Who won the first Olympic. Judge of ancient competition

Elected by lot, they were among the most honorable citizens of the region of Elis, on the lands of which Olympia is located. The duties of the Hellanodics were very responsible, and the rights were unlimited. All the organizers of the games, participants, spectators obeyed them. They began their duties 10 months before the start of the Olympic festival, when they verified the identity of the athletes who arrived in Olympia, selected the most prepared, giving them access to competitions. During the games, they monitored the observance of traditional rituals and competition rules. For the sake of observing the moral principle of the Olympic Games - to compete honestly, bravely, disinterestedly, athletes were punished for bribery, cowardice, betrayal of their city - up to and including expulsion from Olympia. They were not only responsible for the training of athletes, but also ensured that the competition venues were in proper order. The Hellanodiki rewarded the winners and imposed fines on the guilty.

1. Competition program

At first, the program of the Ancient Olympic Games included only a stadium - a run for one stage (192 meters 27 centimeters), then the number of Olympic disciplines increased.

ONE STAGE RUN

Let's note some cardinal changes in the program: - on 14 Olympic Games ah (724 BC) the program included diaulos - running for the 2nd stage, and 4 years later - dolichodrome (running for endurance), the distance of which ranged from 7 to 24 stages;

RUNNER IN DOLIKHOS

- at the 18 Olympic Games (708 BC), wrestling and pentathlon (pentathlon) competitions were held for the first time, which included, in addition to wrestling and the stadium, jumping, as well as javelin and discus throwing;

DISC THROW

LONG JUMP AND JAVING IN ANCIENT

COMPETITION IN WRESTLING

- at the 23rd Olympic Games (688 BC), fisticuffs were included in the competition program;

FIST FIGHT IN ANCIENT

- at the 25th Olympic Games (680 BC), chariot races (drawn by four adult horses) were added, over time this type of program expanded, in the 5th–4th centuries BC chariot races drawn by a pair of adults began to be held horses, young horses or mules); - at the 33rd Olympic Games (648 BC), horse racing appeared in the program of the Games (in the middle of the 3rd century BC horse racing began to be held) and pankration - martial arts that combined elements wrestling and fisticuffs with minimal restrictions on "forbidden techniques" and in many ways reminiscent of modern fighting without rules.

Chariot racing

Greek gods and mythological heroes are involved in the emergence of not only the Olympic Games in general, but also their individual disciplines. Some of the disciplines of the ancient Olympic Games, familiar to us from modern competitions, are markedly different from their current counterparts. Greek athletes did not long jump from a run, but from a place - moreover, with stones (later with dumbbells) in their hands. At the end of the jump, the athlete threw the stones sharply back: it was believed that this allows him to jump further. This jumping technique required good coordination. Javelin and discus throwing (over time, instead of a stone one, athletes began to throw an iron disc) was carried out from a small elevation. At the same time, the spear was thrown not for distance, but for accuracy: the athlete had to hit a special target. In wrestling and boxing, there was no division of participants into weight categories, and the boxing match continued until one of the opponents recognized himself as defeated or was unable to continue the fight. There were also very peculiar varieties of running disciplines: running in full armor (i.e. in a helmet, with a shield and weapons), running of heralds and trumpeters, alternating running and chariot racing. From the 37th Games (632 BC), young men under the age of 20 began to participate in competitions. At first, competitions in this age category included only running and wrestling, over time, pentathlon, fisticuffs and pankration were added to them. In addition to athletic competitions, an art competition was also held at the Olympic Games, which has become an official part of the program since the 84th Games (444 BC). Initially, the Olympic Games took one day, then (with the expansion of the program) - five days (this is how long the Games lasted during their heyday in the 6th-4th centuries BC) and, in the end, "stretched out" for a whole month.

ATHLETICS

1. What is the name of the first winner of the ancient Olympic Games, which officially went down in history.

Answer: Koreb, a cook from Elis, in 776 BC. e. he won the one stadia race (192.27 m).

2. What is the origin of the word "stadium"?
Answer: this word comes from the Greek measure of length, called "stages": 600 steps (foot to foot), approximately 150-190 m; According to legend, for the first time the mythical hero Hercules measured out the stages (192.27 m).

