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FIRST BOOK,
DEALING
OF THE
ORIGIN AND PREPARATIONS OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
FIRST CHAPTER.
The occasion for the Games, and the origin of the name Olympic Games.
§ I.
After mankind, on account of its sins, became subject to numerous discomforts and miseries, it has endeavored to invent, as a pastime, to dispel sorrow, for amusement, for the preservation of health, for the practice of religion, and to become proficient in warfare, certain games of exercise and combat; of which they also found evidence and traces in the irrational, yet young and moderately grown animals, which we see amusing themselves amongst each other with running, wrestling, and friendly fighting.
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§ II.
They were not only celebrated in the private sphere, but also became very solemn and ceremonial; and of the solemn and ceremonial ones, we find abundant examples in gray antiquity, which shows us that they were celebrated, either at the funeral ceremony of a great man, to honor him and to dispel the sorrow of his friends. This we see occur according to the tale of Homer, in the person of PATROCLUS (Homer, Iliad, Book 23).
These funeral games were also repeated on the anniversary, as is shown by the actions of AENEAS in honor of ANCHISES, his father (Virgil, Aeneid, Book 5). They were also held with splendor at or after the entry, reception, and entertainment of a royal guest: by which ULYSSES was honored by the Phaeacians (Homer, Odyssey, Book 8). Likewise when royal persons sought to entertain one another: for which reason Homer shows the proud suitors of PENELOPE as they practice the games of combat (Odyssey, Book 4). As well as in honor of the gods; whether they transferred it from the veneration of the deceased, whose spirits they held for gods, to the gods themselves, or whether they made the gods equal to themselves, by which they consequently thought that they would be greatly amused by the things in which they themselves found such exuberant joy. Meanwhile, everything was aimed at accustoming the youth, in the most emphatic manner, alongside the present amusement, to the craft of arms and military exercises: for they esteemed valor in war higher than all other virtues (Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae, Book 4); just as they also named virtue after the god of war, and among them, 'the best' was in fact called 'the bravest' (Feithius, Antiquitates Homericae, Book 4, Chapter 7). With this said purpose, it seemed good to have them celebrated also on the great market days, which at the same time often used to be the great gatherings, council meetings, and imperial diets of a whole people, yea, even of many peoples who were allied with one another, who on such an occasion deliberated and decided upon that which seemed useful for the common service (Paschalius, De Coronis, Book 6, Chapter 1).
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many peoples who were allied with one another, who on such an occasion deliberated and decided upon that which seemed useful for the common service.
§ III.
Such were the market and imperial days on which the most famous Greek games of exercise were held, to wit, the Olympic, Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian. However, among these, the Olympic Games shone like the Moon among the lesser stars: for hither was the congregation of all nations, the pinnacle of the wise and lettered, the flower of the brave: here was immortal honor, proud crowns, and an honor to be won, which was scarcely to be overshadowed by the Roman triumph: wherefore Paschalius rightly exclaims thus (Paschalius, De Coronis, Book 6, Chapter 5); truly, with the sole exception of the Roman triumph, there is nothing in all of antiquity that we might deem higher and more worthy. From this, too, the reckoning of time was derived, to have a fixed beacon for the histories, which until then (for those who knew not God's Word) were either hidden in darkness, or had drifted on the waves of uncertainty. It is known that Censorinus distinguishes three eras (Censorinus, De die Natali, Chapter 21); the first of which extended from the beginning of the world to the universal flood (See also Justin Martyr), and was called the 'Obscure' (Africanus in Eusebius, Praeparatio Evangelica, Chapter 10): the second from thence to the first OLYMPIAD, that is, the Olympic reckoning of time, which bears the name 'Fabulous'; for within that span of time, one has the fables of the Gods, Heroes, and the Trojan War, with all the follies devised thereof, which at once reveal Homer's wisdom and foolishness: the third from here and henceforth, is to be called 'Historical'. What benefit and luster have now arisen from the said fixed reckoning of time for the Olympic Games, all histories proclaim, Fame herself trumpets with full cheeks.
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§ IV.
