Prizes:
A wreath was the official prize for victory at each of the competitions. At Olympia the wreath was made from olive branches. The sacred olive tree from which the wreaths were made stood near the rear of the Temple of Zeus.
As the story goes, King Iphitos of Elis offerred the wreath as a prize because of the instructions of the Delphic Oracle. The Oracle told him to go to Olympia and find a tree that was covered in cobwebs because this was considered a sign of fertility. The tree soon became "the olive beautiful for its crowns" (Swaddling 90).
As the story goes, King Iphitos of Elis offerred the wreath as a prize because of the instructions of the Delphic Oracle. The Oracle told him to go to Olympia and find a tree that was covered in cobwebs because this was considered a sign of fertility. The tree soon became "the olive beautiful for its crowns" (Swaddling 90).
Ceremonies:
There were two different types of ceremonies in the history of the Olympic Games. Victors were crowned immediately after the competition, which was a practice in later times. Another version, included that victors would be crowned at the end of the festival during a special ceremony. The ceremony would be held in front of the statue in the Temple of Zeus. Until the ceremony, ribbons would be tied onto the victors head, arms and legs in order to signify victory (91).
Monuments and Coins:
The tradition of glorifying athletes in Greek art began in the first half of the sixth century B.C., when many of the games within the Olympic program had just been founded. True victors were celebrated at Olympia where they created a plethora of life-sized statues of winners. Most of these statues were made from bronze. Victors were painted onto vases, intended as athletic prizes (Herrmann 152). In addition, coins were created to commemorate the victory of wrestlers and horse-racers as well as other events at a later date (159).