Hercules is considered the founder of the Olympic Games. From…

Ancient Greek mythology is filled with stories of great conquerors, brave warriors and romantic heroes. In the series of divine daredevils, the son, Hercules, especially stands out. The exploits of a man are retold from generation to generation for many centuries, and the masculinity of a brave man evokes admiration even among modern emancipated girls.

History of creation

It is impossible to find out the author of the myths about the ancient Greek demigod. Like any folk art, the legend of Hercules was formed and grew with the help of a large number of people. It is known for certain that Pausanias also made a significant contribution to the spread of legends.

Literary analysis and processing of the works of ancient philosophers allowed Nikolai Kun to release a collection of stories “Myths of Ancient Greece”, which details the life of the great hero.

The appearance of the future god attracts attention. The young man grew head and shoulders above those around him (according to other sources, he is short). Hercules is a brunette with a curly beard. The brave man's eyes glow with a special divine light. A physically developed daredevil is endowed with incredible strength and power.

The character of Hercules is characterized by waywardness and hot temper. Already during his studies, the young man, in a fit of anger, killed his teacher with the hated lyre. The peculiarity of the son of Zeus is hidden madness. Under the pressure of this feeling, Hercules will kill his own children and wife in the future.

The ancient Greeks justified the behavior of their beloved hero by the act of Hera. Zeus's wife, tormented by jealousy, sent mental illness to the demigod. However, Hera often put a spoke in the wheels of the young hero.

The beginning of the legend about the great warrior and brave man is counted from the moment of his birth. The head of Olympus was captivated by the beauty of Princess Alcmena and, reincarnated as her husband, visited the woman. The son of the god Zeus and Alcmene is one of the twins. The future hero's younger brother was conceived by the princess's legitimate husband. The boys received sonorous names - Alcides and Iphiclon. Later, the eldest son, at the insistence of the great seer, will be renamed Hercules.

Inspired by the birth of a descendant, Zeus promises that the firstborn of the Perseus family will rule over all relatives:

“Listen, gods and goddesses, to what I tell you: my heart tells me to say this! Today a great hero will be born; he will rule over all his relatives who descend from my son, the great Perseus.”

Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, uses a spell to hasten the birth of another child. Now Hercules, who was born second in the family of Perseus, must serve Prince Eurystheus. To make amends for his arrogance and long tongue, Zeus negotiates with the gods about a small concession for his son. Hercules must perform 12 labors for the ruler, and then Eurystheus will free his relative from captivity.

Many years later, the matured hero succumbs to another attack of madness and kills his beloved wife, children and younger brother. To atone for his guilt, the son of Zeus went to serve Eurystheus.

Twelve Labors of Hercules

The wanderings of Hercules begin with the destruction of the Nemean lion. A huge monster destroyed all life around the city of Nemea. The hero tried to kill the lion with an arrow, but the weapon bounced off the animal’s skin. The son of Zeus had to strangle the lion with his bare hands. In honor of the first feat, Hercules established the Nemean Games. Eurystheus was horrified when he realized all the strength and power of his relative. Now Hercules is forbidden to approach the ruler's house.

The second feat of the daredevil was the murder of the Lernaean Hydra. The monster had several heads, where each of them was cut down, two new ones grew. The long confrontation ended with the victory of Hercules. The warrior used the poison oozing from the hydra's rads for his arrows. From now on, every shot from the demigod is fatal.

The third task was the Stymphalian Birds. The hero's half-sister, Athena, helped him deal with the birds, whose feathers and claws were made of bronze. The goddess provided the brother with a special tool that made noise. The birds soared into the sky, and the brave man shot the monsters. Those who survived left Greece forever and never returned.

The fourth feat is the Kerynean doe, which devastated the fields. The frantic brave man chased the animal around the world for a year, but could not catch up with the beast. Then Hercules wounded the doe in the leg. This act angered the doe’s owner, the goddess Artemis. The hero had to humbly ask for forgiveness from his sister:

“Oh, great daughter of Latona, do not blame me! I did not pursue your doe of my own free will, but at the command of Eurystheus.”

The fifth order of the ruler of Mycenae was the killing of the Erymanthian boar. Having found his prey in the middle of the forest, the daredevil screamed and drove the boar into the mountains. They managed to tie up the huge monster stuck in the snow. Hercules delivered the trophy to the castle to the ruler alive, which caused a great commotion.

