What Were the Olympic Wreaths Made Of?

The Olympic Games date back to about 776 B.C. At that time the Olympic Games were held in Ancient Greece as a celebration of the god Zeus, and consisted of running races and several field events. Instead of winning various medals as they do in modern times, the winning athletes were adorned with wreaths.

  1. Olive Branches

    • According to Greek legend, King Iphitos was commanded by the Delphi Oracle to plant a special olive tree; this tree was found at the back of the temple of Zeus. Olympic organizers cut branches from this specific tree to create the wreaths that the winners of the races and events would wear with honor. The winners then paraded through the olive grove in which the special tree grew as a part of the celebration.

    Other Plants

    • The olive wreaths were used for as long the Olympic games were held in Ancient Greece. Once the games began moving around among different locations, the composition of the wreaths changed, and plants that were native to the location of the games were used to create the wreaths instead. While the meaning of the wreath remained the same, the meaning behind the use of the olive branches was no longer necessary. Some of the other plants used included laurel and balissic.

    Form of the Wreath

    • The Olympic wreaths, also known as laurel wreath, were formed from tree branches to sit on the winner's heads. In the case of the olive wreaths, the branches were most often formed into a complete circle. However, in the instance of the more commonly recognized laurel wreath, one side of the wreath was left open. This symbol can be seen on many objects such as coins, flags and the modern Olympic medals.

    Olympic History

    • While the actual start of the Olympic games is difficult to pinpoint, the records begin at 776 B.C. The games began with just one foot race and expanded to several foot races as well as field events, such as the javelin throw, discus toss and boxing. The ancient Olympics, however, ended in 394 A.D. when Rome defeated Greece and determined the practice to be a pagan ritual. The Olympics did not begin again until 1896. When the Olympics were revived, the wreaths were no longer used.