InGreek mythology,Ekecheiria,Ekekheiria, orEcechiria (/ɛsɪˈkaɪri.ə/;[1]Ancient Greek: Ἐκεχειρία means 'armistice, truce') was the spirit and personification oftruce,armistice, and cessation of hostilities.[citation needed] The term is also used to refer to theOlympic truce. The ancient Greeks hostedOlympiads for almost 600 years, and whenever the games were announced, Truce Heralds fromOlympia went to all participating nations and city states to call for the laying down of arms. The truce was considered sacred, and only two violations are found in the records: Soldiers ofPhilip of Macedon were convicted of robbing travellers on their way to the games, leading to the Macedonian king being fined, and a King ofSparta was subject to a similar fine.Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, tried to invoke Ekecheiria duringWorld War I in order to continue with the1916 Games in Berlin. However, he was unsuccessful, and the games were cancelled.[2]