The next task was clearing the Augean stables. Augeas, the son of the god Helios, owned a huge herd. To clear the rubble, Hercules broke the walls of the stable and directed the river beds there. The water washed away all the manure from Augeas’s premises and yard.

The seventh assignment for the son of Zeus was the Cretan bull. Eurystheus wanted to take possession of the bull, which Poseidon sent to Crete for a bad offering. The ancient Greek hero caught and tamed the monster. But the ruler was afraid to leave the bull in his herd. The monster of Poseidon gained freedom and fled to other lands.

The next whim of the cowardly king was the horses of Diomedes. Magnificent animals lived in Thrace. Horses were fed only human meat for many years. Diomedes did not want to part with his wealth, and a great fight took place. Hercules emerged victorious from the battle. Eurystheus did not want to keep the horses for himself and released them into the wild. Animals were torn to pieces by wild animals in the forests.

The ninth task is the belt of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. The girl happily gave the jewelry to Hercules, but Hera inspired the warlike women that the hero was planning evil:

“Hercules is telling a lie,” Hera said to the Amazons, “he came to you with insidious intent: the hero wants to kidnap your queen Hippolyta and take her as a slave to his home.”

The women rushed to attack, but the great warrior and his friends won. The demigod captured Hippolyta's best fighter. The Amazon gave the belt in exchange for the life of her beloved maid.

The tenth task for the hero was the cows of Geryon. The brave man took a long time to reach the secret animal pasture. To steal the herd, Hercules killed the two-headed dog Ortho and the giant Eurytion. On the way back, Hera sent rabies through the herd. The hero had to chase the cows for a long time, who did not want to leave their homes.

The penultimate feat of the courageous brave man was the abduction of Cerberus. Having descended into the kingdom of the dead, Hercules begged permission to fight the monster. If the hero wins, he will take the creepy dog ​​with him. Hades, the ruler of Cerberus, did not believe that the demigod would defeat his dog and gave permission. But the son of Zeus completed the task.

The final task for Hercules is the golden fruits of the Hesperides. Anyone who touches the magic apples will become equal to the gods. But only the titan Atlant can pick the magic fruits. By cunning, Hercules persuaded the powerful creature to pick the apples and give them to him. The son of Zeus brought fruit to his master. Only Eurystheus did not need gifts. The king suffered that for 12 years he could not destroy the famous hero.

Film adaptations

The myths of ancient Greece are fertile ground for film adaptation. The film about the adventures of the demigod was first released in 1957. The main role went to actor and bodybuilder Steve Reeves. The Italian film tells the story of the search for the Golden Fleece and does not touch upon the main mythology. The audience liked the film, so it received a sequel - “The Labors of Hercules: Hercules and the Queen of Lydia.”

In 1970, the role of the hero went to another bodybuilder -. The film “Hercules in New York” tells about the adventures of the character in modern America. The film became the future governor's film debut.

The athletic character attracts many bodybuilders. In the film, directed by Luigi Cozzi in 1983, Lou Ferrigno played the same role. The bodybuilder character enters into a confrontation with King Minos. Two years later, the film crew filmed a sequel to the film.

The next appearance of the Greek hero was the television musical film “The Cheerful Chronicle of a Dangerous Journey,” which was filmed in the USSR. , the director of the film, showed the audience his view of the adventures of the Argonauts. The role of the son of Zeus was performed by Roman Rtskhiladze.

In 1995, the first full-fledged series about Hercules appeared. The image of the main character was brought to life. The actors and the roles they played glorified the work of the ancient Greeks. The serial film is a free interpretation of myths that affect many deities and heroes.

At the same time, Hercules, performed by Kevin Sorbo, appeared in another epic. "Xena: Warrior Princess", released simultaneously with the adventures of the demigod, was in great demand. The producers had to close the film, which tells the story of the confrontation between Hercules and the forces of evil.

The year 2005 was marked by a new film adaptation of the difficult heroic life of the Greek. This time the main role went to Paul Telfer. The fantasy, which tells the story of the 12 exploits of a heroic demigod, went unnoticed by most at the worldwide box office.

The 2014 film “Hercules: The Beginning of the Legend” achieved a different result. The actors, including (the leading actor) received nominations for the Golden Raspberry - an award glorifying the worst films of our time.

