Ancient Olympics

The Olympics were such major events in ancient history, that events are dated according to the Olympiad, or period of the games. Otherwise, each of the city states (poleis) had its own dating system, so the Olympic dates acted as a unifying device. The Olympics were just one of the sets of Panhellenic games -- games for the people of all poleis of ancient Greece. The following articles discuss various topics related to the ancient Olympics, most of which are not covered in articles on this site.

1. "Wrestling (Continued)," by E. Norman Gardiner. The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 25. (1905), pp. 263-293.
   This article discusses the positions and holds of ancient wrestlers with line drawings to illustrate based on ancient pottery.
2. "The Age-Category of Boys at Olympia" by Nigel B. Crowther. Phoenix, Vol. 42, No. 4. (Winter, 1988), pp. 304-308.
   This article discusses the age at which young men competed in the Olympic games.
3. "Olympic Decadence" by Allan H. Gilbert. The Classical Journal, Vol. 21, No. 8. (May, 1926), pp. 587-598.
   It wasn't just the Romans who thought their arena spectacles were decadent. Sporting non-enthusiasts among the Greeks also expressed their opinions.
4. The Pankration and Wrestling E. Norman Gardiner The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 26. (1906), pp. 4-22.
   Tells when these events entered the Olympic line-up.
5. "A Family of Athletes," E. L. Green. The Classical Journal, Vol. 13, No. 4. (Jan., 1918), pp. 267-271.
   This article is about a family that gained fame for its athletes, but there's more, including ancedotes about the ancient Olympics, both factual and mythological.

Olympic Games