The Awarding Ceremony

  The grand awarding ceremony of the ancient Olympic Games was solemn. The awarding podium was set in front of the statue of Zeus, and the olive crown was placed on a special tripod. On the awarding ceremony, the reporter first announced the name of the athlete, the result of the competition, the city he belongs to and the names of the athlete's parents. Then the master of ceremonies then leads the winner to the reporters, who stood up, removed the olive crown from the tripod and put it on the winner. At this point, the audience sang, chanted the poetry, played music, cheered, and presented flowers to the athletes. Although the reward for winners in the ancient Olympic Games had been changed many times, the principle was to focus on spiritual reward. There were material rewards, but very meager.

  The olive branch, as a symbol of the Olympic spirit, has a profound and long-lasting impact to the Games. The ancient Greeks believed that the olive tree was brought to the world by Athena, the protective god of Athens, and was a symbol of peace and happiness given to human beings by god.

  Therefore, the olive crown woven with the olive branches was the most sacred prize and the highest honor to those who received it. It is said that the olive branch used to weave the laurel wreath must be cut from the sacred tree by a 12-year-old boy with whose parents are still alive, with a pure gold knife, and then elaborately woven.

  After the ceremony in Olympia, the winners would be able to return home. Then the city-states would also organize a grand celebration for the return of their winners. Later, the Greeks also exempted the winners from their obligations to the state, providing them with seats of honor at theatrical or festival events. Some city-states even granted lifetime allowances to successful athletes.

The Punishment Rules

  The rules of the ancient Olympic Games were very strict. Violators were severely punished. This shows their sense of honor and disgrace. The ancient Greeks believed that the Olympic Games were sacred, and winning fair and square was the most glorious. Otherwise, it was a violation of the sacred cause.

  The ancient Olympic Games hated cheaters. At the 90th ancient Olympic Games, a player named Lejas won the championship. He claimed to be a Spartan, but it was verified that he was from another city, so he was deprived of place. The ancient Olympic Games were even more severe in punishing those who paid bribes. Not only the champions were stripped and heavy fines were imposed. At the 98th ancient Olympic Games, a boxer was fined heavily for bribing three opponents. The organizers of the ancient games used the fines to carve four statues of Zeus, one of which was engraved with the following epigram: Olympic victory is not bought by money, but by quick feet and strong body.

  Welcome to visit the first exhibition hall on the second floor of Xiamen Olympic Museum to learn the origin and development of the ancient Olympic Games.