Ancient Olympic games - Wikipedia Ancient Olympic games For the modern event, see Olympic Games. The palaestra of Olympia, a place devoted to the training of wrestlers and other athletes Olympic Games Main topics Bids Boycotts Ceremonies Charter Host cities IFs IOC Medal Medal tables Medalists NOCs Pierre de Coubertin medal Scandals and controversies Sports Symbols Torch relays Venues Games Summer Winter Summer Paralympic Winter Paralympic Deaflympics Youth Special American Asian Pacific African European EYOF Ancient Intercalated The ancient Olympic Games were originally a festival, or celebration of and for Zeus ; later, events such as a footrace, a javelin contest, and wrestling matches were added. The Olympic Games ( Ancient Greek : Ὀλύμπια Olympia `` the Olympics '' ; also Ὀλυμπιάς Olympias `` the Olympiad '' ) were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city - states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin. The first Olympics is traditionally dated to 776 BC. They continued to be celebrated when Greece came under Roman rule, until the emperor Theodosius I suppressed them in AD 393 as part of the campaign to impose Christianity as the State religion of Rome. The games were held every four years, or olympiad, which became a unit of time in historical chronologies. During the celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their cities to the games in safety. The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. The games became a political tool used by city - states to assert dominance over their rivals. Politicians would announce political alliances at the games, and in times of war, priests would offer sacrifices to the gods for victory. The games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean. The Olympics also featured religious celebrations. The statue of Zeus at Olympia was counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Sculptors and poets would congregate each olympiad to display their works of art to would - be patrons. The ancient Olympics had fewer events than the modern games, and only freeborn Greek men were allowed to participate, although there were victorious women chariot owners. As long as they met the entrance criteria, athletes from any Greek city - state and kingdom were allowed to participate, although the Hellanodikai, the officials in charge, allowed king Alexander I of Macedon to participate in the games only after he had proven his Greek ancestry. The games were always held at Olympia rather than moving between different locations as is the practice with the modern Olympic Games. Victors at the Olympics were honored, and their feats chronicled for future generations. An artist 's impression of ancient Olympia Contents 1 Origins 2 History 3 Culture 4 Politics 5 Events 5.1 Running 5.2 Combat 5.3 Pentathlon 6 Equestrian 7 Famous athletes 8 Olympic festivals in other places 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External links Origins To the Greeks, it was important to root the Olympic Games in mythology. During the time of the ancient games their origins were attributed to the gods, and competing legends persisted as to who actually was responsible for the genesis of the games. These origin traditions have become nearly impossible to untangle, yet a chronology and patterns have arisen that help people understand the story behind the games. The earliest myths regarding the origin of the games are recounted by the Greek historian, Pausanias. According to the story, the dactyl Heracles ( not to be confused with the son of Zeus and the Roman god Hercules ) and four of his brothers, Paeonaeus, Epimedes, Iasius and Idas, raced at Olympia to entertain the newborn Zeus. He crowned the victor with an olive tree wreath ( which thus became a peace symbol ), which also explains the four year interval, bringing the games around every fifth year ( counting inclusively ). The other Olympian gods ( so named because they lived permanently on Mount Olympus ) would also engage in wrestling, jumping and running contests. Another myth of the origin of the games is the story of Pelops, a local Olympian hero. The story of Pelops begins with Oenomaus, the king of Pisa, Greece, who had a beautiful daughter named Hippodamia. According to an oracle, the king would be killed by her husband. Therefore, he decreed that any young man who wanted to marry his daughter was required to drive away with her in his chariot, and Oenomaus would follow in another chariot, and spear the suitor if he caught up with them. Now, the king 's chariot horses were a present from the god Poseidon and were therefore supernaturally fast. Pelops was a very handsome young man and the king 's daughter fell in love with him. Before the race, she persuaded her father 's charioteer Myrtilus to replace the bronze axle pins of the king 's chariot with wax ones. Naturally, during the race, the wax melted and the king fell from his chariot and was killed. At the same time, the king 's palace was struck by lightning and reduced to ashes, save for one wooden pillar that was revered in the Altis for centuries, and stood near what was to be the site of the temple of Zeus. Pelops was proclaimed the winner and married Hippodamia. After his victory, Pelops organized chariot races as thanksgiving to the gods and as funeral games in honor of King Oenomaus, in order to be purified of his death. It was from this funeral race held at Olympia that the beginnings of the Olympic Games were inspired. Pelops became a great king, a local hero, and he gave his name to the Peloponnese. One ( later ) myth, attributed to Pindar, states that the festival at Olympia involved Heracles, the son of