In the same year, another film was released, telling the story of an ancient Greek character. The film "Hercules" is an adaptation of the comic book "Hercules: The Thracian Wars" by Steve Moore. The main role went to the hereditary wrestler.

In addition to full-length films and TV series, the brave man from myths appears in computer games, musical works and cartoons.

• It was not horses that were kept in the stables of King Augius. Bulls and goats lived in a neglected building.
• The name of the hero in Greece is Hercules, the Romans called the same character Hercules.
• The demigod died due to the fault of his wife, who was jealous of her husband’s slave.
• The city seal of Florence is decorated with the image of the famous Hercules.
• The Greek hero died at the age of 52.
• The main attributes of the demigod are the skin of a lion and a wooden club.

Quotes

“I don’t remember such love on faces since Narcissus looked in the mirror.”

“If the waves are carrying us in one direction, then maybe we shouldn’t resist them.”

“Goodness conceals great power!”

“History is a chronicle of wars, and wars are chronicles of suffering, written with the tears of mothers.”

“The gods are generous with events, but stingy with details.”

“Formation of medieval cities” - The struggle of cities with lords. Union of German Cities. Union of Medieval Merchants. The city is a center of crafts and trade. Fair - an annual auction in which merchants took part. Medieval fair. Development of trade. The emergence and growth of cities in Europe. The apprentices received payment from the master for their work. The origins of democratic orders in Western European countries. Craftsman's workshop. Union of medieval artisans of one specialty.

“Gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece” - Cartoons: 1. Prometheus. 2. Return from Olympus. 3. Argonauts. 4. Perseus. 5. Hercules at Admetus. Before the power of the goddess, hunger receded and death hid. God of fire and blacksmithing. The dog Cerberus usually lies at the feet of Hades. Poseidon. Hades and Persephone. Satyrs formed the retinue of Dionysus - always having fun and singing. The best picture is the smoke of fires, destroyed and looted houses. The god of the underworld of the dead, rules over the shadows of the dead.

"Myths of Hercules" - Soldier and Death. The image of Hercules in painting. Apples of the Hesperides. Hercules is considered the founder of the Olympic Games. Annibale Carracci. The meaning of the image of Hercules. Antonio Pollailo. Revealing the meaning of the image. The state of the hero. Myths about the twelve labors of Hercules. Hercules.

“Events of the Hundred Years' War” - English Possessions in France. Agincourt. Hundred Years' War. Battle of Poitiers. Causes. The role of the King of France. Peace between England and France. Commander Bertrand Du Guesclin. France's desire to recapture Aquitaine from England. Main events. Places and years of the most important battles. Causes of the war. Army. Auguste Rodin. Crecy. French army. Truce between England and France. Reasons and reason for the war. English and French armies.

“How the unification of France took place” - Who was interested in the unification. The unification of France was an inevitable event. Estate monarchy. Money difficulties. First successes of the association. Philip II Augustus. Noble feudal lords of France. King Louis IX Saint. Philip IV the Handsome. Estates General. Unification of France. Philip resorted to damaging the royal coin. Philip II completely defeated his opponents in the fierce battle of Bouvines.

“Early Renaissance Culture in Italy” - Giovanni Boccaccio. Reasons for the emergence of a new culture. Art of the Early Renaissance. Knightly literature. Culture of the early Renaissance in Italy. Art of the Early Renaissance. Latin and Greek languages. Petrarch. Lovers of wisdom. Birth of Venus. New doctrine about man. Spring. The first humanists. Painter of the early Renaissance. Emperors. Revival of ancient heritage.

Hercules, the greatest of heroes in Greek mythology, is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Zeus needed a mortal hero to defeat the giants, and he decided to give birth to Hercules. The best mentors taught Hercules various arts, wrestling, and archery. Zeus wanted Hercules to become the ruler of Mycenae or Tiryns, key fortresses on the approaches to Argos, but jealous Hera thwarted his plans. She struck Hercules with madness, in a fit of which he killed his wife and three of his sons. To atone for his grave guilt, the hero had to serve Eurystheus, king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years, after which he was granted immortality.

