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The <A HREF="minoan.html">Minoans</A> showed special concern in gymnastics.
<A HREF="bull_leap.html">Bull-leaping</A> and tumbling became their favorite sports,
as indicated by the frescoes decorating their palaces. Other Minoan sports included some
track-contests, wrestling and boxing. From what we can tell,
such activities were practiced in places near the palace, probably by members
of the noble class.
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The <A HREF="mycene.html">Myceneans</A> adopted all Minoan games,
and introduced chariot-racing and more track contests.
The Myceneans used the chariot not only
for hunting and war purposes, but for religious and <A HREF="funerary.html">funerary</A>
ceremonies too.
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The <A HREF="homeric.html">Homeric</A> poems comprise the first written evidence
of athletic contests in the Greek world. In his
<A HREF="iliad_odyssey.html">great poems</A>, Homer gives vivid
descriptions of the athletic contests held as part of the
<A HREF="funerary.html">funerary</A> ceremonies in honor of the dead hero, Patroclus, or in
other occasions.
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The emergence of the first <A HREF="polis.html">city-states</A> caused a rapid
development in athletism: a number of local contests were set up in these cities,
held in festivals of religious character. Athletism became an institution,
providing vehicles for recurring competition among the members of the polis.
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<A HREF="why_olympia.html">Olympia</A> soon became an important religious
place, where a series of athletic contests were held. Modern research focuses on
understanding the origins of this great religious celebration that became the
symbol of political and cultural unity of Greeks in the historical period.
Were the Olympics always a big festival, and was Olympia always a sacred place?
Why did the games develop as a Panhellenic institution at this particular part of
the western Peloponnese, and how did this institution change throughout the course of the years?
Ancient Greeks and later writers describe their <A HREF="myths.html">myths</A> for the
origins of the first games at Olympia, whereas archaeologists spend great efforts in
<A HREF="evidence.html">reconstructing the history</A> of the festival through finds
in excavations.
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Despite the considerable amount of academic work devoted to the investigation
of the above issues, the modern reader would be surprised by the number of
different opinions, rooted often in the contradictory nature
of the available archaeological and literary evidence. The following text,
a full index of athletism and its
origins, is dedicated to the anonymous reader who wants to explore
further the origins of athletism and understand its various meanings in
different times.
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<a href="egypt.html">Egypt & Mesopotamia</a> |
<a href="minoan.html">Minoan Crete</a> |
<a href="mycene.html">Mycenean Greece</a>
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<a href="homeric.html">Homeric Age</a> |
<a href="polis.html">Athletism & Polis</a> |
<a href="why_olympia.html">Why Olympia?</a>
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<font size=2><B>Note</B>: Click on the images to see a brief description.
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