3. What types athletics were part of the ancient Olympic pentathlon (pentathlon)?

Answer: long jump, discus throw, javelin throw, one stadia run, wrestling.

4. With what exercise, according to experts, did the competition program of ancient Olympiads begin?

Answer: from running to one stage.

5. Who was the first modern Olympic champion in marathon running?

Answer: At the first Olympics in Athens on April 10, 1896, a Greek postman from the village of Marousi near Athens, Spyros Louis, won the marathon.

6. Which of the famous athletes during their lifetime in their homeland was a monument erected for outstanding sports achievements at the Olympic Games?

Answer: for victories at the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Olympics. in running for medium and long distances, setting 3 Olympic and 24 world records during his lifetime, a monument was erected in Helsinki to the famous Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi.

7. Name the first Olympic champion representative of our country.

Answer: Nina Apollonovna Ponomareva (Romashkova), speaking at the Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952, threw a discus at 51 m 42 cm and became an Olympic record holder and champion.

8. Why once during the Olympics
in 1936 in Berlin, Adolf Hitler, enraged by the event taking place in the stadium, left it?

Answer: The Berlin Olympics, according to the Nazis, was supposed to be a demonstration of the superiority of athletes of the Aryan race, but the Negro athlete Jesse Owen became the hero of the Olympic Games. When Hitler saw Owen win his fourth gold medal in the 4 x 100m relay, he broke down and left the stadium.

9. Which American athlete who had polio as a child managed to become a three-time Olympic champion?

Answer: Negro athlete Wilma Rudolph from the USA, winner of the Rome Olympics in 1960 in the 100 m run - 11.0 s; 200 m - 24.0 s and relay race 4 x 100 m.

10. Which Ethiopian athlete has won the marathon distance at the Olympic Games twice, and the first time he won by running the entire distance barefoot?

Answer: Abebe Bikila, officer of the Imperial Ethiopian Army, won the marathon at the Olympic Games in Rome (1960) and Tokyo (1964).

11. Which of the athletes at the Games of the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles in 1984 won the same awards as Jesse Owen in 1936 in Berlin?

Answer: an athlete from the USA, Carl Lewis, repeated the achievement of D. Owens after 48 years.

12. Who is the only three-time Olympic in the history of the Summer Olympic Games
champion in track and field jumping?

Answer: Viktor Danilovich Saneev won three Olympic triple jump competitions: at the XIX Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968 - 17 m 39 cm; at the games of the XX Olympiad in Munich in 1972 - 17 m 35 cm; at the games of the XXI Olympiad in Montreal in 1976 - 17 m 29 cm.

13. When was the International Amateur Athletic Association (IAAF) formed?

Answer: this organization was established in 1912, at the same time they began to officially register world records in athletics.

14. Where and when did the first circle of athletes appear in Russia?

Answer: in the town of Tyarlevo near St. Petersburg in 1888.

15. What are the phases in the technique of running long jump?

Answer: takeoff, repulsion, flight, landing.

16. What are the ways of running long jump?

Answer: “bending legs”, “bending”, “scissors”.

17. What phase ends with throwing a grenade?

Answer: final effort.

18.Why is the so-called “cross step” used in track and field throwing?

Answer: for the convenience of the thrower's transition from the run to the final effort.

19. What methods of projectile deflection are used in the grenade throwing technique?

Answer: straight-back, arc forward-down-back.

20. What is the main difference between running technique and walking technique?

Answer: during race walking there must be constant contact with the support (there is a constant alternation of single and double support); in running there is no constant contact with the support, the support and unsupported positions alternate (flight phase).

21. What are the ways to perform shot put?

Answer: pushing from a jump, pushing in a circular swing.

22. What are the parts of the sprint technique?

Answer: start, starting acceleration, distance running, finishing.

23. At what angle should the run-up be performed in the high jump using the “stepping over” method?

Answer: at an angle of approximately 35-45 °.

