130th Olympics 130th Olympics 130th Olympics

 

The Hellanodikai

During the Games, the Hellanodikai, dressed in purple robes, sit together in the only stone seats in the stadium.


The Hellanodikai, Judges of the Hellenes

The administration of the Olympic Games is the responsibility of the Hellanodikai, 10 men chosen from among the best families of Elis.

meet the judges image

 

Schedule and announce upcoming Olympic Games

Every four years, the Hellanodikai dispatch three heralds, called spondophori, wearing olive wreaths and carrying staffs to all of Hellas to announce the date of the next Olympic Games and to spread the word of the traditional Olympic truce. This three-month truce allows athletes and spectators to travel safely to the Games. The truce suspends

  • all hostilities between city-states
  • legal disputes
  • all official executions
  • attempts to threaten or conquer Elis

City-states that violate the truce may be fined or their athletes may be banned from the Games.

Oversee athletic training

Only the greatest of the world’s athletes compete in the Olympics. Before arriving at Olympia, each contestant must train for ten months. A final month of training takes place in Elis under the scrutiny of the Hellanodikai. The athletes’ superb physical condition is readily evident, as they train and compete while naked.
Choose the competitors
Only the worthiest athletes training in Elis are selected to compete in the Games. The Hellanodikai take into account not only a candidate’s athletic ability but also his character and moral fiber.
Judge the events and award prizes
So honest are the people of Elis that athletes from that city-state are permitted to compete in the Games, even though their fellow citizens serve as the judges. The Hellanodikai present the prizes to the victors–purple ribbons and wreaths woven from branches of olive leaves. These branches are cut by a boy with a golden sickle from an ancient wild olive tree that grows in the Altis.
Enforce Olympic Rules
fine or expel those who do not abide by the rules

 

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2002 World Book copyright