Nemea
According to the tradition, Nemea began in 573bC and took place every two years, during the second full moon, after the summer’s solstice and comprised a part of the grand, Panhellenic games. The games took place inside the sacred space of the Temple of Nemeos Zeus, where there was a racecourse and a stadium housing 40.000 spectators. Their winner was crowned with celery wreaths and the names of the great winners still lie engraved on the rocks of the stadium.
The history that governs the establishment of the Nemea comes from very far, from the times of the expedition of the seven of Thebe. God Dionysus, protector of the land of Kadmos-Thebe, wanting to deter the expedition, destroyed everything on the way of the generals, burning the Cereals and poisoning the Springs.
Reaching Nemea, hungry and thirsty, the soldiers met Limnos’ exiled queen Ipsipili, nutrient of Opheltes, son of Nemea’s priest Lycourgos and were led by her to a spring nearby. Ipsipili, wanting to offer entreaty to God Dionysus in order to leave the spring clean, left young Opheltes on the wild celeries. A snake bit Opheltes, though, and he died. Thus, the prophesy of the oracle of Delphi was fulfilled for young Opheltes. The Oracle prophesized that something really nasty would happen if young Opheltes touched the ground before he was able to walk.
In order to placate the Gods, but also the Minister of the Temple, the seven of Thebe founded the Nemea in honor of the event. The oracle Tiresias, who accompanied the expedition, advised the generals not to continue from Thebe, because the omens were not in favor of them and named Opheltes “archimoro” (beginning of the bad fate). The Generals did not listen, the expedition continued and nobody returned.
In the summer 1996, thanks to the attempts of both the Municipality of Nemea and the American Archaeological School, the games revived after 2,300 years.
It is considered to be an international sporting event that is held every four years, which aims to originally restore the connection of today with the ancient Greek athletic ideal.
People of 12 to 88 years of age, regardless of sex, color, beliefs, performance exempt from stress of distinction or of coming first, come to Nemea as spectators, athletes, to feel the joy of participation, the feeling of bonding of countries and people, the splendor of noble rivalry.
Everything is plain, firm, ritual, without extremities. The Nemea is a challenge and an invitation for the man of today. The Nemea was a Panhellenic feast in honor of Zeus, in the valley of Nemea, situated between the plains of Cleonas and Fliounta.
The games lasted for many days and-as foe all Panhellenic events-they always took place in a period of truce. After the sacrifice to Nemeos Zeus, the nudist and equestrian games started, which were stadium, dolichos, equestrian road, road of men-at arms, wrestling, boxing, pangration, pentathlon, chariot. For the nudist games there were three categories of athletes, children, adolescents and men.
The Nemea continued to have a deathly character, revealed by black clothes worn by Ellanodikes as well as by the park-bocage of cypresses around the sanctuary of Zeus. As in the Olympia, musical games were not included in the Nemea. Firstly, the city of the Cleons controlled the games, but later on Argos undertook their organization.
Information: www.nemeagames.gr
& www.nemea.org STADIUM MODERN GAMES