Show CROWNED AT olympia honors paid to the victors in the grecian athletic contest immediately after each contest the successful athlete appeared before the judges and received a palm branch and his name was heralded before the assembled throng but at the close of all the contests on the final day of the fea cival the much coveted prizes were distributed tri buted into the altis at early morning streamed the long joyous procession headed by the judges the religious and civil authorities and the public guests escorting the now brilliantly clad athletes and horses be decked with flowers the sang they eang was a song of victory by Archi which began baito Ha ito thee powerful hercules conqueror in the aj mes and to thee also bolaus both famed for the spear tenella tenella an hail to the victor A little boy from the priestly class had already cut with a golden knife some branches from the olive tree planted by herault s and crowns made from these branches had been exposed in the temple of hi ra upon a beautiful elephant me table made by tolotea Ool otea the crowns were then brought to the temple of zeus where before the representatives of all grace the judges clad in purple crown od the heads of the victorious athletes this olympic crown as the supreme reward of greek ambition is well d in the story of diagoras himself a victor in the games he returned in his old age to axis two sons both bore off a prize and then ran and caught their father on their shoulders as the crowd of pilgrims belted pelted them with flowers die biag i cas they chod for thou hast nothing more to lve for with a sigh of joy the old mm expired the crowning of olympia did not end the victors glory their statues were made by the rui at famous sculptors their portraits pa m t ml by the most skillful artists their m verae they were feasted and maintained at public expense received seats of honor at the theater and were cherished as gods in the hearts of their countrymen As pindar has well expressed it he that overcome th hath because of the games a sweet tranquillity throughout his life the old olympic games by professor aw mar anand in C |