Ancient Olympic Games in other locations

In ancient Greece there were athletic events based on the Olympic Games in many places .

Some are known only through inscriptions or coins, but others, such as the Olympic Festival of Antioch, were famous in their time.

After several of these festivals had established themselves, the ancient Olympic Games were inscribed with the addition of Pisa several times .

Antioch on the Orontes . In Daphne , a small town 40 stadia from Antioch. There was a great holy grove there, watered by many wells. The festival was originally called Daphnea and was dedicated to Apollo and Artemis , but was renamed the Olympic Games after the Antiochians paid for the privilege of calling the Games Olympic in AD 44 . However, it was not held regularly as an Olympic festival. It started on the first day of the month of Hyperberetaios . It was presided over by an alytarch. The celebration was abolished by Justin I in AD 521. The writings of Libanios and John Chrysostom contain different information about the periods of the holding of these games.

Dion in Macedonia. These games were founded by Archelaus I and lasted nine days, corresponding to the number of the nine muses. Euripides wrote the dramas The Bacchae and Archelaos there , which were also performed there. They were celebrated with great splendor by Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great .