24. Which of the methods of athletics jumping is named after the Olympic champion?

Answer: "fosbury flop" - this is the name of the method of running high jumps in honor of the American jumper R. Fosbury, who became the champion of the XIX Olympic Games in 1968 in Mexico City

25. What is the peculiarity of the last two steps in the run-up when performing high jumps?

Answer: in the final part of the run, the jumper prepares for repulsion, so the overall center of gravity decreases slightly, the penultimate step becomes the longest in the run, and the last step becomes the shortest.

26. Why is the low start used in sprinting?

Answer: for a more comfortable position before running.

27. What are the different ways of passing the baton?

Answer: transfer from above, transfer from below.

28. What types of start are used in running?
Answer: low and high.

29. How many and what commands are given for running from a high start?

Answer: two teams - "To the start!" and March!

30. From what phase does training begin for all types of track and field throwing?

Answer: first you need to learn how to properly hold and release a projectile.

Answer: at the end of the repulsion, you should take the fly leg higher and try to land, throwing your legs further forward.

32. What is the phase of training in high jump with a running start?

Answer: with repulsion training.

33. What is the fartlek training method for runners?

Answer: fartlek (game of speeds) is a form of variable running introduced by the Swedish coach G. Holmer, it includes running with a change in speed, accelerations in different segments and in different conditions (for example, in certain areas of the terrain, with a change of leader in the group runners, etc.).

Answer: from 9-11 years old.

35. What is the essence of the interval training method?

Answer: the interval training method has a variable and intermittent nature of the load, and the rest interval, and not just the direct execution of the exercise, is of great training importance.

36. What indicators characterize the load in the training of athletes?

Answer: volume, intensity, character of rest.

37. What are the two main rules to follow during race walking?

Answer: firstly, during race walking there must be constant contact with the support; secondly, in each step, the supporting leg, when passing along the vertical, should be straightened at the knee for at least one moment.

38. How many attempts are given to participants in discus throw competitions?

Answer: three attempts in the preliminary competitions and three in the final.

39. How much time is allowed to complete an attempt in a running high jump competition?

Answer: the time from the moment the contestant is called to perform the next attempt before the jump should not exceed 1.5 minutes.

40. How many false starts can a track competitor make?

Answer: after the first false start, the participant receives a warning (yellow card); after the second false start, he is shown a red card and disqualified.

41. How is the starting height determined in the high jump competition?

Answer: the initial height is determined by the Competition Regulations or the panel of judges.

42.How many attempts are given to a competitor in the high jump with a running start?

Answer: the jumper is given three attempts at each height.

43. What is the diameter of the shot put circle?

Answer: 2 m 13.5 cm.

44. What is the diameter of the discus throw circle?

Answer: 2 m 50 cm.

45. What are the dimensions of the corridor for throwing grenades?

Answer: the width of the corridor is 10 m; the length of the sector for boys is 95 m, for girls - 75 m.

46. ​​How is the taking of a height, an unsuccessful attempt and a missed attempt noted in the protocol of high jump competitions?

Answer: taking the height is marked with the sign "O", an unsuccessful attempt - "X"; omission of an attempt - with the sign "-".

47. What time should be recorded in the protocol of the competition in the 400m race, if the result of one of the participants was recorded by three stopwatches, which showed different times: 50.5 s; 50.7 s; 50.8 s?

Answer: write down the average - 50.7 s.

48. What is the weight of the apparatus in senior shot put competitions?

Answer: the weight of the core for men is 7 kg 257 g, for women it is 4 kg.

(OLYMPIONICS)

The winner of the Olympic Games received universal recognition along with an olive wreath (this tradition went from 752 BC) and purple ribbons. He became one of the most respected people in his city (for the inhabitants of which the victory of a fellow countryman at the Olympics was also a great honor), he was often released from state duties and given other privileges. Olympionics were given posthumous honors in their homeland. And according to the introduction in the 6th c. BC. In practice, the three-time winner of the Games could put his statue in Altis.

The first Olympian known to us was ship from Elida is a cook by profession, who won the race for one furl in 776 BC

The most famous - and the only athlete in the history of the ancient Olympic Games who won the 6 Olympics, - was "the strongest among the strong", wrestler Milon from Croton. A native of the Greek city-colony of Croton (south of modern Italy) and, according to some sources, a student of Pythagoras, he won his first victory at the 60th Olympiad (540 BC) in competitions among young men. From 532 BC to 516 BC he won 5 more Olympic titles - already among adult athletes. In 512 B.C. Milon, who was already over 40 years old, tried to win his seventh title, but lost to a younger opponent. Olympionic Milo was also a repeated winner of the Pythian, Isthmian, Nemean Games and many local competitions. Mentions of him can be found in the writings of Pausanias, Cicero and other authors.

