L'Olimpiade (The Olympiad) is a libretto by Pietro Metastasio, originally written for an opera by Antonio Caldara. After Caldara's version, dozens of other composers reused Metastasio's text with their own music, creating their own interpretations of the opera.
The story is loosely adapted from events in the sixth book of The Histories, by the Greek historian Herodotus.
Megacles decides to compete in the Olympic Games under the alias Lycidas, the name of a friend who once saved his life. King Clistene promises his daughter Aristea's hand in marriage to the winner of the games. The real Lycidas is already besotted with Aristea, and the imposter Megacles also falls in love with her — an affection that seems to be mutual.
All of this is complicated by the presence of Princess Argene of Crete, who was once betrothed to Lycidas and now, disguised, seeks to win him back. Revelations about identity and prophecy further tangle things. Will romance win the day? Or will the only rewards for this contest be heartbreak, exile and death...
Metastasio was court poet at the Viennese court, and originally wrote the libretto for the birthday celebrations of Empress Elisabeth Christine. The court's composer, Antonio Caldara, crafted the accompanying music and the opera debuted in 1733.
The following year, Antonio Vivaldi reused the libretto for his own version of the opera. A year later Giovanni Battista Pergolesi did the same thing. Many other composers followed their example, generally leaving the libretto unchanged but completely replacing the music.
L'Olimpiade contains examples of the following tropes:
- Cross-Cast Role: Megacle, the opera's male lead, is a soprano role in several versions of the opera. Originally sung by a castrato, in modern productions the role normally goes to a woman.
- Driven to Suicide:
- After confessing to his impersonation of Lycidas, Megacles leaves in despair and seemingly drowns himself. It's later revealed that he's rescued by a fisherman and not actually dead, though.
- After hearing that Megacles has drowned himself, Aristea attempts to kill herself as well, and is only prevented by Argene.
- George Lucas Altered Version: Metastasio and Caldara's opera has been reinvented by at least fifty other composers. In most cases, they've completely abandoned Caldara's music but kept most of Metastasio's libretto, sometimes changing character names and plot details.
- Moses in the Bulrushes: After hearing a prophecy that his own son would kill him, King Clistene abandons him as a baby. It nearly becomes a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, as the child grows up as Lycidas, who plots Clistene's murder after the king exiles him. Argene's intervention reveals his true identity and sets things on a happier path.
- Standard Hero Reward: King Clistene declares that the winner of the Olympic Games shall marry his daughter, Aristaea.