Zeus : According to Pindar, Heracles established an athletic festival to honor his father, Zeus, after he had completing his labors. The games of previous millennia were discontinued and then revived by Lycurgus of Sparta, Iphitos of Elis, and Cleisthenes of Pisa at the behest of the Oracle of Delphi who claimed that the people had strayed from the gods, which had caused a plague and constant war. Restoration of the games would end the plague, usher in a time of peace, and signal a return to a more traditional lifestyle. The patterns that emerge from these myths are that the Greeks believed the games had their roots in religion, that athletic competition was tied to worship of the gods, and the revival of the ancient games was intended to bring peace, harmony and a return to the origins of Greek life. Since these myths were documented by historians like Pausanias, who lived during the reign of Marcus Aurelius in the AD 160, it is likely that these stories are more fable than fact. It was often supposed that the origins of many aspects of the Olympics date to funeral games of the Mycenean period and later. Alternatively, the games were thought to derive from some kind of vegetation magic or from initiation ceremonies. The most recent theory traces the origins of the games to large game hunting and related animal ceremonialism. History A torch race The Olympic games were held to be one of the two central rituals in ancient Greece, the other being the much older religious festival, the Eleusinian Mysteries. The games started in Olympia, Greece, in a sanctuary site for the Greek deities near the towns of Elis and Pisa ( both in Elis on the peninsula of Peloponnesos ). The first games began as an annual foot race of young women in competition for the position of the priestess for the goddess, Hera, and a second race was instituted for a consort for the priestess who would participate in the religious traditions at the temple. The Heraean Games, the first recorded competition for women in the Olympic Stadium, were held as early as the sixth century BC. It originally consisted of foot races only, as did the competition for males. Some texts, including Pausanias 's Description of Greece, c. AD 175, state that Hippodameia gathered a group known as the `` Sixteen Women '' and made them administrators of the Heraea Games, out of gratitude for her marriage to Pelops. Other texts related to the Elis and Pisa conflict indicate that the `` Sixteen Women '' were peacemakers from Pisa and Elis and, because of their political competence, became administrators of the Heraea. Being the consort of Hera in Classical Greek mythology, Zeus was the father of the deities in the pantheon of that era. The Sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia housed a 13 - metre - high ( 43 ft ) statue in ivory and gold of Zeus that had been sculpted by Phidias circa 445 BC. This statue was one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. By the time of the Classical Greek culture, in the fifth and fourth centuries BC, the games were restricted to male participants. The historian Ephorus, who lived in the fourth century BC, is one potential candidate for establishing the use of Olympiads to count years, although credit for codifying this particular epoch usually falls to Hippias of Elis, to Eratosthenes, or even to Timaeus, whom Eratosthenes may have imitated. The Olympic Games were held at four - year intervals, and later, the ancient historians ' method of counting the years even referred to these games, using the term Olympiad for the period between two games. Previously, the local dating systems of the Greek states were used ( they continued to be used by everyone except the historians ), which led to confusion when trying to determine dates. For example, Diodorus states that there was a solar eclipse in the third year of the 113th Olympiad, which must be the eclipse of 316 BC. This gives a date of ( mid-summer ) 765 BC for the first year of the first Olympiad. Nevertheless, there is disagreement among scholars as to when the games began. The exedra reserved for the judges at Olympia on the north embankment of the stadium The only competition held then was, according to the later Greek traveller Pausanias who wrote in AD 175, the stadion race, a race over about 190 metres ( 620 feet ), measured after the feet of Hercules. The word stadium is derived from this foot race. The Greek tradition of athletic nudity ( gymnos ) was introduced in 720 BC, either by the Spartans or by the Megarian Orsippus, and this was adopted early in the Olympics as well. Several groups fought over control of the sanctuary at Olympia, and hence the games, for prestige and political advantage. Pausanias later writes that in 668 BC, Pheidon of Argos was commissioned by the town of Pisa to capture the sanctuary from the town of Elis, which he did and then personally controlled the games for that year. The next year, Elis regained control. The Olympic Games were part of the Panhellenic Games, four separate games held at two - or four - year intervals, but arranged so that there was at least one set of games every year. The Olympic Games were more important and more prestigious than the Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian Games. The games were in decline for many years but continued past AD 385, by which time flooding and earthquakes had damaged the buildings and invasions by barbarians had reached Olympia. In 394 Theodosius I banned all pagan festivals, but archeological evidence indicates that some games were still held. Culture The `` Discobolus '' is a copy of a Greek statue c. 5th century BC. It represents an ancient Olympic