Another outstanding athlete - Leonid from Rhodes- at four Olympiads in a row (164 BC - 152 BC) he won in three "running" disciplines: in the run for one and two stages, as well as in run with guns.

Astil from Croton entered the history of the Ancient Olympic Games not only as one of the record holders for the number of victories (6 - in the race for one and two stages at the Games from 488 BC to 480 BC). If at his first Olympics Astil played for Croton, then at the next two - for Syracuse. Former countrymen took revenge on him for betrayal: the statue of the champion in Croton was demolished, and his former house was turned into a prison.

In the history of the ancient Greek Olympic Games, there are entire Olympic dynasties. So, the grandfather of a fistfighting champion Poseidor from Rhodes Diagor, as well as his own uncles Akusilai and Damage were also Olympians. Diagoras, whose exceptional stamina and honesty in boxing matches won him great respect from the audience and were sung in the odes of Pindar, witnessed his sons' Olympic victories in boxing and pankration, respectively. (According to legend, when the grateful sons put their champion wreaths on their father's head and lifted him on their shoulders, one of the applauding spectators exclaimed: "Die, Diagoras, die! Die because you have nothing more to want from life!” And the excited Diagoras immediately died in the arms of his sons.)

Many olympians were distinguished by exceptional physical data. For example, a champion in the race for two stages (404 BC) Lasfen from Tebei victory in an unusual horse race is attributed, and Aegeus from Argos, who won the long-distance race (328 BC), after that, running, without making a single stop along the way, covered the distance from Olympia to his hometown in order to quickly bring good news to his fellow countrymen. Victories were also achieved due to a kind of technique. So, an extremely hardy and agile boxer Melancom from Kariya, the winner of the Olympic Games in 49 AD, during the duel constantly kept his arms outstretched forward, due to which he avoided the opponent’s blows, and at the same time he rarely retaliated - in the end, the physically and emotionally exhausted opponent admitted your defeat. And about the winner of the Olympic Games in 460 BC. in Dolichodrome of Ladas from Argos it was said that he runs so easily that he does not even leave footprints on the ground.

Among the participants and winners of the Olympic Games were such famous scientists as Demosthenes, Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Hippocrates. And they competed not only in the fine arts. For example, Pythagoras was the champion fisticuffs, a Plato on pankration.

AT 394 year already AD - by decree of the Roman emperor Theodosius I Olympic Games were banned. His heir Theodosius II a few decades later issued a decree on the destruction of pagan temples.

CHAPTER 2. MODERN OLYMPIC GAMES

The winner of the Olympic Games received along with an olive wreath (this tradition went from 752 BC) and purple ribbons universal recognition. He became one of the most respected people in his city (for the inhabitants of which the victory of a fellow countryman at the Olympics was also a great honor), he was often released from state duties and given other privileges. Olympionics were given posthumous honors in their homeland. And according to the introduction in the 6th c. BC. In practice, the three-time winner of the Games could put his statue in Altis.

The first Olympian known to us was Ship from Elis, who won the race for one stage in 776 BC.

The most famous - and the only athlete in the history of the ancient Olympic Games who won 6 Olympiads - was "the strongest among the strong", wrestler Milon of Croton. A native of the Greek city-colony of Croton (south of modern Italy) and, according to some sources, a student of Pythagoras, he won his first victory at the 60th Olympiad (540 BC) in competitions among young men. From 532 BC by 516 BC he won 5 more Olympic titles - already among adult athletes. In 512 BC Milon, who was already over 40 years old, tried to win his seventh title, but lost to a younger opponent.

Another outstanding athlete - Leonidas of Rhodes- at four Olympiads in a row (164 BC - 152 BC) he won in three "running" disciplines: in running for one and two stages, as well as in running with weapons.

