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Listed 31 sub titles with search on: Mythology  for wider area of: "ANCIENT OLYMPIA Municipality ILIA" .


Mythology (31)

Ancient myths

History of Ancient Olympia

OLYMPIA (Ancient sanctuary) ILIA
In the western Peloponnese, in a peaceful, idyllic valley, between Kronos Hill and the confluence of the rivers Alpheios and Kladeos, there flourished in ancient times one of the most important pan Hellenic sanctuaries: the Sanctuary of Olympia. At this Sanctuary, apart from rituals performed for healing, games called Olympic were also established from a very early period and, with the passage of time, attracted the attention of all the Greeks. With the Olympic Games, the ideal of noble rivalry found its complete expression and for many centuries forged the unity and peace of the Greek world. Hence the Sanctuary where they took place was recognized as one of the greatest pan Hellenic centers.

THE LEGEND

It has not yet been established when people first began worshipping at Olympia. However, archaeological finds show that the area was at least settled from the 3rd millennium B.C. it is also known that the first Sanctuary was the Gainon, which was found at the foot of Kronos hill and was dedicated to Geia (Earth), the wife of Ouranos (Heaven). That was also it is said, the most ancient oracle of Olympia (Pausanias V, 14, 10).
Later, Kronos - the youngest son of Geia and Ouranos - having deposed his father, was worshipped at Olympia with his wife, Rhea. According to Pausanias (V, 7 ,6) the people of that time, who were also called the people of the golden age, built a shrine to Kronos at Olympia. Besides, on the summit of Kronos Hill, which took this name from Kronos, there was on altar to the god, where the so-called "Basilai" every year made sacrifices in his honour (Pausanias VI, 20, 1).
In the course of the centuries came new gods. According to myth, Kronos swallowed his male children fearing that they might depose him, as he had deposed Ouranos. He has devoured two children, Poseidon and Hades, when Zeus was born. Then Rhea, having given Kronos a stone bound in swaddling clothes to swallow, handed the newborn child to five Cretan brothers, the Daktyloi of Isa or Kouretes, to conceal him and bring him up in Crete. When Zeus came of age, he asked Metis for help to overthrow Kronos. Metis gave Kronos some medicine to drink and so made him vomit the two children whom he had devoured. Then Zeus helped by his two brothers and three sisters. Hera, Hestia and Demeter, deposed Kronos after a terrible conflict lasting ten years, which is know as the Titanomachia (Battle between the Gods and the Titans).
Since the Olympian gods prevailed, from then on the Sanctuary of Olympia became positively the Sanctuary of Zeus. So in a series of local myths Zeus was associated with Olympia and the Games. One of these local myths says that the five Cretan brothers, the Kouretes, to whom Rhea had entrusted his guardianship, came from Crete to Olympia, where Zeus was weaned on the milk of Amalthea by the nymphs. At Olympia, the eldest of the five brothers, Hercules - not Hercules the son of Amphitrion and Alkmene- arranged foot races among his brothers and honored the winner with a crown of wild olive, which grew abundantly in the valley. Even Hercules called these games "Olympic" and appointed that they should take place every fifth year, since he and his brothers numbered five (Pausanias V,7, 6-9).
Other local myths also say that Zeus fought with Kronos at Olympia usurping the leadership and that he himself established the games because he overcame Kronos. It is also said that other gods competed at Olympia and that Apollo beat Ares at Boxing and outran Hermes (Pausanias V, 7, 10).
According to tradition Aethlios, the first king of Elis was also an organiser of the games. Aethlios was succeeded by his son Endymion, who in turn organised races at Olympia among his sons Paeon, Aetolus and Epeios, in order to leave his kingdom to the winner. Pelops too, after he beat King Oinomaos of Pisa in a chariot race and married the King's daughter Hippodameia, once again arranged at Olympia games in honor of Zeus, which it was said were the most memorable of all those which had been celebrated up till then.
When Augeias reigned over Elis, Hercules- son of Amhitrion and Alkmene- came to clean his stables. After the contest however, Augeias refused to give Hercules the cattle, which he had promised. Then Hercules marched against Augeias, and after conquering Elis, he arranged games at Olympia in honour of Zeus. At these games it is said that he himself was distinguished in Wrestling and in the Pankration. Finally, games at Olympia were also arranged by Oxylos, the King of Elis. After the reign of Oxylos however, the games were forgotten until the time of Iphitos, the great King of Elis (Pausanisas V, 8, 1-5).
Spiros Foteinos, ed.; Cited August 2002 from the Municipality of Olympia URL bellow, which contains images.