discus thrower The ancient Olympics were as much a religious festival as an athletic event. The games were held in honor of the Greek god Zeus, and on the middle day of the games, 100 oxen would be sacrificed to him. Over time Olympia, the site of the games, became a central spot for the worship of the head of the Greek pantheon and a temple, built by the Greek architect Libon, was erected on the mountaintop. The temple was one of the largest Doric temples in Greece. The sculptor Pheidias created a statue of the god made of gold and ivory. It stood 42 feet ( 13 m ) tall. It was placed on a throne in the temple. The statue became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. As the historian Strabo put it,... the glory of the temple persisted... on account both of the festal assembly and of the Olympian Games, in which the prize was a crown and which were regarded as sacred, the greatest games in the world. The temple was adorned by its numerous offerings, which were dedicated there from all parts of Greece. Artistic expression was a major part of the games. Sculptors, poets, painters and other artisans would come to the games to display their works in what became an artistic competition. Sculptors created works like Myron 's Diskobolos or Discus Thrower. Their aim was to highlight natural human movement and the shape of muscles and the body. Poets would be commissioned to write poems in praise of the Olympic victors. Such victory songs or epinicians, were passed on from generation to generation and many of them have lasted far longer than any other honor made for the same purpose. Pierre de Coubertin, one of the founders of the modern Olympic Games, wanted to fully imitate the ancient Olympics in every way. Included in his vision was an artistic competition modeled on the ancient Olympics and held every four years, during the celebration of the Olympic Games. His desire came to fruition at the Olympics held in Athens in 1896. Politics The Parthenon in Athens, one of the leading city - states of the ancient world Power in ancient Greece became centered around the city - state in the 8th century BC. The city - state was a population center organized into a self - contained political entity. These city - states often lived in close proximity to each other, which created competition for limited resources. Though conflict between the city - states was ubiquitous, it was also in their self - interest to engage in trade, military alliances and cultural interaction. The city - states had a dichotomous relationship with each other : on one hand, they relied on their neighbors for political and military alliances, while on the other they competed fiercely with those same neighbors for vital resources. The Olympic Games were established in this political context and served as a venue for representatives of the city - states to peacefully compete against each other. In the first 200 years of the games ' existence, they only had regional religious importance. Only Greeks in proximity to the mountain competed in these early games. This is evidenced by the dominance of Peloponnesian athletes in the victors ' rolls. The spread of Greek colonies in the 5th and 6th centuries BC is repeatedly linked to successful Olympic athletes. For example, Pausanias recounts that Cyrene was founded c. 630 BC by settlers from Thera with Spartan support. The support Sparta gave was primarily the loan of three - time Olympic champion Chionis. The appeal of settling with an Olympic champion helped to populate the colonies and maintain cultural and political ties with the city - states near Olympia. Thus, Hellenic culture and the games spread while the primacy of Olympia persisted. The games faced a serious challenge during the Peloponnesian War, which primarily pitted Athens against Sparta, but, in reality, touched nearly every Hellenic city - state. The Olympics were used during this time to announce alliances and offer sacrifices to the gods for victory. During the Olympic Games, a truce, or ekecheiria was observed. Three runners, known as spondophoroi, were sent from Elis to the participant cities at each set of games to announce the beginning of the truce. During this period, armies were forbidden from entering Olympia ; and legal disputes, and the use of the death penalty, were forbidden. The truce -- primarily designed to allow athletes and visitors to travel safely to the games -- was, for the most part, observed. Thucydides wrote of a situation when the Spartans were forbidden from attending the games, and the violators of the truce were fined 2,000 minae for assaulting the city of Lepreum during the period of the ekecheiria. The Spartans disputed the fine and claimed that the truce had not yet taken hold. While a martial truce was observed by all participating city - states, no such reprieve from conflict existed in the political arena. The Olympic Games evolved the most influential athletic and cultural stage in ancient Greece, and arguably in the ancient world. As such the games became a vehicle for city - states to promote themselves. The result was political intrigue and controversy. For example, Pausanias, a Greek historian, explains the situation of the athlete Sotades, Sotades at the ninety - ninth Festival was victorious in the long race and proclaimed a Cretan, as in fact he was. But at the next Festival he made himself an Ephesian, being bribed to do so by the Ephesian people. For this act he was banished by the Cretans. Events Three runners featured on an Attic black - figured Panathenaic prize amphora. 