Το θρησκευτικό στοιχείο στους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες κατά την Αρχαιότητα

Abstract

The present thesis is dealing with the important theme of the relation between Greek religion and the Ancient Olympic Games. The importance of the theme has to do with the fact that this relation is viewed by the aspect of the History of Religions. This kind of research is very rare, as the usual theses come from the Faculties of Philosophy or Arcaeology. Until now, Theological research hasn’ t been focused on the importance of the theological element in the ancient Olympic games.This thesis has dealt not only with the phenomenical religion of the twelve Gods, but haw gone through the ancient history and religion of Olympia. There has been found the connection of the rituals of the Olympic Games with the worship of very ancient gods and goddesses, who were worshipped in this place. So, there has been found that there is a great relevance between the athletic games and the very ancient hero - worship in Greece and the worship of the dead. In the first chapter we have focused our interest on the ancient athletic games in Greece generally.There has been proved that at all stages of the Greek history, the Greek athletics have been connected with the worship of a deity. For example, in Crete, we have the “Great Mother”, who is worshipped with athletic games. These games are part of the religious rites in all Greek history. In Mycenean age, the games are part of the worship of the dead and later they become part of the hero-worship, which had been the last stage before the twelve Olympian Gods, in the Greek religion. The former elements of worship of the dead and hero-worship, had been continued in the Olympic Games for years, as there were offerings and special rites in honour of the topical heroes Pelop and Ippodamia. In the second chapter we put emphasis on myths which are relevant with the origin of the Olympic games. We find out that there is a ery little historical truth behind them, but they can show us the movement of the Greeks in the region. However, we are sure that some of them hide very old rituals of deciding the next “king of the year”, who was responsible for the fertility of each year, e.t.c.In the third chapter, we study carefully the deities that had been worshipped over the years at Olympia. We find out that women deities were dominant tn the region at first, and later gods such Dias took the leadership in this place. At first there had been an oracle in the region, in honour of the goddess Gaia, whose place Dias took later. In the ancient times, athletic games had taken place at Olympia in honour of Artemis. Later Hera took her place and the games were named Heraia, as this goddess was the wife of the “Father of the Gods”, Dias. In the last chapter we found out that behind the rituals of the ancient Greek Olympic Games, there were basic elements, found in the “rites of passage”. These were special rites that helped young boys and girls to obtain their new role as hunters and mothers. We believe that such rites of passage were the basic element of the Greek ancient Olympic games and here the “epinikian odes” helped the winner of the Gmes to be accepted by his home town. The winner has become a new man. He has come closer to the Gods, he and his victory have been devoted to the Gods. He is somehow “holy” and in great contact with the Gods. This is the reason why some winners of the Olympic Games had been worshipped as heroe in those ancient years. In this way the Greeks shared immortality through the athletic Games, and got out of the human passions and restraints.