Olympic s and Spirit
Today, the Olympic s are the world's largest pageant (盛典)of athletic skill and competitive spirit. These two opposing elements of the Olympics are not a modern invention. The ancient Olympic s, part of a major religious festival honoring Zeus, the chief Greek god, were the biggest in their world. They were the scene of political rivalries between people from different parts of the Greek world, and the site of controversies, boasts, public announcements and humiliations. In this section you can explore the context of the Olympics.
The Greek City-states and the Religious Festival
One difference between the ancient and modern Olympic s is that the ancient s were played within the context of a religious festival. The s were held in honor of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, and a sacrifice of 100 oxen was made to the god on the middle day of the festival. Athletes prayed to the gods for victory, and made gifts of animals, produce, or small cakes, in thanks for their successes.
According to the legend, the altar of Zeus stood on a spot struck by a thunderbolt, which had been hurled by the god from his throne high atop Mount Olympus, where the gods assembled. Over time, the s flourished, and Olympia became a central site for the worship of Zeus. Individuals and communities donated buildings, statues, altars and other dedications to the god. The most spectacular sight at Olympia was the gold and ivory cult (膜拜仪式)statue of Zeus enthroned, which was made by the sculptor Pheidias and placed inside the temple. The statue was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and stood over 42 feet high. A spiral staircase took visitors to an upper floor of the temple, for a better view of the statue.
People who were not Greek could not compete in the s, but Greek athletes traveled hundreds of miles, from colonies of the Greek city-states. These colonies were as far away as modern-day Spain, Italy, Libya, Egypt, the Ukraine, and Turkey. A city-state, called a polls, was a typical Greek settlement, with a fortified city and a defensible citadel at the center of a territory, which might include other villages. The polls of Attica was made up of Athens and its environs (近郊), for example, and the Acropolis was its fortress. The Greek city-states began to establish colonies from the mid-8th century on. After the 2nd century A. D., the Roman Empire brought even more competitors to the Olympic s, but regional differences always gave the Olympics an international flavor.
Excellence and the Competitive Spirit
Ancient athletes competed as individuals, not on national teams, as in the modern s. The emphasis on individual athletic achievement through public competition was related to the Greek ideal of excellence, called arete. Aristocratic men who attained this ideal, through their outstanding words or deeds, won permanent glory and fame. Those who failed to measure up to this code feared public shame and disgrace.
Not all athletes lived up to this code of excellence. Those who were discovered cheating were fined, and the money was used to make bronze statues of Zeus, which were erected on the road to the stadium. The statues were inscribed with messages describing the offenses, warning others not to cheat, reminding athletes that victory was won by skill and not by money, and emphasizing the Olympic spirit of piety toward the gods and fair competition.
The Olympic Truce(休战)
A truce (in Greek, ekecheiria, which literally means 'holding of hands') was announced before and during each of the Olympic festivals, to allow visitors to travel safely to Olympia. An inscription (题字) describing the truce was written on a bronze discus which was displayed at Olympia. During the truce, wars were suspended, armies were prohibited from entering Elis or threatening the s, and leg