Myths and the Olympic Games Pelops myth †http://www.nostos.com/o
lympics/#Myths%20Surrounding%20the%20Olympic%20Games several
Greek myths about how the games were started. The most common
myth was the story of the hero Pelops, after whom the
Peloponnese is named ("Pelopsí isle"). The story of Pelops was
displayed prominently on the east pedimental sculptures of the
Temple of Zeus. Pelops was a prince from Lydia in Asia Minor who
sought the hand of Hippodamia, the daughter of King Oinomaos
Oinomaos challenged his daughter's suitors to a chariot race
under the guarantee that any young man who won the chariot race
could have Hippodamia as a wife. Any young man who lost the race
would be beheaded, and the heads would be used as decoration for
the palace of Oinomaos. With the help of his charioteer
Myrtilos, Pelops devised a plan to beat Oinomaos in the chariot
race. Pelops and Myrtilos secretly replaced the bronze linchpins
of the King's chariot with linchpins made of wax. When Oinomaos
was about to pass Pelops in