332 - 333 BC, British Museum. Events at the Olympics Olympiad Year Event first introduced 1st 776 BC Stade 14th 724 BC Diaulos 15th 720 BC Long distance race ( Dolichos ) 18th 708 BC Pentathlon, Wrestling 23rd 688 BC Boxing ( pygmachia ) 25th 680 BC Four horse chariot race ( tethrippon ) 33rd 648 BC Horse race ( keles ), Pankration 37th 632 BC Boys stade and wrestling 38th 628 BC Boys pentathlon 41st 616 BC Boys boxing 65th 520 BC Hoplite race ( hoplitodromos ) 70th 500 BC Mule - cart race ( apene ) 93rd 408 BC Two horse chariot race ( synoris ) 96th 396 BC Competition for heralds and trumpeters 99th 384 BC Tethrippon for horse over one year 128th 266 BC Chariot for horse over one year 131st 256 BC Race for horses older than one year 145th 200 BC Pankration for boys Apparently starting with just a single foot race, the program gradually increased to twenty - three contests, although no more than twenty featured at any one Olympiad. Participation in most events was limited to male athletes except for women who were allowed to take part by entering horses in the equestrian events. Youth events are recorded as starting in 632 BC. Our knowledge of how the events were performed primarily derives from the paintings of athletes found on many vases, particularly those of the Archaic and Classical periods. Running A section of the stone starting line at Olympia, which has a groove for each foot The only event recorded at the first thirteen games was the stade, a straight - line sprint of just over 192 metres. The diaulos ( lit. `` double pipe '' ), or two - stade race, is recorded as being introduced at the 14th Olympiad in 724 BC. It is thought that competitors ran in lanes marked out with lime or gypsum for the length of a stade then turned around separate posts ( kampteres ), before returning to the start line. Xenophanes wrote that `` Victory by speed of foot is honored above all. '' A third foot race, the dolichos ( `` long race '' ), was introduced in the next Olympiad. Accounts of the race 's distance differ, it seems to have been from twenty to twenty - four laps of the track, around 7.5 km to 9 km, although it may have been lengths rather than laps and thus half as far. The last running event added to the Olympic program was the hoplitodromos, or `` Hoplite race '', introduced in 520 BC and traditionally run as the last race of the games. Competitors ran either a single or double diaulos ( approximately 400 or 800 metres ) in full military armour. The hoplitodromos was based on a war tactic of soldiers running in full armor to surprise the enemy. Combat Pankration scene : the pankriatiast on the right tries to gouge his opponent 's eye ; the umpire is about to strike him for this foul. Detail from an Attic red - figure kylix c. 490 - 480 BC, British Museum Wrestling ( pale ) is recorded as being introduced at the 18th Olympiad. Three throws were necessary for a win. A throw was counted if the body, hip, back or shoulder ( and possibly knee ) touched the ground. If both competitors fell nothing was counted. Unlike its modern counterpart Greco - Roman wrestling, it is likely that tripping was allowed. Boxing ( pygmachia ) was first listed in 688 BC, the boys event sixty years later. The laws of boxing were ascribed to the first Olympic champion Onomastus of Smyrna. It appears body - blows were either not permitted or not practised. The Spartans, who claimed to have invented boxing, quickly abandoned it and did not take part in boxing competitions. At first the boxers wore himantes ( sing. himas ), long leather strips which were wrapped around their hands. The pankration was introduced in the 33rd Olympiad ( 648 BC ). Boys ' pankration became an Olympic event in 200 BC, in the 145th Olympiad. As well as techniques from boxing and wrestling, athletes used kicks, locks, and chokes on the ground. Although the only prohibitions were against biting and gouging, the pankration was regarded as less dangerous than boxing. It was one of the most popular events : Pindar wrote eight odes praising victors of the pankration. A famous event in the sport was the posthumous victory of Arrhichion of Phigaleia who `` expired at the very moment when his opponent acknowledged himself beaten. '' Pentathlon Main article : Ancient Olympic pentathlon The pentathlon was a competition made up of five events : running, long jump, discus throw, javelin throw and wrestling. The pentathlon is said to have first appeared at the 18th Olympiad in 708 BC. The competition was held on a single day, but it is not known how the victor was decided, or in what order the events occurred, except that it finished with the wrestling. Equestrian Horse racing and chariot racing were the most prestigious competitions in the games, due to only the wealthy being able to afford the maintenance and transportation of horses. These races consisted of different events : the four - horse chariot race, the two - horse chariot race, and the horse with rider race, the rider being hand picked by the owner. The four - horse chariot race was the first equestrian event to feature in the Olympics, being introduced in 680 BC. It consisted of two horses that were harnessed under a Yoke in the middle, and two outer horses that were attached with a rope. The two - horse chariot was introduced in 408 BC. The horse with rider competition on the other hand, was introduced in 648 BC. In this race, Greeks did n't use saddles or stirrups, so they required good grip and balance. In AD 67, the Roman Emperor Nero competed in the chariot race at Olympia. He was thrown from his chariot and was thus unable to finish the race. Nevertheless, he was declared the winner on the basis that he would have won if he had finished the race. Famous athletes Main article : List of ancient Olympic victors Ancient