Astil of Croton entered the history of the ancient Olympic Games not only as one of the record holders for the number of victories (6 - in the race for one and two stages at the Games from 488 BC to 480 BC). If at his first Olympics Astil played for Croton, then at the next two - for Syracuse. Former countrymen took revenge on him for betrayal: the statue of the champion in Croton was demolished, and his former house was turned into a prison.

The list, which includes the winners of the games for more than three centuries, was guided by ancient historians. However, the last major Greek historian Polybius believed that the names of the Olympionists began to be recorded from the 27th Olympiad (672 BC), and before that they were kept in memory by the organizers of the games. After Hippias, the list of Olympionists was apparently kept by the priests of the temple of Zeus. Modern scholars believe that there are 1029 names of the winners of the games of antiquity in the complete Olympic Bassical.

History has preserved the names of those who were the first to win the most honorary title in certain types of competitions:

Dromos (stadium race) - Ship from Elis - 1st Olympiad (776 BC).

Dromos (ephebes) - Polynices from Elis - 37th Olympiad (632 BC).

Diaulos (double stadia run) - Ipen from Elis - 14th Olympiad (724 BC).

Dolichos (long run) - Acanthus from Sparta - 15th Olympiad (720 BC).

Wrestling - Eurybat of Sparta - 18th Olympiad (708 BC).

Wrestling (ephebes) - Hipposthenes from Sparta - 37th Olympiad (632 BC).

Pentathlon - Lampius of Sparta - 18th Olympiad (708 BC).

Pentathlon (ephebes) - Eutelides from Sparta - 38th Olympiad (628 BC).

Fist fight - Onomast from Smyrna - 23rd Olympiad (688 BC).

Fistfight (ephebes) - Philetus (Philot) from Sybaris - 41st Olympiad (616 BC).

Quadrig racing - Pagond (Pagon) from Thebes - 25th Olympiad (680 BC).

Pancratius - Likdam from Syracuse - 33rd Olympiad (648 BC).

Pancratius (ephebes) - Phodim from Alexandria (Troad) - 145th Olympiad (200 BC).

Horse racing - Kraksid (Kraksil) from Thessaly - 33rd Olympiad (648 BC).

Hoplitedrome (running of hoplites with weapons) - Damaret (demaret) from Gerea - 65th Olympiad (520 BC).

Chariot racing with a pair of horses - Evagoras of Elis - 93rd Olympiad (408 BC).

Competition of heralds - Timai of Elis - 96th Olympiad (396 BC).

Trumpet Competition - Cathes of Elis - 96th Olympiad (396 BC).

List of 10 prominent O ltmpionists of antiquity:

12 victories - Leonidas from Rhodes (164-152 BC): running (dromos, diaulos, hoplitodrom).

10 victories - Heriodorus of Megara (328-292 BC): trumpet competition.

8 victories - Hermogenes from Xanthus in Lycia (81-89): running (dromos, diaulos, hoplitodrome).

7 victories - Astil from Croton / Syracuse (488-480 BC): running (dromos, diaulos, hoplitodrome).

7 victories - Nikokl from Sparta (100-96 BC): running (dromos, diaulos, dolichos, hoplitodrom).

6 victories - Hipposthenes of Sparta (632, 624-608 BC): wrestling.

6 victories - Milo of Croton (540, 532-516 BC): wrestling.

5 victories - Hetomikl of Sparta (604-588 BC): wrestling.

5 victories - Owl from Kos (264-256 BC): running (dromos, diaulos).

5 victories - Demetrius of Salamis (229-237): running (stades), pentathlon.

Hundreds of Olympioniki, among whom were hunters and farmers, aristocrats and commanders, kings and tyrants, as well as future Roman emperors, installed in Olympia at their own expense and at the expense of the cities statues with commemorative inscriptions. The first to be allowed to place his statue was Cleisthenes, tyrant of Sicyon, whose quadriga won the 52nd Olympiad (502 BC). According to ancient authors, the first statue was erected in honor of the winner of the fisticuffs of the 59th Olympiad (544 BC) Praxidamus from the island of Aegina. the most ancient O., who was awarded the Olympic statue, was Oibot from Dimai - the best in the dromos at the 6th Olympiad (756 BC), but his compatriots put a memorable statue in Olympia only 296 years later.

