From Fierce Competitions to Naked Athletes: Key Distinctions Between the Modern and Ancient Olympics

Amidst the excitement of the recently concluded Paris Olympics and the current performances of Lithuanian Paralympians, we invite you to discover the roots and evolution of Olympic traditions. In this article, Eugenijus Saviščevas, Associate Professor at the Faculty of History of Vilnius University (VU), discusses the origins of the Olympic Games, their development through time, as well as the key differences and similarities between the ancient and modern competitions.

There is no clear evidence as to what sparked the first sporting events in ancient Greece. Assoc. Prof. Dr Saviščevas notes that this is probably a legacy of the Mycenaean culture, which is best illuminated by the Iliad – its most prominent source. According to the historian, one of the main themes of Homer’s poetic Iliad is the war of all against all.

"An interesting observation revealed by Homer is that ancient battles would often resolve into duels between the greatest warriors rather than just clashes of two armies. The ‘toughest’ soldiers used to be deployed to fight and represent the army, thus sparing others from combat. Whoever won the duel won the battle, and the will of the gods was then clear, which was particularly important to the ancient Greeks. While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origins of sporting events in Olympia, it is highly likely that the competitive Greek spirit served as the main driving force," says the historian.

The inception of sports events

The researcher claims that only the gods or the Olympics could halt wars in ancient Greece. Therefore, in order to maintain peace, a sports festival was launched in Olympia on the Peloponnese peninsula in what is now south-western Greece.

"On a specific day, such as a birthday, during the solstice at the time of today’s Midsummer celebrations, the ancient Greeks would stop fighting and, instead, compete in Olympia. In my opinion, a key feature of the Mycenaean culture was conflict resolution through designated representatives rather than everyone fighting in general warfare. The message of peace endures to this day. However, historically, this tradition was primarily driven by religious motives and devotion to the gods. The Greeks believed that sporting competitions could also express the divine will of the gods and, thus, would end the bloodshed," explains Assoc. Prof. Dr Saviščevas.

The historian adds that despite its name, Olympia is nowhere near the legendary site of Mount Olympus in northern Greece: it was a temple complex in Arcadia. Later, a stadium was built to accommodate the increasing number of sporting competitions. The scholar notes that another integral part of the Olympic Games was the fair, which served as a major attraction for visitors from the surrounding area. The first Olympics are traditionally dated back to the Homeric period – 776 BC, i.e. 2,800 years ago, while the reason behind their quadrennial nature traces back to the 8th and 7th centuries BC. During the Classical Period in ancient Greece, such sports games that brought peace, or at least a truce, were held annually. Over time, alongside Olympia, some more temples emerged with the aim of drawing athletes from all over Greece. The most famous Olympics were held in Corinth (Isthmian Games), Delphi (Pythian Games), and Nemea (Nemean Games). Their competitiveness seems to have led to the idea that the quadrennial sporting competitions held in Olympia were events of the most significance. This tradition continues to thrive in modern times. With its expansion, both the duration of the Games and peace extended from one to five days.

Competitions and rules

Assoc. Prof. Dr Saviščevas notes that the ancient Games, like today’s Olympics, continuously introduced new sports. At the very beginning, i.e. in the 8th century BC, the pentathlon emerged as the main athletic contest that evolved into the modern pentathlon. It consisted of running, which is still preserved in the current-day competition, the long jump, discus throwing, javelin throwing, and wrestling, which is now known as classical Greco-Roman wrestling.

"Later on, pygmachia (fist fighting) – the precursor to boxing – emerged. Equestrian sports were introduced in the 7th century BC, but horse racing was the only such sport. Concours, or hurdle races, which became part of the pentathlon, were much later additions to the event – only included in the 19th century by Pierre de Coubertin. Another addition to the Olympic Games was chariot racing. Finally, in the subsequent centuries, hoplitodromos emerged: in this contest, participants donned the gear of a Hoplite warrior, including armour and weapons, rather than competing in the nude like in the case of the pentathlon," explains the historian.

The rules and the referees were critical aspects of the competitions. According to the researcher, all participants and the referee were required to take an oath of honesty and fairness before the event. Judges also had to swear an oath of silence on their decisions: "Commenting would strike the wrong note. The judges’ verdicts were believed to be a manifestation of the will of the gods, thus shifting the authority from the human referees to the Greek Pantheon."

Challenges faced by spectators of the ancient Olympics and a comparison with the modern Games

While we can now enjoy watching the Olympics from the comfort of our homes, experiencing the ancient Games was a truly challenging endeavour.
"As the competitions were usually held during the solstice, there was no comfortable accommodation, and male athletes competed naked. Archaeologists have discovered a site in Olympia called Leonidio. It was a kind of an athlete-only hotel for 40 competitors. Spectators of the Games had to sleep under the stars. Moreover, due to religious taboos and cleanliness concerns, only men were allowed to watch and participate in these sporting events. Back in those times, if you exclaimed the wish for someone to travel to watch the Olympics, it would feel akin to the modern expression of sending them to hell," quips the historian.

Another distinction between the modern and ancient Olympic Games is that the latter had separate age categories for men and women. There are also some differences in the participation rules and geographical representation.

"The modern Olympics unite nations worldwide, whereas, in antiquity, they were exclusively a Greek event, with the occasional exception of inviting the Macedonians. The awards system was also structured differently: nowadays, three first places are awarded medals of different values respectively, while at the ancient Olympic Games, there was only one winner who would receive a laurel wreath as the champion’s award," says Assoc. Prof. Dr Saviščevas.

Myth-making, leveraging victory for political gain, and the end of the ancient Olympics

Greek mythology abounds with tales of mighty demigods of extraordinary power. According to the scholar, Greek consciousness was interwoven with myths and legends rooted in historical figures and events: "Greek athletes were believed to be the chosen favourites of the gods. Olympic winners were honoured with legends revolving around their achievements. As historians have tried to reconstruct some of the sporting myths, they revealed plausible parallels with modern athletic results. Yet, some of them, like the one about a single-handed throw of a massive discus weighing several tonnes, remain, of course, a beautiful but fictional yarn."

Since the inclusion of horse racing, the winners of events have gained a distinct political edge. The researcher attributes this advantage to the superior horses ridden by the wealthy nobility and the upper classes. There have been cases where the victors of the Games used their fame to attempt to seize power, as Cylon did in the 7th century BC. He was believed to be favoured by the gods, who guided him along the rightful path.
Hundreds of statues were erected in honour of Olympic athletes around the 6th century BC. However, according to the historian, they commemorated only the winners of three Olympic Games who could afford to build such a statute at their own expense.

"The spirit of sportsmanship started fading as monetary opportunities took centre stage. That is when the Olympics became an upper-class activity," says the VU scholar.

The Ancient Greek Olympic Games lasted until the end of the 4th century AD. The historian explains that religion influenced both the origin and conclusion of the ancient Games.

"After Christianity emerged as the dominant religion of the Roman Empire, the Olympics were banned by the emperor Theodosius I in 394. It was a battle against the old temples and pagan customs. Thus, that was the end of more than a thousand-year tradition. It was only 1,500 years later, in 1896, that the Olympic Games returned to Greece and were held in Athens," concludes Assoc. Prof. Dr Saviščevas.