By Virginia Saint-john
In antiquity, when the fame of a sanctuary spread beyond its immediate borders, it was believed that not only the sanctuary, but also its athletic competitions, were founded by gods and heroes and that they were the first to have taken part in the competitions. The beginnings of the Olympic games are lost, deep in the mists of time, but the myths concerning their foundation are many and varied and reflect the religious beliefs of the different peoples who inhabited the area.
One myth names the founder of the games as Heracles Idaeus, who came from Crete with his brothers, the Curetes, and organized a race with a wild olive branch as the prize. Another...
In antiquity, when the fame of a sanctuary spread beyond its immediate borders, it was believed that not only the sanctuary, but also its athletic competitions, were founded by gods and heroes and that they were the first to have taken part in the competitions. The beginnings of the Olympic games are lost, deep in the mists of time, but the myths concerning their foundation are many and varied and reflect the religious beliefs of the different peoples who inhabited the area.
One myth names the founder of the games as Heracles Idaeus, who came from Crete with his brothers, the Curetes, and organized a race with a wild olive branch as the prize. Another...