The name, so full of luster, these games bear from the place. OLYMPIA was a plain in the PELOPONNESUS (which is nowadays called MOREA) and was specifically situated in the territory of PISA: it lay about 300 stadia from ELIS: the renowned river ALPHEUS flowed so closely by it, that its water could be diverted to the playground, and then discharged itself between west and south into the Triphylian Sea (Strabo, Book 8). Now, the Pisans were subject to the Eleans: hence the playground, though situated in the territory of the Pisans, belonged to the latter, who, as over the games held there, generally held dominion over it. Nevertheless, those of PISA, insisting on their right, and having vanquished the Eleans in a battle, held the games during the 104th OLYMPIAD, as Diodorus Siculus testifies. Strabo concurs with this, when he says that those of PISA held the games for a short time. Xenophon also testifies that the Eleans did not have authority over the games from ancient times.
§ V.
It is further said that this plain would have received its name from a JUPITER, surnamed OLYMPIUS, OLYMPICUS, or OLYMPIACUS (Pausanias, Book 5, p. 375). In that name the foolish heathens had changed the true God, and thus made a man into a God (as they were indeed generally wont to honor awe-inspiring and famous kings with the name JUPITERS), for by this they understood, either CHAM, the Egyptian JUPITER HAMMON, or perhaps rather the common father of the Greeks by birth, JAPHETH, called by them otherwise JAPETUS; whose son ELISHAH gave the name to the landscape ELIS, as Bochartus opines (Bochartus, Phaleg, Book 3, Chapter 4), or the first famous king of that region, AETHLIUS. This one now bore the name OLYMPIUS, that is, heavenly, for 'Olympus' among the Greeks means the heaven, and signifies as much, according to the report of Suidas, as 'wholly radiant', that is, entirely light (Suidas, under this word); although others derive it from elsewhere. Now, because the heathens also considered the heaven as the dwelling-place of God, so they also called God Himself, or him whom they put in God's place, by the name 'Olympus', that is, Heaven: hence the saying of the old poet Naevius; ‘Interea faxit Iupiter, ut aedes ac templum superi tonantis / Det laqueata aurum.’ which can be paraphrased as Meanwhile, the house of the high-thundering Olympus is opened. But meanwhile the great doors open of the thundering Olympus; that is, of heaven, and consequently of God. Which Virgil imitates; ‘Olli subridens hominum sator atque deorum, / Vultu, quo caelum tempestatesque serenat,’ often rendered as Meanwhile, the house of the almighty Olympus is opened (Virgil, Aeneid, Book 10, verse 1). But meanwhile the great doors open of the almighty Olympus, that is again, of heaven, and consequently of God. It is known that the Jews also express God in their language with the word 'heaven': seek several examples of this in the learned Lightfoot (Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae, on Matthew 3:2). Caelius Rhodiginus, however, would rather have it that this JUPITER, whoever he is, received the name OLYMPIUS from his teacher or guardian, whom DIONYSUS (when he ruled Egypt, and appointed this JUPITER, born of SATURN and RHEA and still a minor child, over the province) added unto Him: for he was said to have been named OLYMPUS (Diodorus Siculus, 31, Chapter 37) (Caelius Rhodiginus, Antiquae Lectiones, Book 22, Chapter 13). If that were so, this JUPITER could all the more be CHAM, since SATURN is NOAH (Bochartus, Phaleg, Book 1, Chapter 1), and DIONYSUS, the wine god, can suitably be the same NOAH, as he who planted the vine and fell into the sin of an excessive drunkenness (Genesis 9:20 ff.). He also gave him a master in the person of SHEM, his brother, to whom and his
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lineage the doctrine of faith, so necessary for salvation, has been especially entrusted. However, that they have named the master of this JUPITER OLYMPUS, has arisen from a gross misunderstanding: for it seems to us to have no other foundation than that they have made 'teacher' (Meester, Leider, etc. from 'leren' [to learn]) into a proper man's name, and pronounced it with the sound OLYMPUS.
§ VI.
