The French painter Melson (1846-1920) created the oil painting "Fidipides Reports to athenians on the victory at the Battle of Marathon" based on Greek legend.
In the West, Herodotus (c. 484 BC – 425 BC) is known as the "father of historiography". His book History (Greek: Ἱστορίαι) provides important historical materials for future generations to study Greece and Persia. As for the Olympian festivals and games, Herodotus mentions it dozens of times in the History. Let's take a look at the story of the Olympic Games that took place in ancient Greece in ancient times.
Stone bust of Herodotus.
Give up the glory of victory and reconcile with political opponents
Miltiardis has a half-brother named Cimon. He escaped from Athens because of Perce Stratos, and he was desperate. During this time, he participated in the Olympic Games, competing in the four-horse chariot event. The carriage, a chariot moved by four horses, this event was the highlight of the ancient Olympic Games. Modern people jokingly call it the originator of formula racing.
In that competition, Chimon was lucky to win, and at the next Olympic Games, he won the championship again with the same horse. However, he ceded the glory of the winner to his former political enemy, Pescistratos. Therefore, he reconciled with his political enemies, and under a peace agreement, Chimon ended his exile and returned to his homeland. Later, he participated in another Olympic Games, winning a third victory with the same horse. But after the death of Perce Stratos, his sons did not spare Chimon and instructed a group of people to kill Chimon. After Chimon's death, the horse was buried next to his tomb.
Athenian soldiers encountered the priest and relayed the oracle
There was a soldier in Athens named Pheidippides (pheidippides), who was a long-distance runner and used this as a profession. Before the Battle of Marathon broke out, he received a task to report to the Spartans. On the way, he met Pan, the shepherd. Paine called his name and ordered him to question the Athenians, who, as always, treated the Athenians favorably and often treated them well, so why didn't the Athenians take Paine seriously?
Pidipides conveyed the oracle to the Athenians. The Athenians reflected, knowing that what the gods said was true. So when the city-state was settled, they built the Temple of Paine in the Acropolis. Every year, festivals and torch races are held to pray to the gods for mercy.
Pidipides left Athens and sent a message to the Spartans asking them to assist the Athenian soldiers and civilians.
By the 2nd century AD, the Syrian poet Lucian of Samosata (c. 125–180) wrote that Phedipides ran from marathon to Athens in one breath, shouting "Rejoice, we have triumphed," and died of exhaustion. In modern times, the French painter Luc-Olivier Merson (1846-1920) created the oil painting "Fidipides Reports to the Athenians on the Victory of the Battle of Marathon" (1869) based on Greek legends.
The ancient Greek version of "contest to recruit relatives" competed for the chariot to choose a son-in-law
The four-horse chariot event is the highlight of this Olympic Games. Herodotus mentions the event several times in History.
The monarch of Xijuon, Cleisthenes of Sicyon, had a daughter named Agaricti. He wanted to marry his daughter to the best man in all of Greece. That year, an Olympic Games was held, and in the four-wheel racing competition, Kleistines won. So he issued a statement that all those who thought they could be his son-in-law would rush to Xijuang within the stipulated time limit to play sports.
To this end, he also built a special race track and a wrestling field. To the candidates who arrived, Kleistines always treated them generously. In addition to his fighting skills, he also selected from the aspects of virtue, temperament, upbringing, and daily behavior. Eventually, he married his daughter to Megacles, the son of the great rich Arméon.
Misunderstood Oracle Tournament failed
Tisamenus of Elis was a diviner accompanying the army. He's from Ellis. After he got married, he remained childless. Because of this, he went to the Temple of Delphi to offer sacrifices and asked the oracle of Apollo to give instructions. The priestess Petiah was the prophetess who conveyed the oracle of Apollo. The prophet prophesied to him that he "would triumph in five great contests."
Tsamenos did not know the true intentions of the oracle and mistakenly thought that the gods had sent him to the tournament. So he strengthened his physical exercise, and for this purpose he carried out pentathlon training. However, at the Olympic Games, he failed to win the tournament due to the failure of the wrestling event. In fact, one Spartan man understood the oracle of Apollo, not to let Tisamenos compete in sports events, but to say that he would win five wars. This turned out to be true.
Egyptian think tanks rejected Greek lobbying
When Pusamith ruled Egypt, there was a city-state in the northwestern part of the ancient Greek Peloponnese Peninsula called Iris. One year an envoy from Iris met with Psamis and proclaimed to the king that their country had hosted the Olympia tournament in the most just, just and most just manner. Although the Egyptians were also very wise, they could not host the Olympic Games well. The Greeks want to export their values to Egypt through the Olympics.
So the king of Egypt summoned a think tank in the country and held a high-level meeting. They asked the Greek envoys in detail about the rules of the tournament. Finding that the rules were flawed and unfair to the foreigners, he rejected the lobbying of the Ellis envoys.
In the fifth volume of history, Alexander of Macedonia participated in the Olympic Games and was about to enter the arena, but the Greek athletes did not allow him to enter. Their reasoning was that the tournament was a contest between Greeks and foreigners were not eligible to participate. Alexander proved to be An alpine, so the organizers judged him to be Greek. As a result, Alexander achieved a tie for first place in the sprint event. ＠＊ #
Source: [Ancient Greece] Herodotus, Historia II/V/VI/VIII/IX.