OLYMPIAN GAMES, the chief of the four great national festivals of the Greeks, were celebrated at Olympia, it sacred spot on the banks of the Alpheus, near Elis, every fifth year. The exact interval at which it recurred, was one of forty-nine and fifty lunar months alternately ; so that it fell sometimes in the month of Appollonius (July) sometimes in the month of Parthenius (August.) The period between two celebrations, was called an Olympiad. It lasted during five days, The Olympian festival consisted of religious ceremonies, athletic contests, and races. The chief' deity who presided over it was Jupiter Olympius, whose temple at Olympia, containing the ivory and gold statue of the god by Phidias, was one of the most magnificent works of art in Greece. The games consisted of horse and toot races, leaping, throw mg. w nestling, and boxing. and combinations of these exercises. I he earliest of these games was the foot-race, which was the only one revived by 1phitus. The space run, was the length of the stadium in which the games were held, namely, about 600 English feet.
Wrestling was introduced in the 1Sth Olympiad (a.c.70S).
The wrestlers were matched in pairs by lot ; when there was an odd number, who was It-a by the hit it hi„iit an antagonist, wrestled last of all with him who 11:1t1 eon quered the others. The athlete who ho gave his antagonist three throws, gained the victory. There of wrestling, in which, if the combatant who fell could drag down his antagonist with him, the struggle was continued on the ground, and the one who ho succeeded in getting uppermost and holding the other down gained the victory.
Boxing was introduced in the 23rd Olympiad (n.e. 688). The boxers had their hands and arms covered with thongs of leather. called cestus, which screed both to defend them, and to annoy their antagonists. Virgil describes the cestus as armed with lead and iron ; but this is not known to have been the ease among the Greeks. in these games, the com batants fought naked.
The horse-races were of two kinds. with chariots, or without, chariot-race was pmerally with four-horsed chariots, and was introduced in the 25th Olympiad (n.e. 680.)
The course had two goals in the middle. at the distance pro bably of two stadii from each other. The chariots started from one ofthese goals, turned round the other, and returned along the other side of the hippodrome. This circuit was made twelve times: The great art of the charioteer consisted in turning as close as possible to the goals, but without running against them, or against the other chariots. The places at the starting-post were assigned to the chariots by lot.
There were two sorts of races on horseback, namely, that in which each competitor rode one horse throughout the course, and the other in which, as the horse approached the goal, the rider leaped from his back, and keeping hold of the bridle, finished the course on foot. See CIRCUS and I IIPPODROME.
It seems to be generally admitted that the chief object of this festival was to form a bond of union for the Grecian states. Besides this, the great importance which such an institution gave to the exercises of the body, must have had an immense influence in forming the national character. Regarded as a bond of union, the Olympian festival seems to have had but little success in promoting kindly feelings between the Grecian states, and perhaps the rivalry of the contest may have tended to exasperate existing quarrels; hut it undoubtedly furnished a striking exhibition of the nation ality of the Greeks, of the distinction between them and other races. Perhaps the contingent effects of the ceremony were, after all, most important. During its celebration, Olympia was a centre for the commerce of all Greece, for the free interchange of opinions, and for the publication of knowledge. The concourse of people from all parts of ( ;recce of a fit audience for literary productions. and gave a motive for the composition of works worthy to be laid before them. Poetry and statuary received an impulse from the demand made upon them to aid in perpetuating the victors time.