Among the participants and winners of the Olympic Games were such famous scientists and thinkers as Demosthenes, Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Hippocrates. And they competed not only in the fine arts. For example, Pythagoras was a champion in fisticuffs, and Plato was in pankration.

CRISIS AND THE END OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES.

Starting from the V-IV centuries. BC. in Ancient Greece The Olympic Games are gradually moving away from the requirements of religion, more and more attention is paid to the entertainment of the competitions, their use to increase the authority of city-states and their rulers. The number of sports festivals is constantly increasing, and many other competitions are held between the Olympic Games. These holidays are generously financed, their programs, along with traditional sports (running, pankration, etc.), include spectacular sports - chariot racing, horse racing, running with a lit torch.

Representatives of many countries of the European Mediterranean and even Asian countries participate in the Olympic Games during this period. The bans that were in force earlier are being lifted: foreigners, as well as people from low-income segments of the population, are allowed to compete. The winners of the competitions are awarded with large cash prizes and valuable gifts, they receive material benefits in their cities. The commercial nature of the competitions, the luxury in which they were held, gradually eroded the ideals of Olympism, and the sport takes on a professional character.

Over time, sports training was increasingly focused on success in competitions, which brought fame, cash income and various benefits. The tasks of education faded into the background, which ultimately was one of the reasons for the fading sports movement in Ancient Greece. This, for example, was rightly pointed out by Marrion: “I noted how honorable was the place that sports practice occupied among the virtues of ancient culture. However, exaggerated reverence was fatal for sports. Just like in our century, interest in sports, fame which the champions enjoyed, the excessive desire to excel in big international competitions stimulated the development of professionalism, according to which the athlete from a simple "amateur" gradually turned into something very exceptional. Possession of a sharpened competitive spirit became the basis for the selection of very qualified athletes. different from any other, and nothing more."

The tastes of the public are also changing. The wealthy are not only losing interest in active physical training and participation in competitions, but also in attending them as spectators. Competitions become mainly popular entertainment, an occupation for the poor, people with a low level of education and culture. The satisfaction of the tastes of these segments of the population was primarily facilitated by rude and cruel spectacles. The beauty of the physique, harmonious physical development, achievements in such types of competitions as running. javelin throwing, discs, etc., fade into the background. The most popular are various professional types: wrestling, fisticuffs. The rules are simplified, cruel tricks are allowed. For example, fist fighters began to use metal devices - metal protrusions between the fingers protruding from a fist intertwined with straps. Equipped with such devices, the hand turned into dangerous weapon, which could not only cripple, but also kill an opponent. Fist fights turned into fierce fights.

Pankration developed in the same direction. The brutality of fights has become truly limitless. Although, unlike fisticuffs, the hands in pankration were not armed, however, the rules allowed any techniques, including gouging eyes, any strangulation, blows, etc.

It is understandable that such a professional sport has been heavily criticized. Doctors note the harm of such activities for human health, philosophers consider professional sports to be an evil that destroys the harmony of body and spirit.

The upper strata of the population are gradually going to the other extreme. Active physical exercises, participation in competitions are gradually being replaced by various areas of therapeutic gymnastics and methods of body care. Many rooms for relaxation and discussions appear in the gymnasiums, bathhouses, rooms for massage and rubbing, etc. are being built.

The professionalization of sports in ancient Greece was not an accident, it was a direct consequence of the political, economic and social life society, which predetermined the gradual transformation of sports, the revision of its values ​​and ideals.

There is plenty of evidence that the winners of the Games received huge cash prizes ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 drachmas. This amount was enough for a family of three to four people to live comfortably for 5-10 years.

However, the crisis phenomena in the ancient Greek Olympic sport became especially acute after the conquest of the Greek states by the Romans in 146 BC. With the loss of independence, changes have taken place;., political, economic and social "sides of the life of Greek society, which have had the most negative impact on sports, Many competitions have been discontinued, interest in sports has sharply decreased. The prestige of the Olympic Games is also noticeably falling. As in the dawn of its origin, they begin to take on a local character.