The first Olympic Games

Heracles, being the eldest, matched his brothers, as a game, in a running-race, and crowned the winner with a branch of wild olive. Heracles of Ida, therefore, has the reputation of being the first to have held, on the occasion I mentioned, the games, and to have called them Olympic. So he established the custom of holding them every fifth year, because he and his brothers were five in number. Now some say that Zeus wrestled here with Cronus himself for the throne, while others say that he held the games in honor of his victory over Cronus. The record of victors include Apollo, who outran Hermes and beat Ares at boxing. It is for this reason, they say, that the Pythian flute-song is played while the competitors in the pentathlum are jumping; for the flute-song is sacred to Apollo, and Apollo won Olympic victories.

Eponymous founders or settlers

Pisus

PISSA (Ancient city) ANCIENT OLYMPIA
The founder of the city, they say, was Pisus, the son of Perieres, the son of Aeolus. (Paus. 6.22.2)

Founders

Oenomaus (Oinomaos)

ARPINA (Ancient city) ANCIENT OLYMPIA
Founds city of Harpina.

Gods & demigods

Artemis Cordaca

PISSA (Ancient city) ANCIENT OLYMPIA
Cordaca (Kordaka), a surname of Artemis in Elis, derived from an indecent dance called ko/rdac, which the companions of Pelops are said to have performed in honour of the goddess after a victory which they had won. (Paus. vi. 22.1)

Heroes

Ion

HERAKLIA (Ancient city) ILIA
Son of Gargettus.

Demaenetus

LOUVRO (Village) ANCIENT OLYMPIA
Founds temple of Aesculapius.

Demaenetus

Perseus Project Index. Total results on 3/4/2001: 6 for Demaenetus.

   Alcathous, (Alkathoos). The son of Pelops and Hippodamia, who obtained as his wife Evaechme, the daughter of Megareus, by slaying the Cithaeronian lion, and succeeded his father-in-law as king of Megara. He restored the walls of Megara, which is therefore sometimes called Alcathoe by the poets. In this work he was assisted by Apollo. The stone upon which the god used to place his lyre while he was at work was believed, even in late times, to give forth a sound, when struck, similar to that of a lyre.

This text is from: Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Myrtilos (Myrtilus)

Perseus Encyclopedia

   Myrtilus, (Murtilos). Son of Hermes, by Cleobule or Myrto. He was the charioteer of Oenomaus, whose defeat by Pelops in the race was due to his treachery. When he demanded the reward that had been settled, the half of the realm of Oenomaus, Pelops threw him into the sea near Geraestus, in Euboea, and that part of the Aegean was thence called the Myrtoan Sea. He was placed among the stars as the constellation Auriga.

This text is from: Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Sphaerus or Cillas

Charioteer of Pelops, his tomb.

Chrysippus

Chrysippus (Chrusippos). A son of Pelops, carried off by Laius. This circumstance became a theme with many ancient writers, and hence the story assumed different shapes, according to the fancy of those who handled it. The death of Chrysippus was also related in different ways. According to the common account, he was slain by Atreus, at the instigation of his step-mother, Hippodamia.

This text is from: Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Chrysippus

Chrysippus (Chrusippos), a son of Pelops by the nymph Axioche or by Danaiis (Plut. Parall. Hist. Gr. et Rom. 33), and accordingly a stepbrother of Alcathous, Atreus, and Thyestes. While still a boy, he was carried off by king Laius of Thebes, who instructed him in driving a chariot (Apollod. iii. 5.5). According to others, he was carried off by Theseus during the contests celebrated by Pelops (Hygin. Feb. 271); but Pelops recovered him by force of arms. His step-mother Hippodamieia hated him, and induced her solns Atreus and Thyestes to kill him; whereas, according to another tradition, Chrysippus was killed by his either Pelops himself (Paus. vi. 20.4; Hygin. Flb. 85; Schol. ad Thuc. i. 9). A second mythical Chrysippus is mentioned by Apollodorus (ii. 1.5).

