OLIMPIONIKS OF ANCIENT GREECE - «SECOND AFTER HERACLES»

• Main Author: T B Gvozdeva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 2016-12-01
• Series: RUDN Journal of World History
• Subjects: olympic games; olympia; hercules; olympian; periodontic; pausanias; wrestling (pale); pugilism (pugme); pankration (pankration)
• Online Access: http://journals.rudn.ru/world-history/article/viewFile/15499/14209

The Victory at the Olympics was the main goal of any athlete. Having the Olympic wreath, medalist became a national hero of your policy. The fame and respect that accompanied him all his life, was the result of a hard daily work, but also with the grace of the gods. Victory olimpioniks had a sacral character, as was the special protection of Zeus. Olympic games and other Panhellenic games was a special form of worship of gods and heroes. Performing athletic feats, athletes were as it were the epitome of great heroes, especially the Hercules. Hercules is often revered as the founder of the Olympic games and the first olimpioniks. His name is associated with the introduction of the custom of sacred truce and rewarding olimpioniks a wreath of olives. The cult of Hercules was important for the decoration of Olympia, where he finally acquired a Panhellenic character. Hercules was a role model for many of the great Olympians. Moreover, for athletes who won the Olympics in wrestling and the pankration introduced a special title - “second after Heracles”.