A-Z OF THE ANCIENT GREEK OLYMPICS

The ancient heroic code was, as the epic poet Homer put it, ‘to strive always to be the best, superior to others’ – hence the modern Olympic motto: ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’. The ancient Greek world consisted of about 1,500 economically independent city-states, dotted around the coastlines of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and these states were often at war with one another.

Nevertheless, they all thought of themselves as Greeks, and they invented sport – and from that international festivals such as the Olympic Games – as opportunities to test themselves against their peers without shedding blood – or not too much of it, at least. The games were even protected by a sacred truce so that competitors and spectators could travel in safety.

Every four years, thousands made their way to the Peloponnese, the southern peninsula of Greece, where Olympia was situated. Like today, athletes competed for a combination of individual and national glory. The origins of the games