The First Olympic Games: A Gruesome Greek Myth With a Happy Ending

by Jean Richards, Kat Thacker (Illustrator)

After Pelops, son of Tantulus and grandson of the Greek god Zeus, wins the hand of Hippodamia in a chariot race, he decrees that Olympic games are to be held every four years.

Genres: Picture Books, Mythology

40 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jose Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richards did a excellent job in telling the Greek myth about how the first Olympic games started. The story begins with the demi god Tantalus killing his son Pelops by chopping him up and making a stew to feed the gods of Mt. Olympus. The gods did not like this for they did not agree with human sacrifice so they punished Tantalus by sending him to the underworld. Their Tantalus is sentenced to an unpleasant life time of abuse. He is surrounded by water and fruit but he is never allowed to get to reach it when he wants it. His son, Pelops is brought back to life by the gods of Mt. Olympus and is given a gift. The gift is a chariot of fine horses. Zeus sends him of to find a kingdom where he would become a great ruler. He finds a kingdom were in order for Pelops to become the ruler and marry the young princes he has to defeat the old king in a chariot race. If Pelops loses his head gets chopped of just like the other 12 men before him. The princes Hippodamia makes a wish and the stable boy hears it so he decides to replace the old kings chariot pins with candle wax pins. The old king ends up dead but Pelops and Hippodamia decide to honor him and invite heroes from all over Greece to compete in athletic games and races. The story concludes with the city of Olympia being destroyed by an great earthquake and a flood destroying the city. Archaeologists rediscover the city in 1875 and the Olympic games are reestablish as an international event.
The illustrator Kat Thacker does an incredible job capturing the Greek spirit through water color pictures and mixed media on sepia print. She was inspired for this project by the art found on Greek pottery.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at the first Olympics. Provides a brief introduction to Tantalus, as well as Pelops.