Hercules at the crossroads
Virtue and Vice,
Pompeo Batoni, 1765

Francois Lemoine,
1725

The most famous is the cycle of tales about the twelve labors of Hercules. The first feat was to obtain the skin of the Nemean lion, which Hercules had to strangle with his bare hands. Having defeated the lion, the hero tanned its skin and wore it as a trophy. The next feat was the victory over the Hydra, the sacred nine-headed snake of Hera. The monster lived in a swamp near Lerna, not far from Argos. The difficulty was that instead of the head severed by the hero, the hydra immediately grew two new ones. With the help of his nephew Iolaus, Hercules overpowered the ferocious Lernaean hydra - the young man burned the neck of each head severed by the hero. True, the feat was not counted by Eurystheus, since Hercules was helped by his nephew.

Gustave Moreau, 1876

Boris Vallejo, 1988

The next feat was not so bloody. Hercules had to catch the Cerynean doe, the sacred animal of Artemis. Then the hero caught the Erymanthian boar, which was devastating the fields of Arcadia. In this case, the wise centaur Chiron accidentally died. The fifth feat was cleaning the Augean stables from manure, which the hero did in one day, directing the waters of the nearest river into them.

The last of the feats performed by Hercules in the Peloponnese was the expulsion of the Stymphalian birds with pointed iron feathers. The ominous birds were afraid of the copper rattles made by Hephaestus and given to Hercules by the goddess Athena, who was favorable to him.

The seventh labor was the capture of a ferocious bull, which Minos, king of Crete, refused to sacrifice to the god of the sea Poseidon. The bull copulated with Minos' wife Pasiphae. who gave birth to the Minotaur, a man with a bull's head.

Hercules performed his eighth labor in Thrace, where he subjugated the man-eating mares of King Diomedes to his power. The remaining four feats were of a different kind. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to obtain the belt of the queen of the warlike Amazons, Hippolyta. Then the hero kidnapped and delivered the cows of the three-headed giant Geryon to Mycenae. After this, Hercules brought Eurystheus the golden apples of the Hesperides, for which he had to strangle the giant Antaeus and deceive Atlas, who held the firmament on his shoulders. The last labor of Hercules - the journey to the kingdom of the dead - was the most difficult. With the assistance of the queen of the underworld, Persephone, the hero was able to remove from there and deliver to Tiryns the three-headed dog Kerberus (Cerberus), the guardian of the underworld.

The end of Hercules was terrible. The hero died in terrible agony, wearing a shirt that his wife Dejanira, on the advice of the centaur Nessus dying at the hands of Hercules, soaked in the poisonous blood of this half-man, half-horse. When the hero, with his last strength, ascended the funeral pyre, crimson lightning struck from heaven and Zeus accepted his son into the host of immortals.

Some of the labors of Hercules are immortalized in the names of constellations. For example, the constellation Leo - in memory of the Nemean lion, the constellation Cancer recalls the huge cancer Karkina, sent by Hera to help the Lernaean hydra. In Roman mythology, Hercules corresponds to Hercules.

Source: Myths and legends of Ancient Greece

Among the numerous myths about Hercules, the most famous is the cycle of tales about the 12 labors performed by Hercules when he was in the service of the Mycenaean king Eurystheus.

The cult of Hercules was very popular in Greece; through Greek colonists it early spread to Italy, where Hercules was revered under the name Hercules. In the northern hemisphere of the sky is located
constellation Hercules.

Myths about Hercules

Birth and childhood

To conceive Hercules, Zeus took the form of Alcmene's husband. He stopped the sun, and their night lasted three days. The soothsayer Tiresias tells Amphitryon about what happened.

On the night he was to be born, Hera made Zeus swear that whoever was born today from the line of Perseus would be the supreme king. Hercules was from the Perseid family, but Hera detained
his mother gave birth, and the first to be born (premature) was his cousin Eurystheus, the son of Sthenel and Nikippa, also a Perseid.

Zeus made an agreement with Hera that Hercules would not be under the authority of Eurystheus all his life. He will perform only ten labors on behalf of Eurystheus, and after that he will not only be freed from his power, but will even receive immortality.

Athena tricks Hera into breastfeeding Hercules. The baby hurts the goddess, and she tears him from her breast. A splash of milk turns into the Milky Way. (Hercules becomes immortal after tasting this milk.) Hera turned out to be the adoptive mother of Hercules, even if only for a while. (Option - the myth was about Zeus and Rhea).