Hippalcmus

Hippalcmus, (Hippalkmos), the name of two mythical personages, the one a son of Pelops and Hippodameia, and the other an Argonaut. (Schol. ad Pind. Ol. i. 144; Hygin. Fab. 14.)

Heroines

Hippodameia (Hippodamia)

   Hippodamia, (Hippodameia). A daughter of Oenomaus, king of Pisa, in Elis, who married Pelops, son of Tantalus.

Historic figures

Harpina

ARPINA (Ancient city) ANCIENT OLYMPIA
Daughter of Asopus, beloved by Ares, mother of Oenomaus.

Harpinna, a daughter of Asopus, from whom the town of Harpina or Harpinna in Elis was believed to have derived its name. (Paus. vi. 21.6.) She became by Ares the mother of Oenomaus. (v. 22.5.)

Kings

   Oenomaus, (Oinomaos). King of Pisa in Elis, son of Ares and father of Hippodamia. An oracle had warned him that he should perish by the hands of his son-in-law; and as his horses were swifter than those of any other mortal, he declared that all who came forward as suitors for Hippodamia's hand should contend with him in a chariot-race, that whoever conquered should receive her, and that whoever was conquered should suffer death. The race-course extended from Pisa to the altar of Poseidon, on the Corinthian Isthmus. The suitor started with Hippodamia in a chariot, and Oenomaus then hastened with his swift horses after the lovers. He had overtaken and slain many a suitor, when Pelops, the son of Tantalus, came to Pisa. Pelops bribed Myrtilus, the charioteer of Oenomaus, to take out the linch-pins from the wheels of his master's chariot, and Pelops received from Poseidon a golden chariot and horses of great swiftness. In the race which followed, the chariot of Oenomaus broke down, and he fell out and was killed. Thus Pelops obtained Hippodamia and the kingdom of Pisa.
    There are some variations in this story, such as that Oenomaus was himself in love with his own daughter, and for this reason slew her lovers. Myrtilus also is said to have loved Hippodamia, and as she favoured the suit of Pelops, she persuaded Myrtilus to take the linch-pins out of the wheels of her father's chariot. As Oenomaus was breathing his last, he pronounced a curse upon Myrtilus. This curse had its desired effect, for as Pelops refused to give to Myrtilus the reward he had promised, or else because Myrtilus had attempted to dishonour Hippodamia, Pelops thrust him down from Cape Geraestus. Myrtilus, while dying, likewise pronounced a curse upon Pelops, which was the cause of all the calamities that afterwards befell his house.The tomb of Oenomaus was shown on the river Cladeus, in Elis. His house was destroyed by lightning, and only one pillar of it remained standing.

This text is from: Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Oenomaus : Various WebPages

Alxion

Father of Oenomaus.

Nymphs

Suitors

Marmax

PISSA (Ancient city) ANCIENT OLYMPIA
Suitor of Hippodamia, slain by Oenomaus.

Suitors of Hippodameia

According to the epic poem called the Great Eoeae the next after Marmax to be killed by Oenomaus was Alcathus, son of Porthaon; after Alcathus came Euryalus, Eurymachus and Crotalus. Now the parents and fatherlands of these I was unable to discover, but Acrias, the next after them to be killed, one might guess to have been a Lacedaemonian and the founder of Acriae. After Acrias they say that Oenomaus slew Capetus, Lycurgus, Lasius, Chalcodon and Tricolonus, who, according to the Arcadians, was the descendant and namesake of Tricolonus, the son of Lycaon. After Tricolonus there met their fate in the race Aristomachus and Prias, and then Pelagon, Aeolius and Cronius. Some add to the aforesaid Erythras, the son of Leucon, the son of Athamas, after whom was named Erythrae in Boeotia, and Eioneus, the son of Magnes the son of Aeolus.

Various

Parthenia and Eripha

Mares of Marmax.

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