Download There are several Greek myths about how the games

The ancient Olympic Games were primarily a part of a religious festival in honour of
Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses. The festival and the games were held
in Olympia, a rural sanctuary site in the western Peloponnesos. The Greeks that came to
the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia shared the same religious beliefs and spoke the same
language. The athletes were all male citizens of the city-states from every corner of the
Greek world, coming from as far away as Iberia (Spain) in the west and the Black Sea
(Turkey) in the east. The sanctuary was named in antiquity after Mt. Olympus, the
highest mountain in mainland Greece. In Greek mythology, Mt. Olympus was the home
of the greatest of the Greek gods and goddesses.
Important information to know:
Why Zeus is important and brief summary of Gods/Goddesses:
In Ancient Greece they believed in several Gods. Gods interrelate with humans and they
helped them but they also punished them. Zeus was the father of the heroes Perseus and
Heracles. Zeus made his father Cronus to vomit up his sisters and brothers and these
Gods joined him to defeat the Titans. Zeus imprisoned the Titans in the underworld and
he and his brothers divided up creation. Poseidon ( Zeus’ brother) received the sea as
his main domain, Hades the underworld and Zeus took the sky. Zeus also was accorded
supreme authority on Earth an on Mont Olympus.
Zeus had many affairs. He is known as the father or Gods because many of his
sons/daughters are Gods, Olympian Gods. Zeus had two sons with his wife Hera ( she
was also his sister) Their children were Aris ( God of war) and Hefaestus ( God of
metal and fire). The following gods and goddesses of the Olympus are also
Zeus’sons/daughthers ( of different relationships) Athena: ( Goddess of war), Dyonisus
( God of wine), Hermes ( the messenger of Gods), Artemis ( Goddess of the wildland)
, Apollo ( god of music). The Muses are also his daughters.
Heracles was also Zeus son. Heracles’ mother was mortal so Heracles could not be part
of the Olympus because he was son of a mortal.
There are basically 2 myths about the origin of the Olympic games
Pelops myth and Hercules (Herakles) myth.
http://www.nostos.com/olympics/#Myths%20Surrounding%20the%20Olympic%20Ga
mes
Pelops myths
There are several Greek myths about how the games were started. The most common
myth was the story of the hero Pelops, after whom the Peloponnese is named ("Pelops’
isle"). The story of Pelops was displayed prominently on the east pedimental sculptures
of the Temple of Zeus. Pelops was a prince from Lydia in Asia Minor who sought the
hand of Hippodamia, the daughter of King Oinomaos of Pisa. Oinomaos challenged his
daughter's suitors to a chariot race under the guarantee that any young man who won the
chariot race could have Hippodamia as a wife. Any young man who lost the race would
be beheaded, and the heads would be used as decoration for the palace of Oinomaos.
With the help of his charioteer Myrtilos, Pelops devised a plan to beat Oinomaos in the
chariot race. Pelops and Myrtilos secretly replaced the bronze linchpins of the King's
chariot with linchpins made of wax. When Oinomaos was about to pass Pelops in the
chariot race, the wax melted and Oinomaos was thrown to his death. Pelops married
Hippodamia and instituted the Olympic games to celebrate his victory. A different
version of the myth refers to the Olympic games as funeral games in the memory of
Oinomaos.
Heracles myth
Another myth about the origin of the Olympic Games comes from the Tenth Olympian
Ode of the poet Pindar. He tells the story of how Herakles, on his fifth labor, had to
clean the stables of King Augeas of Elis. Herakles approached Augeas and promised to
clean the stables for the price of one-tenth of the king's cattle. Augeas agreed, and
Herakles rerouted the Kladeos and Alpheos rivers to flow through the stables. Augeas
did not fulfill his promise, however, and after Herakles had finished his labors he
returned to Elis and waged war on Augeas. Herakles sacked the city of Elis and
instituted the Olympic Games in honor of his father, Zeus. It is said that Herakles taught
men how to wrestle and measured out the stadium, or the length of the footrace.
Heracles is the best know hero
The goddess Hera, determined to make trouble for Hercules, made him lose his mind. In
a confused and angry state, he killed his own wife and children.
When he awakened from his "temporary insanity," Hercules was shocked and upset by
what he'd done. He prayed to the god Apollo for guidance, and the god's oracle told him
he would have to serve Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years,
in punishment for the murders.
As part of his sentence, Hercules had to perform twelve Labors, feats so difficult that
they seemed impossible. Fortunately, Hercules had the help of Hermes and Athena,
sympathetic deities who showed up when he really needed help. By the end of these
Labors, Hercules was, without a doubt, Greece's greatest hero.
Information about the twelve labours of Heracles:
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/labors.html
Other:
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/sports.html
Not very relevant, There are not famous heroes in the Olympic games:
famous participants in the Olympic games: The king of Macedonia and son of
Amyndas, Alexander I; the general from Megara, Orsippos; philosopher Plato;
philosopher Socrates; philosopher Pythagoras; philosopher Aristotle; philosopher
Democritus; the member of the royal family from Rhodes, Diagoras; the father of
medicine, Hippocrates; shepherd Polymnistor, are some of the well-known athletes of
ancient Greece.
HOWEVER odysseus participated. His participation was so minimal that I would not
use it though. Here you are the information:
Odysseus was one of the first Greek athletes in western literature.
According to the story, following the Trojan War (ca. 1200 B.C.) he
wandered the Greek islands trying to find his way home. On his
journey he was hosted by the Phaeacians who welcomed him and
showed him athletic contests after dinner and eventually asked him
to compete as an athlete. The contests held were boxing, wrestling, a
footrace, long jump and discus. Odysseus took part only in the discus
event and beat his opposition.