The Olympics started out as a travel fest: All about the ancient Greek Games

“In ancient Greece, entire eras were measured by Olympiads. It’s how history was arranged. The Olympics were that important.” – Tony Perrottet

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Tony discuss how the ancient games was a religious festival, now it was never delayed, and why it was important (2:00) non-sports events that happened the the ancient Games, performance enhancing potions, and Greek competitiveness (17:00); the sporting events competed in the ancient games, and how they differed from modern sports (24:00); the training and diet that went into the games, aristocrats versus commoners who competed, and which ancient Olympians are still remembered (32:00); and what non-Greeks thought to the games, Greek skeptics of the games, and what it’s like to travel to the old sites of the ancient Greek games (45:30).

Tony Perrottet (@TonyPerrottet) is the author of six books, including Pagan Holiday: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists; The Sinner’s Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe; and The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Greek Games, upon which this interview is based.

Notable Links:

• Ancient Olympic Games (sporting festival)
• Olympia, Greece (location of the ancient Games)
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia (ancient tourist attraction)
• Herodotus (ancient Greek historian)
• Pausanias (ancient Greek geographer)
• Symposium (ancient Greek drinking banquet)
• Monty Python (British comedy troupe)
• Gilgamesh (Mesopotamian mythological hero)
• Enkidu (Mesopotamian mythological hero)
• Funeral games (ancient honor ritual)
• Pankration (ancient fighting sport)
• Ben Hur (epic historical movie)
• Pierre de Coubertin (founder of the modern Olympics)
• Milo of Croton (ancient Greek wrestler)
• 300 (2007 epic historical movie)
• Battle of Thermopylae (ancient Greek battle)
• Diogenes the Cynic (ancient Greek philosopher)
• Karate gets its due at the Olympics, by Tony Perrottet (article)

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

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