Says the exhibition handbook: “The festivals constituted a basic opportunity in which the Greeks, out of respect for their gods, put aside their endless and frequently violent disputes, and succeeded in sublimating their typical competitive spirit into a peaceful but equally sincere achievement: that of athletic competition. ”
ومع الوقت ،‏ ازدادت اهمية اربعة انواع من هذه المهرجانات المخصصة للآلهة —‏ الاولمپية والنيمية للإله زفس ،‏ الپيثْيادية للإله أپولّو ،‏ والبرزخية للإله پوسيدون —‏ حتى اصبحت شائعة عند جميع الشعوب اليونانية .‏