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…elis, the cradle of the olympic games…

Elis, the metropolis of the Olympic Games of antiquity!

The Eleians were from long ago particularly favored among the Peloponnesians

PausaniAs IV.28.4

Elis, the capital and most populous city of the homonymous state of Elis, was the faithful patron and at the same time proud hostess of the Olympic Games of antiquity. Its remains are preserved in the fertile plain of the northwestern Peloponnese, next to the Pinios River. Its habitation begins at approximately the beginning of the Middle Paleolithic (130/120000) and lasts, with small gaps, until the end of the early Byzantine era (7th century AD), when the city is abandoned.

Its history is lost in the depths of the centuries. Its mythical founder is considered to be Oxylos, who dates back to the 12th-11th century BC and was a descendant of Aetolos, son of Endymion and grandson of Aethlios. According to tradition, Oxylos, taking advantage of the descent of the Dorians, subdued the older inhabitants of the region and created the first settlement, thus achieving his return to his ancestral lands.

The city flourished having under its governance the magnificent Sanctuary of Zeus of Olympia in the valley of the Alpheus, when it subdued the once mythical kingdom of Pisa, in whose territory the Sacred Altis was included. Following an advice received from the oracle of Delphi, the king of Elis, Iphitos, a descendant of Oxylos, reorganized in 776 BC, the forgotten mythical Games and established the Sacred Truce as a condition for their safe implementation. The agreement of Iphitos on the sacred and inviolable borders of the kingdom and later city-state of Elis, created favorable conditions of prosperity and well-being, while at the same time boosting the glory of the capital and its entire region. 

“And Lycurgus the Lacedaemonian…. and Iphitos Elios…. and Kleosthenes Pisates…, being in peace and harmony with the multitude at this time. restoring, the Olympic festival they have known, restoring it to the ancient lawful and nakedly performing a struggle. And God shall give them a son of God to do it. And he commanded a truce of angels to the cities of the people to take part in the battle.”

Phlegon, extract 1,4 – F.Gr.Hist., 257 F 1,4

From 776 BC, the conventional date of the first Olympiad and over the course of centuries, the officials and priests of Elis, as organizers of the festival that was reverently and consistently repeated every four years in the sacred territory of the state of Elis, inspired, elaborated and consolidated the athletic competition, a solid code of rules and procedures, commonly accepted, for measuring the physical and mental strength of men. It was all done to honour the God and to glorify the “excellent”, the strongest and most devout believer.

According to the regulations, the preparation of the athletes lasted 40 days and took place in the sports facilities of Elis. All this time they were supervised by the Hellanodikai, judges of the games and responsible for the punishment of violators of the rules and the awarding of prizes to the winners. This procedure ensured that only those who had prepared satisfyingly were selected, while athletes with poor performances or who did not meet the standards for participation, were rejected.

Elis flourished until the period of the Roman Empire, wisely managing the Sanctuary of Zeus of Olympia and organizing the worship and the festival held there in an ingenious way. The Olympic Games were institutionalized by the Eleians and continuously evolved until their peak in the Classical era, becoming a model for all other athletic games that accompanied the worship events in the sanctuaries of the Greeks.

The theatre, the ancient market with the arcades, the sacred and public buildings, the main town with the streets, the houses, the shops, the workshops and the cemeteries, the rich findings of all periods, testify to the glorious past of the capital city of Elis. The written sources complete the picture of splendour, referring to sports facilities and other splendid monuments that confirm that Elis was a great and sacred metropolis, with a large and vivid population and with a sporting character and role.

The decline of the city comes with the prevalence of Christianity in late antiquity, the raids of various barbarian tribes and the natural disasters. The definitive devaluation and abandonment of the Sanctuary of Olympia, with which Elis was interconnected, brought the end of the city.

Abundant and important are the monuments revealed by the excavations carried out in recent years by the Ministry of Culture in the Archaeological Site of Elis. Among other works including deforestation, cleaning, tree planting, tour routes, placement of signs with explanatory texts, conservation of individual monuments, etc.

In the contemporary times, the archaeological site of Ilida is under the constant concern of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, which conducts excavations in the area. In anticipation of and after the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games, a significant restoration effort has been made, such as:

These revitalization efforts have uncovered and highlighted the site’s historical treasures, providing a unique experience for the visitors.