In the Roman period, the ideals of ancient Greek sports began to erode even more. Despite the fact that some emperors of Rome, who sympathized with the Olympic values ​​​​of the ancient Greeks, tried to promote the development of sports, this did not give the desired results, since the Romans could not be imbued with the spirit of Olympism. Competitions have become more rough, especially in boxing, wrestling, pankration. Moreover, gladiator fights, fights with wild animals appeared in the programs of many competitions, which happened under the influence of the Romans. It was during this period that the first trade unions of athletes appeared, which enjoyed the patronage and material support of the emperors. Members of trade unions participated in various competitions, where their main competitors were representatives of other trade unions.

The fate of the Games was decided between 392 and 395, and we do not know if the last Games were held in 389. Only the edict of 392, signed by Emperor Theodosius I and his sons Arcadius and Honorius, is known, in which pagan traditions were severely condemned: sacrifices to gods and spirits, divination by the entrails of animals and other rituals. Observance of the customs of former centuries was considered as the greatest state crime. The Olympic Games could also be banned, because they were dedicated to Zeus and began with sacrifices. But why couldn’t the Games continue after they were deprived of the religious, pagan element, if it is known that Theodosius I himself was not opposed to sports competitions as such, and that in Antioch the games, which even bore the name of the Olympic Games, were held until 520? It is possible that in Antioch, a city populous, rich and independent in spirit, the emperor did not dare to cancel the popular sports festivals, fearing the indignation of the inhabitants and open rebellion. But in Olympia, located far from major urban centers, one could not be afraid of uprisings, because there were almost no permanent residents there. It was not necessary to prohibit the Games themselves by a special edict, it was enough to prevent participants and spectators from living. for a long time where they used to be located during the Games. It is also possible that the Games were simply terminated due to a lack of money for their regular holding. The area where Olympia was located was considered one of the poorest in Hellas, it was inhabited by simple shepherds. The money funds of the Games that existed before had long passed into the hands of the local Roman authorities or the Christian church. Long before the end of the 4th c. AD the organizers of the Olympic Games have repeatedly experienced financial difficulties, and it often seemed that the famous Games were about to stop.

That there were many reasons for the decline and demise of the Games is also pointed out by Norway's professor Pleket (1992). He writes: "In my opinion, the decline of the Olympic Games was the result of the decline of urban life and prosperity in the Roman Empire in last years 3rd century BC. The games did not stop, but began to attract fewer and fewer people. It is noteworthy that the list of Olympic winners practically ends after 277 AD. In the same period (260-270 AD) there was a significant inflation of Roman money. In my article "Olympic Benefactors" I tried to show that the Olympians of Elis relied on donations from wealthy foreigners, kings and members of aristocratic families from other cities in Greece. Now the cities in which the aristocracy lived were subjected to significant taxation by the Romans, who constantly increased taxes in connection with significant military spending. This led to the impoverishment of the Greeks, which can explain the reasons for the decline of sports in general and the Olympic Games in particular. Starting from the IV century. AD the trainer in gymnasiums began to turn into a kind of doctor who "repaired" broken limbs and provided first aid. Christianity with its attacks on the body, physical culture and sports competitions completed the rest.

In 395, on the banks of the Alpheus in the territory of Olympia, a major battle took place between the Byzantines and the Goths, as a result of which sports facilities and other facilities used in the Olympic Games were badly damaged. The destruction of Olympia was completed by strong earthquakes that occurred in the 6th century BC. AD, as well as the burning of the remains of pagan temples by order of Theodosius II (426). Later, Olympia was completely buried under a thick layer of sand and silt after a major flood - the flood of the Alpheus and Kladei rivers.

It is difficult to say what was the main thing: economic weakness, the inability to financially support gymnasiums, athletes and the Games, a change in mentality or attacks from the Christian church. Social chaos and unrest could destroy both the material basis ancient sport and faith in him. Christianity destroyed the pagan faith. And although Europe has much to thank the Christian Church for, nevertheless, she committed one bad deed: she destroyed the mass sport, which was practiced by athletes and many fans in ancient times. As for the prohibition of the Games by Emperor Theodosius I, he only accelerated and completed a process that had begun much earlier."