Final answer:
Initially, the Isthmian games awarded pine crowns, but this changed to crowns of oak or laurel leaves, which were symbols of victory and associated with the power and vitality of the plants.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Isthmian games initially awarded crowns of pine to their victors. Over time, this tradition evolved, and the crowns were changed to another material. In ancient traditions, crowns made from various plants, like oak and laurel leaves, symbolize victory.
These organic materials were thought to carry the vitality and power of the plants from which they were taken. Oak and laurel, in particular, are significant because they have long been associated with triumph and accolades in various cultures.
For instance, the Soviet war propaganda often utilized the imagery of laurel and oak to represent victories, with Stalin's portrait being enclosed in a garland of these leaves after successes in WWII. The use of laurel especially became a symbol of victory in many athletic events, in reference to celebrated heroes or deities associated with those events.