Jealous Hera sent two snakes to kill the child. Baby Hercules strangled them. (Optionally, harmless snakes were sent by Amphitryon to figure out which of the twins was a demigod). The myth of the infant Hercules first appears in Pindar.

Youth

As a child, he was a daphnophorus and brought a tripod as a gift to Apollo Ismenias.

Amphitryon invites the best teachers for his sons: Castor (sword), Autolycus (wrestling), Eurytus (bow).

Hercules accidentally kills Linus, Orpheus' brother, with his lyre. Forced to retire to the wooded Kiferon, into exile.

Two nymphs appear to him (Depravity and Virtue), who offer him a choice between the easy road of pleasure and the thorny path of labor and exploits. (the so-called “choice of Hercules”). Virtue
convinced Hercules to go his own way in the following words: Of what is useful and glorious in the world, the gods do not give anything to people without labor and care: if you want the gods to be merciful to you, you must honor the gods; If you want to be loved by your friends, you must do good to your friends; If you want to enjoy honor in some city, you must bring benefit to the city, you want to excite the admiration of all Hellas with your merits, you must try to do good to Hellas. My friends enjoy eating and drinking pleasantly and without hassle, because they wait until they have a need for it. Their sleep is sweeter than that of the idle; it is not difficult for them to leave him, and because of him they do not neglect their duties. Young people rejoice in praise
elders, the elderly are proud of the respect of the young; they love to remember their ancient deeds, they are happy to perform their present ones well, because thanks to me they are useful to the gods, dear to their friends, and honored by their fatherland. And when the end appointed by fate comes, they do not lie forgotten and inglorious, but, remaining in memory, they bloom forever in songs. If you do such hard work, child of good parents, Hercules, then you can find this blissful happiness! (Xenophon. Memoirs of Socrates. Book 2, chapter 1)

In the mountains of Kiferon he kills a lion; skins him. Since then he wears it constantly.

When Hercules was about to hunt a lion, King Thespius warmly received him for 50 days and sent one of his daughters to him every night, who later gave birth to 50 sons from him. According to another
version, the hero married all his daughters in one night, except for one, who did not want to, then he condemned her to remain a girl and priestess in his temple. According to another version, he married everyone, and the oldest and youngest gave birth to twins. Gregory of Nazianzus ironically said that Hercules performed his “thirteenth labor” that night.

Defeats King Orchomen Ergin, to whom Thebes paid tribute. Amphitryon dies in this battle. Hercules cut off the noses of the messengers from Orchomenos, which is why there was a statue of Hercules Rhinocolustus (Nose Cutter) in Thebes. When the Orchomenians came with an army, he tied up their draft horses, which is why the temple of Hercules Hippodetus (Horse Binder) was erected. Having defeated the Orchomenians, he dedicated a marble lion to the temple of Artemis Euclea in Thebes.

The king of Thebes, Creon, gives him his daughter Megara as his wife. In a fit of madness sent by Hera, Hercules kills his children and the children of his brother Iphicles. (To atone for this, according to the Delphic Pythia, he must perform ten labors in the service of Eurystheus).

When he came to Delphi, the priestess Xenocleia did not want to tell him because of the murder of Iphitus (according to the version, after he killed the children), then Hercules took the tripod and took it out, but then returned it. There is a story that Hercules and Apollo quarreled over a tripod, but when they reconciled, they together built the city of Gythion in Laconia; in Delphi there was a sculptural group depicting the struggle: Leto and Artemis calming Apollo, Athena holding Hercules. The fight for the tripod between Hercules and
Apollo supposedly depicted on a relief from Olympia c.720 BC. e. Or Zeus reconciled them. According to a rare version, Hercules carried the tripod to Pheneus (Arcadia).

The Pythia gives Alcides the name “Hercules” (“glorified by the goddess Hera”), by which he will be known henceforth. “Alcides” - “descendant of Alcaeus” (Alcaeus is the father of Amphitryon, the stepfather of Hercules). Also Alcides before
name change was known as Palemon.

12 labors of Hercules

The canonical scheme of 12 labors was first established by Pisander of Rhodes in the poem “Heraclea”.