list of Olympic victors of the 75th to the 78th, and from the 81st to the 83rd Olympiads ( 480 -- 468 BC, 456 -- 448 BC ) From Sparta Cynisca of Sparta ( owner of a four - horse chariot ) ( first woman to be listed as an Olympic victor ) From Rhodes : Diagoras of Rhodes ( boxing 79th Olympiad, 464 BC ) and his sons Akusilaos and Damagetos ( boxing and pankration ) Leonidas of Rhodes ( running : stadion, diaulos and hoplitodromos ) ( His record of 12 individual olympic titles was broken in 2016 by Michael Phelps who received his 13th original title. ) From Croton : Astylos of Croton ( running : stadion, diaulos and hoplitodromos ) Milo of Croton ( wrestling ) Timasitheos of Croton ( wrestling ) From other cities / kingdoms : Koroibos of Elis ( stadion, the very first Olympic champion ) Orsippus of Megara ( running : diaulos ) Theagenes of Thasos ( boxer, pankratiast and runner ) Alexander I of Macedon ( running : stadion ) Dionysodorus, Theban Non-Greek : Tiberius ( steerer of a four - horse chariot ) Nero ( steerer of a ten - horse chariot ) Varastades, Prince and future King of Armenia, last known Ancient Olympic victor ( boxing ) during the 291st Olympic Games in the 4th century Olympic festivals in other places Main article : Ancient Greek Olympic festivals Athletic festivals under the name of `` Olympic games '', named in imitation of the original festival at Olympia, were established over time in various places all over the Greek world. Some of these are only known to us by inscriptions and coins ; but others, as the Olympic festival at Antioch, obtained great celebrity. After these Olympic festivals had been established in several places, the great Olympic festival itself was sometimes designated in inscriptions by the addition of Pisa. See also Archaeological Museum of Olympia Epinikion List of ancient Olympic victors Athletes and athletics in ancient Greek art Ludi, the Roman games influenced by Greek traditions New Testament athletic metaphors Olympic Games ceremony Panathenaic Games Prizes Notes Jump up ^ Ὀλύμπια. Liddell, Henry George ; Scott, Robert ; An Intermediate Greek -- English Lexicon at the Perseus Project. Jump up ^ `` 15 - 04 - 16 Χαιρετισμός των Υπουργών Ν. Φίλη και Α. Μπαλτά για την Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Μνημείων και Τοποθεσιών ''. Greek ministry of Education Research and Religious affairs. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Πανελλήνια συμμετοχή είχαν : τα Ολύμπια, που διεξάγονταν κάθε τέσσερα χρόνια στην Αρχαία Ολυμπία προς τιμήν του Διός, Jump up ^ Francis Edward Jackson VALPY ( 1832 ). Second Greek Delectus ; or, new Analecta Minora... With English notes, and a copious Greek and English lexicon, etc. p. 1. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. ^ Jump up to : Grieksch leesboek voor eerstbeginnenden : ingerigt ten dienste der Hollandsche jeugd. H.C.A. Thieme. 1811. p. 248. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. ^ Jump up to : Henry Cary ( 1843 ). A Lexicon to Herodotus, Greek and English, Adapted to the Text of Grisford and Bachr. J. Vincent and. p. 279. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. ^ Jump up to : Fridericus Gulielmus Sturz ( 1818 ). Etymologicum graciae linguae Gudianum et alia grammaticorum scripta e codicibus manuscriptis nunc primum edita Accedunt notae ad Aymologicion magnum ineditae E.H. Barkeri, Innr. Bekkeri, Lud. Kulencampii, Amad. Peyronialiorumque. Weigel. p. 371. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Jump up ^ Ὀλυμπιάς in Middle Liddell and Scott. Jump up ^ `` History ''. Olympic Games. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016. Jump up ^ David Sansone, Ancient Greek civilization, Wiley - Blackwell, 2003, p. 32 Jump up ^ Robert Malcolm Errington, A history of Macedonia, University of California Press, 1990, p. 3 Jump up ^ Joseph Roisman, Ian Worthington, A Companion to Ancient Macedonia, Wiley - Blackwell, 2010, p. 16 ^ Jump up to : `` The Ancient Olympics ''. The Perseus Project. Tufts University. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2010. Jump up ^ Kyle, 1999, p. 101 Jump up ^ Kyle, 1999, pp. 101 -- 102 Jump up ^ Kyle, 1999, p. 102 Jump up ^ Spivey, 2005, pp. 225 -- 226 Jump up ^ Pausanias, Description of Greece, 5.7. 6 - 9 Jump up ^ Spivey, 2005, p. 226 Jump up ^ Kyle, 1999, pp. 102 -- 103 Jump up ^ Kyle, 1999, p. 102 -- 104 Jump up ^ Wendy J. Raschke ( 15 June 1988 ). Archaeology Of The Olympics : The Olympics & Other Festivals In Antiquity. Univ of Wisconsin Press. pp. 22 --. ISBN 978 - 0 - 299 - 11334 - 6. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2012. Jump up ^ Patay - Horváth, András ( 2015 ). The Origins of the Olympic Games. Budapest : Archaeolingua. ISBN 978 - 963 - 9911 - 72 - 7. Jump up ^ `` The Ancient Olympic Games ''. HickokSports. 4 February 2005. Archived from the original on 22 February 2002. Retrieved 13 May 2007. Jump up ^ Pausanias : v. 16. 2 Jump up ^ Pindar : Pythian Odes ix Jump up ^ Plutarch, Numa Pompilius 1.4 Jump up ^ Dionysius, 1.74 - 1 - 3. Little remains of Eratosthenes ' Chronographiae, but its academic influence is clearly demonstrated here in the Roman Antiquities by Dionysius of Halicarnassus. Jump up ^ Denis Feeney in Caesar 's Calendar : Ancient Time and the Beginnings of History. ( Berkeley and Los Angeles, California : University of California Press, 2007 ), 84. Jump up ^ `` The Athletics of the Ancient Olympics : A Summary and Research Tool '' by Kotynski, p. 3 ( Quote used with permission ). For the calculation of the date, see Kotynski footnote 6. Jump up ^ See, for example, Alfred Mallwitz 's article `` Cult and Competition Locations at Olympia '' p. 101 in which he argues that the games may not have started until about 704 BC. Hugh Lee, on the other hand, in his article `` The ' First ' Olympic Games of 776 B.C.E '' p. 112, follows an ancient source that claims that there were twenty - seven Olympiads before the first one was recorded in 776. There are no records of Olympic victors extant from earlier than the fifth century BC. Jump up ^ Yalouris, N. 1976. The Olympic Games - through the ages. Print Jump up ^ David C. Young ( 15 April 2008 ). A Brief History of the Olympic Games. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 135 --. ISBN 978 - 0 - 470 - 77775 - 6. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2013. Jump up ^ Tony Perrottet ( 8 June 2004 ). The Naked Olympics : The True Story of the Ancient Games. Random House Digital, Inc. pp. 190 --. ISBN 978 - 1 - 58836 - 382 - 4. Archived from the original on 12 June 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2013. Jump up ^ Golden, Mark, p. 77 Archived 4 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine... Jump up ^ Stanton, 2000, pp. 3 -- 4 Jump up ^ Stanton, 2000, p. 17 Jump up ^ Hansen, 2006, p. 9 Jump up ^ Hansen, 2006, pp. 9 -- 10 Jump up ^ Hansen, 2006, p. 10 Jump up ^ Hansen, 2006, p. 114 Jump up ^ Raschke, 1988, p. 23 Jump up ^ Spivey, 2005, p. 172 Jump up ^ Spivey, 2005, pp. 182 -- 183 Jump up ^ Lendering, Jona. `` Peloponnesian War ''. Livius, Articles on Ancient History. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. ^ Jump up to : Thucydides. The History of the Peloponnesian War. 5. Translated by Richard Crawley. The Internet Classics Archive. ISBN 0 - 525 - 26035 - 8. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. ^ Jump up to : Swaddling, 1999, p. 11 Jump up ^ Strassler & Hanson, 1996, pp. 332 -- 333 Jump up ^ Kyle, 2007, p. 8 Jump up ^ Crowther Jump up ^ Young, p. 18 Jump up ^ Miller, Stephen G. ( 8 January 2006 ). `` Ancient Greek Athletics ''. Yale University Press. p. 33. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Miller, Stephen G. ( 8 January 2006 ). `` Ancient Greek Athletics ''. Yale University Press. p. 44. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Golden, p. 55. `` The dolichos varied in length from seven to twenty - four lengths of the stadium -- from 1,400 to 4,800 Greek feet. '' Jump up ^ Miller, p. 32 Archived 15 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine. `` The sources are not unanimous about the length of this race : some claim that it was twenty laps of the stadium track, others that it was twenty - four. It may have differed from site to site, but it was in the range of 7.5 to 9 kilometers. '' Jump up ^ Miller, Stephen G. ( 8 January 2006 ). Ancient Greek Athletics. Yale University Press. p. 33. ISBN 0 - 300 - 11529 - 6. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. ^ Jump up to : Miller, Stephen G. ( 8 January 2006 ). `` Ancient Greek Athletics ''. Yale University Press. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Google Books. ^ Jump up to : Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. Jump up ^ Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. Jump up ^ To judge from the story of Damoxenos and Kreugas who boxed at the Nemean Games, after a long battle with no result combatants could agree to a free exchange of hits. ( Gardiner, p. 432 Archived 17 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine. ) Jump up ^ Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. p. 435. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. Jump up ^ Miller, Stephen G. ( 8 January 2006 ). `` Ancient Greek Athletics ''. Yale University Press. p. 60. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Gardiner, p. 445 - 6 Archived 17 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine. `` Galen, in his skit on the Olympic games, awards the prize ( in the pakration ) to the donkey, as the best of all animals in kicking. '' Jump up ^ Finley, M.I. ; Pleket, H.W. ( 24 May 2012 ). `` The Olympic Games : The First Thousand Years ''. Courier Corporation. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. Jump up ^ Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. Jump up ^ Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. Jump up ^ Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. Jump up ^ Miller, Stephen G. ( 8 January 2006 ). `` Ancient Greek Athletics ''. Yale University Press. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Young, p. 32 Jump up ^ Young, p. 19 Jump up ^ Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. pp. 362 -- 365. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. Jump up ^ Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. Jump up ^ Gardiner, Edward Norman ( 15 November 2017 ). `` Greek athletic sports and festivals ''. London : Macmillan. p. 363. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2017 -- via Internet Archive. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017. `` Four - horse chariot '' Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017. `` Two - horse chariot '' Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2017. `` Horse with rider '' Jump up ^ `` Olympic Games We No Longer Play ''. 4 August 2016. