Olive wreath facts for kids
The olive wreath, also called the kotinos, was the special prize given to winners at the Ancient Olympic Games. It wasn't a medal, but a crown made from a branch of a wild olive tree. This specific tree, known as Kallistefanos Elea, grew near the famous site of Olympia in Greece.
The branches were carefully cut from a sacred wild olive tree. A special boy, called a pais amphithales (meaning a boy whose parents were both alive), used golden scissors for this task. He would then take the branches to the temple of Hera, where they were placed on a beautiful gold and ivory table. From there, the Hellanodikai, who were the judges of the Olympic Games, would create the wreaths. They used these wreaths to crown the champions of the Games.
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History of the Olive Wreath
The olive wreath has a long and interesting history.
How the Wreath Began
According to an ancient writer named Pausanias, the hero Herakles first introduced the olive wreath. He supposedly started giving it as a prize for the winner of the running race. This was done to honor his father, Zeus, the king of the gods.
In the ancient Olympic Games, there were no gold, silver, or bronze medals like today. There was only one winner for each event. That winner received an olive wreath. These wreaths were made from the leaves of a sacred wild olive tree. This tree grew near the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.
Modern Olympics and the Wreath
The tradition of the olive wreath was honored again in modern times. During the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, olive wreaths were given out. This was a special way to remember the ancient games. The olive wreath was even used as the official symbol for those Olympic Games.
A Story of Virtue and Honor
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus shared a famous story about the olive wreath. The Persian king Xerxes was asking some Greek soldiers why so few men were defending Thermopylae. The soldiers replied, "All other men are participating in the Olympic Games."
Xerxes then asked, "What is the prize for the winner?" The answer was simple: "An olive-wreath." One of Xerxes' generals, Tiritantaechmes, was amazed. He said, "Good heavens! Mardonius, what kind of men are these against whom you have brought us to fight? Men who do not compete for possessions, but for virtue!" This story shows how much the Greeks valued honor and achievement over material wealth.
More About the Wreath's Value
The Greek writer Aristophanes even made a funny comment about the olive wreath in his play Plutus. He joked about Zeus being poor because he only gave wild olive wreaths instead of gold to Olympic winners. This shows that even though it wasn't gold, the olive wreath was still a highly respected prize.
Victorious athletes were greatly honored and celebrated. Their achievements were recorded so that future generations could remember them. In fact, the names of Olympic winners helped create the timeline of the ancient world. This was put together by the historian Timaeus in his work, The Histories.
Cultural Significance
The olive wreath is also mentioned in many cultural references. For example, the first line of the Mexican national anthem talks about the homeland keeping the olive wreath around its "temples." This wreath was supposedly given by a holy archangel, meaning that God himself had planned the country's destiny.
See also
In Spanish: Corona de olivo para niños