Be that as it may, JUPITER, whoever He may have been, imparted his surname to the playground OLYMPIA (Strabo, Book 8). The Etymologicum Magnum would have us believe that this place obtained the name OLYMPUS from JUPITER himself. He, to express the esteem He had for it, gave it the name of his high abode. For it is said that He anciently had a seat of an oracle there; which may have been the imitation of the oracle of the EGYPTIAN or LYBIAN AMMON. He also had there Himself, after the demise of the oracle, a proud temple and a still prouder statue, both made from the spoils and plunder which the Eleans had taken from the Pisans and their allies. The temple was built in the Doric style, established on columns all around, the walls erected from local stone, the roof of precious marble, the height from the ground to the eagles that supported the pinnacles was sixty-eight feet, the width ninety-five, but the length two hundred and thirty feet (Pausanias, Book 5). The native LIBO had been its architect; although BYZAS OF NAXOS, by a skillful and new invention, bears the fame of having had the marble cut into tiles or roof-slates; for which also statues of honor were erected with poems of praise, that He was the first who had known
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how to carve the roof from stone. The other properties and magnificent decorations of the temple, see in Pausanias at the said place, who thereupon also begins to speak of the statue. His account amounts to this: the statue, made of ivory and gold, sat upon a high throne; a diadem and crown were around and upon the head; the left hand held the scepter, fashioned from various metals; an eagle was at its end; a golden cloak the statue had draped around itself; and golden shoes, wrought with birds and flowers, on its feet; the throne shone with gold and precious stones, in ivory settings; four statues of victory skipped at the feet of the throne: there were yet more statues; particularly painted on the forehead was the depiction of eight games of combat. There were also the Horae and many other things painted, together, in the manner of the ancients, with a deep meaning, which is not to be investigated further now. Strabo would have it that the statue, however costly and artful it was, would have been without the required fitness, which one calls proportion; for it was so large, that, sitting in the structure of that great temple, it reached too close to its vault, and that, if it were to stand up, it would have had to tear the roof (Strabo, Book 8): although Pausanias does not affirm this, but relates that it was so well made in all things, that JUPITER himself gave a sign of satisfaction and approval over it (Pausanias, at the cited place). Be that as it may, the statue was artfully wrought and magnificently attired. PHIDIAS, son of CHARMIDES (or, as Strabo says, of CHARMINUS), an Athenian, was the artist, aided, at least in the application of the art-paints or the painting, by his brother PANENUS, whom Strabo, however, calls PANDENUS, and says that he was the nephew of PHIDIAS (Strabo, at the cited place). PHIDIAS had further formed this mighty sculpture according to the precept of these verses from Homer (Homer: Iliad, Book 1, verse 529)
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That is;
He spoke, and the son of Saturn inclined with his brows
Which stand all-terrible, and have a blueish sheen,
As the sky is colored; his ambrosial hair
Waves up and down, so mightily He shakes it: and
The omnipotence of the King, who enjoys an eternal life,
Makes even, as often as He wills, the great Heaven tremble.
According to this description, brows, etc., had to be large and dreadful, and all other limbs conform thereto, and consequently the entire statue also had to be awesome and dreadful. From which it is to be seen, that if PHIDIAS did not observe the proportion between statue and temple, he did, however, strive for it with respect to the limbs of the statue: and thus he obtained from it among posterity an ineffable praise and everlasting remembrance, which was also proclaimed by the inscription that was placed at the feet of the statue: ME HATH PHIDIAS, SON OF CHARMIDES, THE ATHENIAN, MADE. See again Pausanias.
§ VII.
However, besides this wondrous structure, it is said that JUPITER had yet another statue of honor there: namely a statue of pure gold, which CYPSELUS, the Corinthian king, was said to have sent and consecrated to the OLYMPIAN JUPITER (Strabo, Book 8). Pausanias speaks of a costly and artful chest, of cedar wood, with golden, ivory, and cedar statues of manifold antiquities, magnificently wrought, which Cypselus was said to have dedicated to JUPITER, in memory- (Pausanias, Book 5)
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-that his mother had hidden him in a chest and so happily kept him alive. Pausanias further mentions other dedicated gifts, which had been sent to this JUPITER there also from foreign princes: for example, the throne, which ARIMNUS, king of the Tuscans, the first of the foreign gift-bringers, had donated: the costly curtain, of Assyrian weave and purple, given by king ANTIOCHUS: bronze horses, somewhat smaller than living ones, dedicated by CYNISCA in memory of the Olympic victory: a bronze tripod, upon which, before the table came into use, the crowns were laid, was also there: and more other things, of which I cannot now speak.
§ VIII.
JUPITER OLYMPUS could therefore do no less than give his name to the temple, in which He had such statues and other dedicated sanctuaries. From the temple, that name passed to the field; from the field to the games of exercise, which were therefore called the Olympic Games, all the more so because they were also dedicated and consecrated to that Olympian idol. Thus we have clearly enough discovered the origin of the appellation.