The olive grove. The champions of ancient Olympia

By Daniele Merelli

The Olympic Games were the most important athletic competitions in Greece and the ancient world, held without interruption for over a thousand years, which preceded and inspired the sport of today. For the winners, the prize was a simple, highly coveted, olive wreath, however, what actually entailed an Olympic victory was glory, both on a personal level and for the city represented. In the spring of 148 BC the Games are now imminent and the meeting between a countryman and a wayfarer, surrounded by a luxuriant olive grove near Olympia, is the prelude to a dialogue in which, thanks to the memories of a special eyewitness who lived centuries earlier, will be celebrated the most famous Olympic athletes, real heroes of antiquity in which history and legend intertwine until they become confused, and where facts and curiosities about the multiform Greek world will be recalled.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Youcanprint
• Release date: Jan 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9788831656368

Book preview

633/1941.

PREFACE

Born from the inspiration of the Philostratus’ Heroicus, this dialogue aims at introducing the most famous ancient athletes to the modern reader. The Olympic Games were the most important athletic competitions in the Greek world, played for over a thousand years without any interruption, who so enthralled Pierre de Coubertin who wanted to revive them in the nineteenth century, a tradition that continues today. For the winners, the material prize was a simple, coveted, wild olive crown, but what really meant an Olympic victory was glory, both on a personal level and for the city represented. This great importance given to the Games gave rise as well to numerous legends and anecdotes concerning the most popular champions among the people, who acquired such celebrity as to be compared to the heroes of the myth and to be considered real divinities. These stories, halfway between history and legend, are gathered here through a careful collection and selection of the available sources. The description of the single Olympic disciplines and an index of the Olympic winners mentioned in the text complete the work.

THE OLIVE GROVE

The champions of ancient Olympia

countryman Hail wayfarer, what brings you here?

wayfarer I'm on the way to Olympia, countryman. Is the way that leads to the sanctuary still long?

c. The Altis is just a few stades away, but I suggest you not to resume the march. The chariot of the Sun is in fact slowly finishing its course, soon it will be dark and the bandits will not miss the opportunity to cause damage to unwary travelers. My farm is also welcoming for an unexpected guest, I’ll offer you a place for the night.

w. Thank you, countryman; welcoming is the best word to describe your beautiful farm.

c. You look tired, have you been traveling for a long time, foreigner?

w. From this morning. I left Elis, I reached the Alpheus river and I'm following its course that will lead me straight to Olympia.

c. Your tiredness is then more than justified. Why didn't you prefer to travel on horseback?

w. As a good pilgrim I have vowed to Zeus to reach his temple exclusively with the strength of my legs. The burden of fatigue is felt less when traveling to such a destination.

c. Your devotion to the gods is commendable, here you’ll find a well-deserved refreshment. Come, follow me to the wide courtyard, I consider it the most enchanting place in the olive grove.

w. Enchanting it will surely be, countryman, your olive trees have something divine! The flowering trees of this avenue release a sweet scent, spring seems to take a look on your land. The white, yellow, red and pink of the flowers around here blend beautifully with the green of the olive grove; not even Apelles could have found pigments so colorful for his works of art. The nightingales seem to appreciate all this, their melodious song surrounds a truly idyllic setting.

c. I also have fruit trees here, if you like you can pick sweet figs and juicy apples, the country climate is good for ripening.

w. You’re too generous, countryman, the gods must have sent you!

c. They’re the ones you have to thank, foreigner, I do my best to make them propitious. As you could see Demeter graciously grants me her copious fruits.

w. The olive grove extends up to the Alpheus, you’ll produce a good amount of oil!

c. Yes, enough to satisfy all buyers. I sell part of the oil in the city and in port, while another part is in great demand by the athletes of Olympia who come here personally. Without any doubt this is of excellent quality, but for those who participate in the Games it has something special, they say that this olive grove already existed at the time of the first Olympic Games.

w. I won't even leave from here without the juice of your green olives, countryman. The other crops, I imagine, are your personal exploitation.

c. That's right, I also breed some animals in the nearby fence to make sure I always have eggs and fresh milk. It’s a really golden age trade, foreigner, because «the man who works without wrong against the immortals can be considered happy and prosperous» (Hesiod, Works and Days, 826-827).

w. You recite the ancient poets, a great wisdom is hidden inside you; perhaps once you weren't just a farmer.