Where the Panathenaic Games were for Athenian athletes, the Panhellenic games included all Greek-speaking peoples. The Games were successful in forming connections among Greek-speaking peoples and allowing them to have a common identity, despite the fact that they were independent city-states. The Greeks shared cultural and ethnic traditions across the borders of their territories, and this made the Panhellenic Games unique.
Olympic Games
-Hosted in: Olympia
-Dedicated to: Zeus
-Award wreaths made of: olive
-Took place: every 4 years
The Olympic Games, the most revered of all the Panhellenic sites, are thought to have begun in 776 BCE. Olympia was thought to have been the dwelling place of the great god Zeus, hence the games being dedicated to him and their importance. In addition to the athletic events, the events in Olympia included a religious feast, similar to that of the Panathenaea in Athens.
The Olympic games were held on the first full moon following the summer solstice, which was usually in July. They are significant because, just as the Altar of the 12 Gods was mile zero for measuring distance in Athens, the Olympic Games acted as a sort of year zero for measuring time throughout Ancient Greece. The games were always solely athletic, and originally only included a stadion, a 200-yard foot race. Over time, the games evolved to include a wider variety of athletic events. Below is an infographic that details various events in the Olympic Games:
To be a winner in the Olympic Games, similarly to today, was the greatest honor an athlete could achieve in Ancient Greece. Along with the wreath of olive branches, winners received many special privileges upon their return to their home cities. Olympic champions were thought to have been blessed by the gods, and therefore lived the rest of their lives in glory.
Pythian Games
-Hosted in: Delphi
-Dedicated to: Apollo
-Award wreaths made of: laurel
-Took place: every 4 years (2 years after Olympic)
The Pythian games were dedicated to Apollo and his great defeat of the dragon Python, their namesake. The Pythian Games began as a solely musical festival, with no athletic component at all. As time progressed, theatric events were added, and eventually athletic competitions as well. The site of the Pythian games, Delphi, had an impact on their popularity. Travelers from across the Greek territories would venture to Delphi to ask the Oracle questions and to participate in or observe the games occurring.
I've always considered Delphi to be a site that thrives on balance; after all, the site was home to both Apollo who represented reason, defining one's individuation, and light and to Dionysus who stood for losing yourself, crossing boundaries, instinct, and darkness. It is very fitting that Delphi was one of the sites of the Panhellenic Games because it takes great balance to be a successful athlete.
Nemean Games
-Hosted in: Nemea
-Dedicated to: Zeus and Heracles
-Award wreaths made of: celery
-Took place: every 2 years (1 and 3 years after Olympic)
The history of the Nemean Games is a bit muddled, but we know they started in the 6th century BCE, probably around 573 BCE. One myth states that the Games were in honor of Heracles and his defeat of the Nemean lion. Another myth states that the Nemean Games originated as a funeral event celebrating the life of Opheltes, the baby of King Lycurgus who was killed by a serpent. It is said that the serpent emerged from wild celery, and this is why the champions were given wreaths of celery. Scholars have suggested that Opheltes' story may have been what truly began the games, but that Heracles came along later and revived them, dedicating them to Zeus as well. I'm not sure what the true story is, but I have learned throughout our course to be at peace with conflicting myths!
Like the Olympic Games, the Nemean Games were solely athletic with no dramatic component. We know this because there is no theater on the site, only a stadium. The Nemean Games most likely included similar events to those in the Olympic Games, including gymnastic and equestrian events.
Isthmian Games
-Hosted in: Isthmia
-Dedicated to: Poseidon
-Award wreaths made of: pine
-Took place: every 2 years (with Olympic and Pythian)
The Isthmian Games also began in the 6th century BCE; these games took place every two years in the spring. As the Nemean and Olympic Games have a lot of content in common, the Pythian and Isthmian games have many similarities. Both the Pythian and Isthmian Games contained theatric events, like musical and poetic contests. However, the Isthmian Games are similar to the Olympic Games in that they both placed an emphasis on religion. The Isthmian Games actually began as a religious celebration in honor of Poseidon, and competitive events were added later as the festival progressed. Once the athletic competitions were added, the festival began with sacrifices to Poseidon in the morning, followed by an afternoon of competitions. The athletic events were comprised of both gymnastic and equestrian contests. The end of the festival was commenced with a great feast. Originally, the victors were crowned with celery wreaths, as was the tradition in Nemea, but later this was changed to pine, as the Romans believed pine to be sacred to Poseidon.
Reflection
I've always loved watching the contemporary Olympic Games, but I've never really taken the time to learn about the history of them. I'm so glad that I did because there is so much more to them than I realized! First off, I had no idea that the Olympic Games were originally only one of four Panhellenic athletic contest sites. I also enjoyed learning about who each of the Games was dedicated to and the myths that acted as the background for them. While it was off-putting at first, I've come to be very at peace with myths that seem to be contradictory. I tend to lean towards a composite of each of the myths said to describe something, rather than choosing one myth to believe; because of this, I loved that the sources I was looking at regarding the Nemean Games explained a line of thought that mixed and matched the myths.
Sources
“Ancient Greece.” Pan-Hellenic Games, www.panhellenicgames.org/en/ancient_greece/index.html.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pythian Games.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 28 Apr. 2008, www.britannica.com/sports/Pythian-Games.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Nemean Games.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 26 Sept. 2010, www.britannica.com/sports/Nemean-Games.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Isthmian Games.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 6 Mar. 2012, www.britannica.com/sports/Isthmian-Games.
Young, David C., and Harold Maurice Abrahams. “Olympic Games.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 25 Mar. 2020, www.britannica.com/sports/Olympic-Games.
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