The Pelopeia was a festival commemorating Pelops, mythological hero for whom the Peloponnese was named, celebrated particularly at Olympia where his shrine stood. Rituals preceded the Olympic Games, as Pelops was considered the games' founder. The festival included sacrifices, hero worship, and remembrance of his legendary chariot victory. In poetry, Pelopeia evokes heroic foundation myths, athletic origins, and regional identity, appearing in works exploring Olympic traditions, hero cult, the intersection of myth and athletic competition, and the Greek practice of grounding cultural institutions in legendary figures whose stories sanctified ongoing practices.

Pelopeia honors Pelops, legendary hero of Elis and Olympia's mythological founder. The festival's connection to Olympic Games emphasizes Pelops's importance in Elean religious and athletic traditions. Understanding Pelopeia helps contextualize hero worship's role in Greek athletic festivals and how legendary figures sanctified ritual spaces. The festival demonstrates how Greeks integrated local hero cult with pan-Hellenic athletic celebrations, connecting regional mythology to broader Greek cultural institutions.