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Writer's pictureRichard Crooks

Stop the war, and have a wrestle

Updated: May 5, 2022


Missy Bear at the port of Olympia

Missy Bear has sailed from Sicily across the Ionian Sea, through the Inland Sea and arrived at Katakolon, on the mainland Peloponnese. Incredibly, this would have been the route taken by some competitors travelling from the Greek polis in Magna Graecia to participate in the games at Olympia.


Those ancient athletes would have actually landed not at Katakolon, but at Feia, which is north of the peninsular. But that harbour sunk into the sea following an earthquake. (The last Ionian earthquake lifted the whole of Cephalonia by 60cm!) Apparently, you can snorkel to see the sunken ruins, but as the sea temperature is still only 17.4 Celsius, I’ll just have to imagine the scene instead.

Now, Katacolon port is also a destination for smallish cruise ships to decant thousands of passengers onto coaches which then whisk them away to Olympia, 45 minutes-drive away. Thankfully there wasn’t a cruise ship in when we visited the site.


The first Olympic games were held in 776 BC. They were normally held in July every four years and took part over five days. The events started on the day after the first full moon that followed the summer solstice. It sounds to me similar to how later western Christians decided on the date for Easter.


These ancient games were based on a sacred truce - the Ekeheiria - that was observed for the duration. Warring cities states such as Sparta and Messene would put aside their differences to partake in the events, presumably resuming hostilities after the games. The games followed the development of the Greek polis or city state. Winning became a status symbol which each polis used to showcase its prowess.

The initial entry criterion was that a competitor had to be a free Greek, with a clean criminal record. Competitors were mostly male, although the first races were for young girls competing to become the priestess of Hera. Married women were barred from competing, although they helped the organisation. It became a custom to compete naked (and covered in olive oil). This may have been to prove that the competitors were not women in disguise. It reminds me of the sketch in the Life of Brian when John Cleese suspects that those in the crowd - with squeaky voices and dodgy beards - about to stone Matthias are actually women, who are forbidden to participate.


Being naked in public had less of a stigma attached to it than today. The Renaissance tourists from Italy looked back at nude statues from Olympia - and other Greek sites - and basically recreated them, marvelling at the beauty of the naked human form. Nothing that Michelangelo did, had not been done before. (Discuss!) My exhibit is the statue of Hermes of Praxiteles, and I suggest that the Italian maestro must have seen that work before he chiselled David. According to the museum:

Hermes of Praxiteles

“The sculptor brought out the beauty of the figure by expressing the Olympian serenity of the god's face and the harmony of his body. The highly polished surface adds to the graceful and soft characteristics of the art of Praxiteles.”


The Italians still love a good naked form and still adorned their fountains in the 20th century with naked nymphs, such as at ‘La Fontana delle Naiadi’ in Rome. [Alix: no comment]


Anyway, the first Olympic winners were all from the Peloponnese. Athens – from north of the isthmus - didn’t win an event until 696 BC. The first win from mainland Italy was in 672 BC. Later, the games would be dominated by the Greek colonists. Like the Brits, the Peloponnesians invented games for others to then beat them at. Prizes were olive branches at first, but monetary winnings followed during the Roman occupation of Greece (when Romans were allowed to compete). Some repeat champions got to have sculptural portrait erected in the site.

Alix, Judith and Alastair at Nero’s Villa

We hired a car with our new sailing chums Judith and Alastair (on yacht ‘Money Penny’) and spent a very enjoyable day at this ancient site.

Judas Trees in full bloom amongst the ruins

Irrespective of the tumbled down archaeology, the site is a beautiful space in its own right, sitting below mount Cronus and passed by two rivers. The Judas Trees were in full bloom with their purple flowers that blossom before the leaves emerge. The site felt sacred and you could imagine why people wanted to gather there.


The site hosted the Panhellenic games for over a thousand years, but the Romans found it boring relative to their preferred gladiatorial combat, so interest waned. In 392 AD, Theodosius the Great - the Roman Emperor – banned the games. This is partly because he was a Christian and he saw the games as a pagan festival.

The Temple of Zeus post-earthquake

Ultimately earthquakes have razed all the temples, and two flooding rivers have covered the hippodrome and gymnasium in silt. The god of earthquakes and water – Poseidon – ultimately destroyed the Temple of Zeus (his brother). Excavations continue…

Come on baby, light my fire!

I believe the Olympic torch is still lit at the site every four years. With current world events, it’s a pity that Putin and Biden can’t be shipped here, strip-off, rub themselves in olive oil, and have a wrestle for bragging rights over Ukraine [Alix: anyone remember the video to Frankie Goes to Hollyood’s Two Tribes?]

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