Olympia

Olympia is the place to explain the legend regarding how The Peloponnese got its name, or more correctly, who the Peloponnese is named after and why. The reason for this lies in the archaeological museum here and more about this at the end of this description of Olympia. If you visit Olympia in the summer months, it’s best to look around the site in the earlier part of the day and then go into the museum or museums when the sun becomes hotter. 

Pelops is the central figure in the legend, and The Peloponnese is named after him. He was the son of Tantalus and the father of Atreus, about whom I’ve already written in the story about Mycenae. Pelops wanted to marry Hippodamia, who was the daughter of the local king, Oenomaos. The only problem was that Oenomaos had been told by an oracle that his son-in-law would kill him. He had a very secure method of ensuring no one would ever marry Hippodamia and this was to challenge her suitor to a chariot race where the winner would put the loser to death. 

Oenomaos had an advantage in that the horses on his chariot team had wings. Somehow, Pelops bribed the royal charioteer to sabotage the chariot of Oenomaos and, sure enough, during the race, a wheel fell off and Pelops was the winner. He duly killed Oenomaos, married Hippodamia, and became king of the area that now bears his name, The Peloponnese. According to legend, Hercules established the gymnastics and athletic contests in honour of Pelops. 

The Olympic Games started in 776 BC and it’s thought the famous Spartan law-giver, Lycurgus, may have been one founder, along with a King Iphitos of Pisa, an ancient city very close to where Olympia is located. They had the idea to invite people from all over Greece to attend and compete, so they declared a truce for an entire month to entice attendance. The sporting contests took place during the summer at the same time as religious ceremonies.