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The Ancient Olympic Games

The Olympic Games have a very long history. They began in 776 BC and took place for nearly 1200 years in Olympia, Greece. The citizens of all the Greek states were invited to take part in the games. The Greeks emphasized physical fitness and strength in their education of youth. Therefore contests in running, jumping, discus and javelin throwing, boxing, horse and chariot racing were held in individual cities, and the winners competed every four years at Mount Olympus. Winners were greatly honoured by having olive wreaths placed on their heads and having poems sung about their deeds. Originally these competitions were held as games of friendship and any wars were halted to allow the contests to take place.

There are a lot of myths and legends about the origin of the Olympic Games. However, all of them are closely connected with ancient Greek Gods and heroes. Actually, the games were held in honour of the supreme God of the ancient Greeks – Zeus. During ten or twelve months before the beginning of the Games the athletes trained hard to take a peculiar physical fitness examination. After it the selected participants of the Olympic Games trained according to the special Olympic programme. The athletes took an oath to compete honestly and to keep the rules of the sacred Olympic Games. Those, who didn’t follow this principle were fined or exposed to corporal punishment.

Only men could take part in the Olympic Games. Women were not allowed even to watch the competitions at the stadium under the fear of death penalty. Disobeyers were cruelly punished: they were thrown off a high mountain. Only the priestess of the ancient Greek goddess Demeter had right to be present at the competitions: a marble throne was constructed specially for her at the most honourable place at the stadium. According to some other sources this rule affected only married women. But still, the history of the ancient Olympics mentions a fact, when a woman was present at the competitions. In 404 BC a Greek woman who taught her own son fisticuffs came to the stadium dressed in a man’s clothes – himation. Her son gained a victory in the competitions and in a burst of joy she gave herself away: the himation slipped from her body and everybody recognized the woman. So, the deception was revealed. But since the woman’s father, her three brothers and her nephew were all the Olympic winners she was forgiven. However a new Olympic rule was introduced since then: all the participants and the spectators had to be naked during the competitions.

For about three hundred years the ancient Olympic Games lasted for three days. The first and the third days were devoted to triumphant ceremonies, processions and sacrifices to the Gods: thus, the competitions lasted for just one day.

Women had their own athletic Games, devoted to the ancient Goddess of Olympia – Hera. Greek women competed mainly in running. They had a separate stadium but its area was not as vast as the men’s one. The women winners were awarded olive wreaths and half a cow, sacrificed to Hera.

5. Answer the following questions:

1. When and where did the Olympic Games begin?

2. What did the ancient Greeks emphasize in their education of youth?

3. What contests did the ancient Greeks participate in?

4. How were the ancient winners honoured?

5. What is the origin of the Olympic Games connected with?

6. What did the ancient Greeks do to take part in the Olympics?

7. What kind of oath did the participants of the Games take before the beginning of the competitions?

8. Was there any punishment for those who broke the rules of the sacred Olympics?

9. Were women allowed to take part in the Games?

10. What expected women-disobeyers who dared to come to the site of the competitions?

11. Women never visited the ancient Olympics, did they?

12. For how many years did the Olympic Games last for three days?

13. What were these days devoted to?

14. Did women have their own athletic Games? Whom were they devoted to?

15. How were the Greek women awarded?

Say if the given below statements are true or false. If the statement is correct, you should say “It’s true” or “I agree”. If the statement is not correct you should say “It’s false” or “I disagree” and correct it.

1. The ancient Olympic Games began in 776 BC in ancient Egypt, Cairo.

2. The best ancient Greek athletes competed every four years at the Mount Olympus.

3. The Olympic Games were devoted to the supreme god of the Greeks – Apollo.

4. There were no wars waged during the ancient Olympics.

5. Unmarried women were allowed to come and watch the competitions.

6. Women had their own athletic Games devoted to Demeter.

7. Women were traditionally awarded some jewelry for taking part in the Olympics.

Make up your own three statements, using the information from the text. One of your statements should be false. Read your statements to the students. Their task is to say which of the statements is false and correct it.

8. Use the text and give the English equivalents for the following Russian sentences:

1. У Олимпийских Игр очень длинная история: они начались в 776 до нашей эры и проходили в течение 1200 лет в Древней Греции.

2. Древние Олимпийские Игры включали в себя состязания в беге, прыжках, метании диска и копья, гонках на колеснице, боксе и др.

3. Эти соревнования символизировали дружбу, и всякие войны, приходившиеся на период Олимпиады, прекращались.

4. Победители награждались оливковыми венками и песнями о своих подвигах.

5. Все спортсмены давали клятву соревноваться честно и соблюдать правила священных Олимпийских Игр.

6. Игры проводились в честь верховного древнегреческого Бога – Зевса.

7. Только мужчины имели право на участие в Олимпийских Играх.

8. Женщинам не позволялось даже смотреть на соревнования под страхом смерти, а ослушниц ожидало суровое наказание: их сбрасывали с высокой горы.

9. Около 300 лет древние Олимпийские Игры продолжались в течение трех дней: первый и третий дни были посвящены триумфальным церемониям и только второй день отводился на проведение соревнований.

10. Женщины Древней Греции также проводили соревнования, посвященные Богине Гере.

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