Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity: The origins of the foremost athletic institution in the world

Its prominent location, next to the monuments where the Olympic Games were held, is intertwined with both the philosophy and the exhibits of the museum. Its exhibitions are housed in the so-called “Old Museum” or “Syngreion,” which originally served as the first Archaeological Museum of Olympia and was built in 1888 through a donation from Andreas Syngros.

Starting with the first cases of sport activity in the prehistoric Aegean, but also with examples of sports from Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece, the museum’s narrative is framed by the myth surrounding the origins of the Games,

Around 400 ancient works from Olympia, as well as from many other important archaeological sites and ancient cities of Greece, reveal both familiar and lesser-known aspects of the worship of the gods in whose honor the athletic contests were held.

The exhibition also explores major chapters in the fascinating history of the games at the great Panhellenic sanctuaries – Pythia, Isthmia, Nemea, and the Panathenaia. Special emphasis is placed upon the origins of the Olympic Games: to Zeus, his worship and its role in the organization of the contests and the preparation of athletes; to the events themselves; to the victors; and to the participation of women in athletics.

A satisfactory answer may never be found to the question of why women were forbidden to participate in the Olympic Games in antiquity, except as horse owners. Nevertheless, Cyniska, daughter of the Spartan king Archidamus and the first woman to raise horses in order to compete in the games, will forever inspire us by winning the tethrippon race.