A notable late addition to the buildings at Olympia was the Philippeion, a tholos
similar to the Athenian rotunda at Delphi (fig. 26) with a colonnade of sixteen columns
prominently situated within the Altis near one of the main entrances. Inside were
statues of Philip, his parents, his wife Olympias and his son Alexander. The sculptor
used gold and ivory for their attire and marble for the flesh. Evidently no expense was
spared. The building at this most sacred site, housing Philip’s dynasty almost in the
manner of gods, was a clear expression of Macedonian power and dominance.
The solemn importance of the games is further indicated by the fact that in the
month in which they were held, there was a general armistice throughout Greece.
This time was called the hieromenia,‘the holy time of the month’. Olympia was in the
district of Elis, so that the regulation of the games devolved upon the Eleians, who
appointed the judges and administered the competitions. The seriousness with which
the Olympic law was regarded and upheld is indicated in a remarkable account in
Thucydides’ history of an altercation between the organizers and the Spartans. The
Eleans accused the Spartans of deploying their hoplites during the period of the
Olympic truce and fined them accordingly. The Spartans protested, claiming that the
truce had not been proclaimed at Sparta at the time they sent their hoplites (5, 49).
Although the Spartans did not back down and pay the fine, they did not, as the Eleans
feared they might, intervene by force, although they were engaged in the long
Peloponnesian war at the time and could easily have done so. Though they contested
the judgement against them, they were restrained by respect for the Olympic law.
The festival extended over five days. The first was largely ceremonial with
sacrifices (including a hecatomb at the opening), prayers and divination and included
oath-taking by competitors and judges to play fair and uphold the rules. On the
second day came the chariot and horse racing and the pentathlon, on the third, the
foot-races, on the fourth, wrestling, boxing, the pankration(a mixture of the two with
scarcely any rules) and the hoplitodromos(a race wearing armour), and on the fifth
the crowning of the victors and the closing ceremonial. Interspersed, there were
processions, recitals by poets, choral contests and recitals, sightseeing tours, feasting
and revelry.
All Greeks were eligible to compete, though foreigners could only be spectators.
Only unmarried women were allowed to watch. There were separate women’s games
in honour of Hera. There were also different competitions for young boys. The only
prize was a laurel wreath, but victors could expect artistic celebration if funds could
beprovided, either in the form of a statue (the remains of many have been excavated
at the site of Olympia) or poetic praise, either at the time of victory or when they
returned home (as in Pindar’s epinician odes). Ambassadors attended from various
states and competed with one another in magnificent style, for the event was
evidently potentially the cause of much prestige. Here is Alcibiades boasting to the
Athenian assembly:
114 THE GREEKS