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` Michael Phelps beats 2,168 - year - old Olympic record held by Leonidas of Rhodes ''. Archived from the original on 16 October 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2017. Jump up ^ Bull, Andy ( 12 August 2016 ). `` Phelps claims 200m individual medley gold for fourth straight Olympics ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 August 2016. Phelps has now overtaken Leonidas of Rhodes as the most decorated Olympian of this, that, and every era. Leonidas, as every self - respecting sports fan knows, did the sprint triple in the stadion, the diaulos, and the hoplitodromos, at four Olympics in a row between 164 and 152 BC. Or 2,168 years ago. Jump up ^ Kelly, Jon. `` Who, What, Why : Who was Leonidas of Rhodes ? - BBC News ''. BBC. Retrieved 14 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` A Brief History of the Olympic Games ''. Retrieved 16 April 2015. Jump up ^ `` The History of Herodotus, parallel English / Greek : Book 5 : Terpsichore : 20 ''. www.sacred-texts.com. p. 22. Archived from the original on 15 May 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2017. Jump up ^ The Anabasis of Alexander / Book II / Chapter XIV / Alexander 's Treatment of the Captured Greek Ambassadors. -- Submission of Byblus and Sidon. - Arrian Jump up ^ Tiberius, AD 1 ( or earlier ) -- cf. Ehrenberg & Jones, Documents Illustrating the Reigns of Augustus and Tiberius ( Oxford 1955 ) p. 73 ( n. 78 ) Jump up ^ 369 according to Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece by Nigel Wilson, 2006, Routledge ( UK ) or 385 according to Classical Weekly by Classical Association of the Atlantic States Jump up ^ William Smith, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, 1875 -- ancientlibrary.com Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. References Gardiner, E.N. ( 1910 ). Greek athletic sports and festivals. London : Macmillan. Gardiner, E. Norman, Athletics of the Ancient World, 246 pages, 200 + illustrations, with new material, Oxford University Press, 1930 Young, David C. ( 2004 ). A Brief History of the Olympic Games ( PDF ). Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 1 - 4051 - 1130 - 5. Miller, Stephen G. ( 2006 ). Ancient Greek Athletics. Yale University Press. ISBN 0 - 300 - 11529 - 6. Golden, Mark, Sport and Society in Ancient Greece, Cambridge University Press, 1998. Hansen, Mogens Herman ( 2006 ). Polis, an Introduction to the Ancient Greek City - State. Oxford, England : Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 - 19 - 920849 - 2. Retrieved 12 February 2010. Hanson, Victor Davis ; Strassler, Robert B. ( 1996 ). The Landmark Thucydides. New York : Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4165 - 9087 - 3. Retrieved 12 February 2010. Kotynski, Edward J. The Athletics of the Ancient Olympics : A Summary and Research Tool. 2006. ( Archived 2009 - 10 - 25 ) ; new link Kyle, Donald G. ( 2007 ). Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World. Oxford, England : Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978 - 0 - 631 - 22970 - 4. Retrieved 12 February 2010. Mallowitz, Alfred. Cult and Competition Locations at Olympia. Raschke 79 -- 109. Miller, Stephen. `` The Date of Olympic Festivals ''. Mitteilungen : Des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Athenische Abteilung. Vol. 90 ( 1975 ) : 215 -- 237. Patay - Horváth, András ( 2015 ). The Origins of the Olympic Games. Budapest : Archaeolingua Foundation. ISBN 978 - 963 - 9911 - 72 - 7. Raschke, Wendy J. ( 1988 ). The Archaeology of the Olympics : the Olympics and Other Festivals in Antiquity. Madison, Wisconsin : Wisconsin University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 299 - 11334 - 6. Retrieved 12 February 2010. Remijsen, Sofie. The End of Greek Athletics in Late Antiquity. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2015. Spivey, Nigel ( 2005 ). The Ancient Olympics. Oxford, England : Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 - 19 - 280433 - 2. Retrieved 12 February 2010. Stanton, Richard ( 2000 ). The Forgotten Olympic Art Competitions : The story of the Olympic art competitions of the 20th century. Victoria, Canada : Trafford. ISBN 1 - 55212 - 606 - 4. Retrieved 23 February 2010. Swaddling, Judith ( 1999 ). The ancient Olympic Games. Austin, Texas : University of Texas Press. ISBN 0 - 292 - 77751 - 5. Retrieved 12 February 2010. Tufts -- `` Women and the Games '' Ancient Olympics. Research by K.U. Leuven and Peking University External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ancient Olympic Games. Wikisource has the text of The New Student 's Reference Work article Olympic Games. The Ancient Olympic Games virtual museum ( requires registration ) Olympiakoi Agones Ancient Olympics : General and detailed information The Ancient Olympics : A special exhibit The story of the Ancient Olympic Games The origin of the Olympics Olympia and Macedonia : Games, Gymnasia and Politics. Thomas F. Scanlon, professor of Classics, University of California List of Macedonian Olympic winners ( in Greek ) Webquest The ancient and modern Olympic Games Goddess Nike and the Olympic Games : Excellence, Glory and Strife Ancient Greece Outline Timeline History Geography Periods Cycladic civilization Minoan civilization Mycenaean civilization Greek Dark Ages Archaic period Classical Greece Hellenistic Greece Roman Greece Geography Aegean Sea Aeolis Alexandria Antioch Cappadocia Crete Cyprus Doris Ephesus Epirus Hellespont Ionia Ionian Sea Macedonia Magna Graecia Miletus Peloponnesus Pergamon Pontus Taurica Ancient Greek colonies City states Politics Military City states Argos Athens Byzantion Chalcis Corinth Eretria Kerkyra Larissa Megalopolis Megara Rhodes Samos Sparta Syracuse Thebes Politics Boeotarch Boule Koinon Proxeny Strategos Tagus Tyrant Amphictyonic League Athenian Agora Areopagus Ecclesia Graphē paranómōn Heliaia Ostracism Spartan Apella Ephor Gerousia Harmost Macedon Synedrion Koinon Military Wars Athenian military Antigonid Macedonian army Army of Macedon Ballista Cretan archers Hellenistic armies Hippeis Hoplite Hetairoi Macedonian phalanx Phalanx Peltast Pezhetairos