Olympic Games

The Olympic Games of ancient Greece were a series of sporting contests held in celebration of and for Zeus within the Sanctuary of Olympia in Elis, Greece. Originally a festival, events such as a footrace, a javelin contest, wrestling matches, and chariot racing were later added.
Traditionally held in Elis on the Peloponnese, the Olympic Games were open to contestants from poleis across the ancient Greek world. Due to this, and the fact that they were considered sacred, even during the Peloponnesian War the Games enforced a truce that harshly punished anyone who broke the peace.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
==History==
===Early history===
The first recorded Olympic Games took place in 776 BCE, where it introduced the race. The event saw Koroibos, an Elean baker, winning the event.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Historical Locations – Elis: "Tomb of the First Champion"
In the 54th Olympic Games in 564 BCE, Arrachion, a previous winner of the pankration events in 572 BCE and 568 BCE, died due to an illegal suffocation by his opponent. As a result, Arrachion was proclaimed the winner after event, winning the game posthumously.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Historical Locations – Arkadia: "Phigaleia Fishing Port"
===428 BCE Olympics===
During the Peloponnesian War, Sparta sent its prospective pankration champion Testikles to the 428 BCE Olympic Games in Elis. He was escorted there by the Spartan misthios Kassandra and her shipmate Barnabas.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Delivering a Champion
Through unforeseen circumstances, Testikles was unable to compete and so Kassandra became Sparta's contender for the Olympic wreath. After defeating Orion, Erastos, and the reigning champion Dorieus of Rhodes, she brought the Olympic wreath home for Sparta.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Pankration
The games continued to be held till the 4th century CE until the city eventually declined and was abandoned.
===Modern history===
In 1766, the site of Olympia was rediscovered by English antiquarian , with the first excavation carried out in 1829. The reports of the excavation inspired Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who sought to bring back the games and its athletic ideals, hoping it would inspire competitiveness and team spirit amongst nations. Eventually, interest in the revival of the games led to the first iteration of the modern Olympic Games held in in Athens.Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece – Discovery Sites: Elis – The Olympic Heritage
==Behind the scenes==
Historically, in the year Kassandra competed, Dorieus won the pankration while Sparta took a wreath home in the four-horse chariot race.
In the novel, Alkibiades beats Kassandra in the stadium, though historically, the wreath for this event was awarded to Symmachos of Messene. Alkibiades is recorded as having been an Olympic champion, albeit for chariot racing in the 416 BCE games.
In real life, women were not allowed to participate in the Olympic games of antiquity before the victory of of Sparta in 396 BCE. This fact is acknowledged in the game's loading menus, but is largely ignored during the course of gameplay, should Kassandra be the chosen protagonist. Despite this, the fact that married women were not allowed to view the games unless a male relative of theirs was competing is addressed in the side mission "Kallipateira". However, there was a related athletic event for women, called Heraia and held in the honor of the goddess Hera.
Throughout Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, statues featuring athletes participating in Olympic sports can be found everywhere, but especially near gymnasiums. The statue of a Discobolus, or a disc thrower, seems to be based on the so-called , a Roman marble copy of a 5th century BCE Greek original. The statue featuring two pankratiasts likewise seems to be based on a of a lost 3rd century BCE Greek original, making its presence in the game anachronistic.
==Gallery==
ACOd-statue-Discoboluspainted.jpg|A painted statue of a discobolus in 5th century BCE Greece
ACOd-Wrestlers.jpg|A statue featuring wrestlers
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed: Odyssey 
*Assassin's Creed: Odyssey novel
*Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece
*Assassin's Creed: Mirage 
*Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR 
*Echoes of History 
==References==
Category:Timeline
Category:Greece
Category:Culture and society
Category:Sport