The Olympia:

The Olympia:

Antonides picks up his pen once more. The reason: "Firstly, it served to refresh his weary spirit and restore his exhausted strength, which he had exerted in researching the Holy Scriptures" (Wumkes 1949). "Olympia" was born, a comprehensive study of the history and course of the ancient Olympic Games.

Throughout this, he never lost sight of the Bible. He saw a clear connection between what took place in the Olympic stadium and the stories from the Bible. Wumkes (1949) says the following about this:

Antonides did not live to see the publication of this work. His son Meinardus ensured its publication in 1732. The publisher was: Widow J. Cost, bookseller at the Market. A second edition followed in 1733. The publisher was: Warnerus Febens of Groningen.

Was "Olympia" particularly special? Yes, the timing is remarkable: The Classical Olympic Games were many centuries behind him, and the modern Olympic Games were not yet in existence. The book was therefore published in an era without Olympic Games.

The second thing that is special about this Olympic book is that it is the first book worldwide to describe the ancient Olympic Games in its own language instead of Latin.

The third thing that is special is the fact that Theodorus Antonides is a Protestant minister. He writes about what he considers to be pagan Games. In "Olympia," Antonides not only described the sports and rules of the Games but also delved deeply into the religious, cultural, and social context in which the Games took place. He analyzed the role of the Games in Greek society and highlighted the values and ideals associated with them.