The First Olympic Games

Marble statue of a bearded Hercules, A.D. 68–98. Roman, Early Imperial, Flavian. Marble, 93 3/4 in. (238.20 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mrs. Frederick F. Thompson, 1903 (03.12.14)

«Are you excited to watch the 2018 Winter Olympics? According to Greek myths, Herakles, known to us as Hercules, held the first Olympic Games. Want to know why?»

Herakles was famous for his great strength. He was not only strong: Herakles was also an amazing athlete. According to Greek myths, he held the first Olympic Games to honor his father, the powerful Greek god Zeus. The original Olympic sports included running races, jumping contests, wrestling, and boxing.

What is your favorite winter Olympic sport? Work with a partner to capture some athletic poses. Let one person pose as an Olympic athlete (for example, a runner waiting to start, or mid-race), while the other person draws or photographs the pose. Then switch roles and have the second person pose while the first draws or snaps a photo. You can include modern Olympic sports like figure skating, snowboarding, basketball, skiing, gymnastics, or swimming.

Put your drawings and photos together to create an Olympic poster!

Find out more about Herakles' death-defying deeds by visiting Herakles the Archer on #MetKids.

Visit #MetKids, a digital feature made for, with, and by kids! Discover fun facts about works of art, hop in our time machine, watch behind-the-scenes videos, and get ideas for your own creative projects.