The order of feats is not the same for all authors. In total, Pythia ordered Hercules to perform 10 labors, but Eurystheus did not count 2 of them and gave one a new one, he had to perform two more and it turned out 12. In 8 years and one month he completed the first 10 labors, in 12 years - all. According to
Diotima from Adramyttium, Hercules accomplished his feats, for he was in love with Eurystheus.

1. Strangulation of the Nemean Lion
2. Killing of the Lernaean Hydra. Not counted.
3. Extermination of Stymphalian birds
4. Capture of the Kerynean fallow deer
5. Taming of the Erymanthian boar and the battle with the centaurs
6. Cleaning the Augean stables. Not counted.
7. Taming the Cretan bull
8. Victory over King Diomedes (who threw foreigners to be devoured by his horses)
9. The theft of the belt of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
10. The abduction of the cows of the three-headed giant Geryon
11. The theft of golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides
12. Taming the guard of Hades - the dog Cerberus

Other myths

During the 5th labor, he accidentally wounds the centaur Chiron, his teacher, with an arrow poisoned in Lernaean poison. The immortal centaur cannot die and suffers terribly.

The history of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece is shrouded in legends and myths. The first reliable historical data on the holding of the Olympic Games dates back to 776 BC. it is this year that is engraved on the found marble slab, on which is carved the name of the Olympic winner in the race, the Hellenic cook Coroibos. The origin of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece coincided with the time when history was made by myths and legends. From the works of ancient Greek historians, philosophers and poets that have come down to us, we learn that the Ancient Olympic Games are associated with the names of the folk hero Hercules, the legendary king Pelops, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus and the Hellenic king Iphitus. The second ode of the ancient Greek poet Pindar says that the birth of the Olympic Games is associated with the name of Hercules (the sixth labor is the Cleansing of the Augean stables). In 1253 BC. The Hellenic king Augeas ordered Hercules to clean the royal stables, which had not been cleaned for a year, in one day. Using his strength, Hercules changed the direction of the two rivers, passing them through the stables, so that the water helped him complete the work on time. When the king refused to fulfill his promise and give Hercules part of his horses, he killed the king and members of his family, organizing in honor of this a large competition dedicated to Zeus, which allegedly marked the beginning of the Olympic Games. According to another legend, Pelops was called the founder of the Games. Having won the chariot race, in memory of his victory, he decides to organize an Olympic festival every four years and hold competitions. But there is a third, and not the last, legend of the origin of the Olympic Games. Legend has it that the Hellenic king Iphitus, after a plague epidemic, turned to the Delphic oracle for a prediction regarding further actions. The Oracle replied that he should abstain from wars, strengthen ties with the Hellenic cities and add a “Year of Joy” to the celebrations every year. This is how the idea of ​​holding the Olympic Games allegedly arose. Since Hellas was at enmity mainly with Sparta, Iphitus suggested that the Spartan people's legislator Lycurgus jointly follow this advice. After much debate, they concluded in 884 BC. agreement, the text of which was carved on a metal disk. According to the agreement for their holding, and also in order to give athletes and guests the opportunity to arrive at the competitions, a sacred truce was declared for three months. Despite the belligerence of the Greeks, this agreement was religiously observed. In the event of a violation of the sacred truce, called “ekikhiriya,” the inhabitants of Hellas had the right to impose a fine on the violator and deprive the city or person of the right to participate in the upcoming Olympic Games. According to another version of the legend, the cruel god Kronos ruled. Out of fear of dying at the hands of one of his children, he swallowed his newborn babies. Their unfortunate mother Rhea, having given birth to her next son, gave her father a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he swallowed without noticing the substitution, and entrusted the newborn Zeus to the shepherds. The boy grew up, became the mighty Thunderer Zeus, entered into a mortal battle with Kronos and defeated him. From the womb of the devourer father came numerous brothers and sisters of Zeus, who later also became gods. In honor of this event, Zeus founded unselfish, honest competitions of the strong, dexterous and brave, later called Olympic after the place where they were held. And they were held in a beautiful place: an oak grove dedicated to Zeus, with a temple of Zeus next to it, and at the temple they set up a place for competitions. The competition was dedicated to Olympian Zeus. Some researchers claim that the Olympic Games were held in honor of the harvest festival. Therefore, the winners were awarded an olive branch and a wreath. The timing of the Games - August-September - seems to confirm this version.