I believe the Olympic Games were an overall success partly because of organisation and planning, namely the formation of the Sacred Truce- this guaranteed security and peace of mind to athletes and spectators. They were also a success because of the vital role played by the Judges (Hellanodikai). The Judges made all the necessary preparations, officiated the events and led the religious ceremonies. They made sure that the games were entertaining, only attended by high calibre athletes, well adjudicated and still in keeping with the spiritual ethos. I also believe there were other reasons which contributed to the success of the games namely, the desire for kleos and Greek Pride; having said that, I still believe that the latter factors, like the desire for kleos wouldn't have been achieved if not for the excellent organisation and planning. .
Firstly, the Olympics were very important; this made it essential for spectators and athletes to arrive without fear of harm. To this end, the Sacred Truce was formed King Iphitos of Elis re-established the games in the 9th century, he was exasperated with the wars destroying Greece so he created a Sacred Truce (the ekecheiria ) to ensure that just before and after the Olympics everyone was safe and had the peace of mind to participate or attend the games. These terms were engraved on a bronze discus and kept in the Temple of Hera in Altis (right). The truce lasted a month before the games and a month after the Games thus allowing athletes and spectators to travel safety to and from Olympia by land or sea. In order to make sure this Truce was known around the Greek world, each Olympic year the Judges (Hellanodikai) sent out 3 Scared Heralds, Delphi, Isthmia or Nemea, all wearing olive wreaths and carrying staffs. They travelled from Elis to each part of the Greek world to announce the date of the games, invite inhabitants to attend and most importantly to declare the Truce.
