The olive wreath, also known as kotinos (Greek: κότινος), was the prize for the winner at the ancient Olympic Games. It was a branch of the wild olive tree Elaia Kallistephanos that grew at Olympia, entwined to form a circle or a horse-shoe. The branches of the sacred wild-olive tree near the temple of Zeus were cut by a pais amphithales (Ancient Greek: παῖς ἀμφιθαλής, a boy whose parents were both alive) with a pair of golden scissors. Then he took them to the temple of Hera and placed them on a gold-ivory table. From there, the Hellanodikai (the judges of the Olympic Games) would take them, make the wreaths and crown the winners of the Games.
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👉 Olive wreath in the context of Coroebus of Elis
Coroebus of Elis (Ancient Greek: Κόροιβος Ἠλεῖος, Kóroibos Ēleîos; Latin: Coroebus Eleus fl. c. 776 BC) was a Greek cook, baker, and athlete from Elis. He is remembered as the winner (ολυμπιονίκες, olympioníkes) of the first recorded Olympics, which consisted of a single footrace known as the stade or stadion. He is frequently described as having won the first Olympic Games, but Eusebius and other ancient writers stated that he was simply the first recorded winner, variously placing the first games in the Heroic Age, 27 olympiads before Coroebus, or 13 olympiads before. Coroebus being the earliest winner known to Hippias, his is still reckoned the "1st Olympiad"; following Hippias's dating, his victory is generally placed in the summer of the year 776 BC. The stadium at Olympia was one stade (600 Greek feet, 630.8 English feet, 192.27 m) long and the competition was still clothed in his time, naked competition beginning with Orsippus around 720 BC. For winning the race, Coroebus received an olive wreath and was later revered by the people of Elis, his grave still being known in the time of Pausanias.
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Olive wreath in the context of Olea oleaster
Olea oleaster, or wild olive, is a subspecies of the cultivated olive tree, Olea europea. Originating in the Mediterranean Basin, it is considered an ancestor to the modern olive, which was likely domesticated during the fourth and third millennia BCE from multiple local populations.
The wild olive (Ancient Greek κότινος / kótinos), which ancient Greeks distinguished from the cultivated olive (ἐλαία / ἐλἀα), was used to fashion the olive wreath awarded victors at the ancient Olympic games. The ancient and sacred wild olive tree of Olympia stood near the Temple of Zeus, patron of the games.