Sarissa Sacred Band of Thebes Sciritae Seleucid army Spartan army Toxotai Xiphos Xyston People List of ancient Greeks Rulers Kings of Argos Archons of Athens Kings of Athens Kings of Commagene Diadochi Kings of Lydia Kings of Macedonia Kings of Paionia Attalid kings of Pergamon Kings of Pontus Kings of Sparta Tyrants of Syracuse Philosophers Anaxagoras Anaximander Anaximenes Antisthenes Aristotle Democritus Diogenes of Sinope Empedocles Epicurus Gorgias Heraclitus Hypatia Leucippus Parmenides Plato Protagoras Pythagoras Socrates Thales Zeno Authors Aeschylus Aesop Alcaeus Archilochus Aristophanes Bacchylides Euripides Herodotus Hesiod Hipponax Homer Ibycus Lucian Menander Mimnermus Panyassis Philocles Pindar Plutarch Polybius Sappho Simonides Sophocles Stesichorus Theognis Thucydides Timocreon Tyrtaeus Xenophon Others Agesilaus II Agis II Alcibiades Alexander the Great Aratus Archimedes Aspasia Demosthenes Epaminondas Euclid Hipparchus Hippocrates Leonidas Lycurgus Lysander Milo of Croton Miltiades Pausanias Pericles Philip of Macedon Philopoemen Praxiteles Ptolemy Pyrrhus Solon Themistocles Groups Philosophers Playwrights Poets Tyrants By culture Ancient Greek tribes Thracian Greeks Ancient Macedonians Society Culture Society Agriculture Calendar Clothing Coinage Cuisine Economy Education Festivals Funeral and burial practices Homosexuality Law Olympic Games Pederasty Philosophy Prostitution Religion Slavery Warfare Wedding customs Wine Arts and science Architecture Greek Revival architecture Astronomy Literature Mathematics Medicine Music Musical system Pottery Sculpture Technology Theatre Religion Funeral and burial practices Mythology mythological figures Temple Twelve Olympians Underworld Sacred places Eleusis Delphi Delos Dodona Mount Olympus Olympia Structures Athenian Treasury Lion Gate Long Walls Philippeion Theatre of Dionysus Tunnel of Eupalinos Temples Aphaea Artemis Athena Nike Erechtheion Hephaestus Hera, Olympia Parthenon Samothrace Zeus, Olympia Language Proto - Greek Mycenaean Homeric Dialects Aeolic Arcadocypriot Attic Doric Ionic Locrian Macedonian Pamphylian Koine Writing Linear A Linear B Cypriot syllabary Greek alphabet Greek numerals Attic numerals Colonies South Italy Alision Brentesion Caulonia Chone Croton Cumae Elea Heraclea Lucania Hydrus Krimisa Laüs Locri Medma Metapontion Neápolis Pandosia ( Lucania ) Poseidonia Pixous Rhegion Scylletium Siris Sybaris Sybaris on the Traeis Taras Terina Thurii Sicily Akragas Akrai Akrillai Apollonia Calacte Casmenae Catana Gela Helorus Henna Heraclea Minoa Himera Hybla Gereatis Hybla Heraea Kamarina Leontinoi Megara Hyblaea Messana Naxos Segesta Selinous Syracuse Tauromenion Thermae Tyndaris Aeolian Islands Didyme Euonymos Ereikousa Hycesia Lipara / Meligounis Phoenicusa Strongyle Therassía Sardinia Olbia Cyrenaica Balagrae Barca Berenice Cyrene ( Apollonia ) Ptolemais Iberian Peninsula Akra Leuke Alonis Emporion Hemeroscopion Kalathousa Mainake Menestheus 's Limin Illicitanus Limin / Portus Illicitanus Rhode Salauris Zakynthos Black Sea north coast Borysthenes Charax Chersonesus Dioscurias Eupatoria Gorgippia Hermonassa Kepoi Kimmerikon Myrmekion Nikonion Nymphaion Olbia Panticapaion Phanagoria Pityus Tanais Theodosia Tyras Tyritake Black Sea south coast Dionysopolis Odessos Anchialos Mesambria Apollonia Salmydessus Heraclea Tium Sesamus Cytorus Abonoteichos Sinope Zaliche Amisos Oinòe Polemonion Thèrmae Cotyora Kerasous Tripolis Trapezous Rhizos Athina Bathus Phasis Lists Cities in Epirus People Place names Stoae Temples Theatres Category Portal Ancient Olympic Games Sports Foot races Diaulos Dolichos Hoplitodromos Stadion Horse races Apene Chariot of polos Decapolon Kalpe Keles Perfect chariot Polos Synoris Synoris of polos Tethrippon Tethrippon of polos Combat Boxing Pankration Wrestling Special Herald and Trumpet contest Pentathlon Winners Acanthus of Sparta Agasias of Arcadia Agesarchus of Tritaea Alcibiades of Athens Alexander I of Macedon Anaxilas of Messenia Aratus of Sicyon Archelaus I of Macedon Arrhichion of Phigalia Arsinoe II Astylos of Croton Berenice I of Egypt Bilistiche Chaeron of Pellene Chilon of Patras Chionis of Sparta Cimon Coalemos Coroebus of Elis Cylon of Athens Cynisca of Sparta Damarchus Demaratus of Sparta Desmon of Corinth Diagoras of Rhodes Diocles of Corinth Ergoteles of Himera Euryleonis Herodorus of Megara Hiero I of Syracuse Hypenus of Elis Hysmon of Elis Iccus of Taranto Leonidas of Rhodes Leophron Milo of Croton Nero Caesar Augustus Oebotas of Dyme Onomastus of Smyrna Orsippus of Megara Peisistratos of Athens Phanas of Pellene Philinus of Cos Philip II of Macedon Philippus of Croton Phrynon of Athens Polydamas of Skotoussa Pythagoras of Laconia Pythagoras of Samos Sostratus of Pellene Theagenes of Thasos Theron of Acragas Tiberius Caesar Augustus Timasitheus of Delphi Troilus of Elis Varazdat of Armenia Xenophon of Aegium Xenophon of Corinth Lists of winners Ancient Olympic victors Stadion race Archaic period Classical period Hellenistic period Roman period Olympia Archaeological Museum of Olympia Statue of Zeus at Olympia Temple of Zeus at Olympia Modern Olympic Games Ancient Greek Olympic festivals Multi-sport events hide Global Olympics Olympic Games Summer Winter Youth Olympic Games Disabled sports Deaflympics Défi sportif Invictus Games CPISRA World Games INAS Global Games IBSA World Games IWAS World Games World Dwarf Games Paralympic Games Summer Winter Special Olympics Summer Winter World Transplant Games Professions Lumberjack World Championship World Air Games World Martial Arts Games World Military Games World Police and Fire Games World Firefighters Games World Roller Games European Championship in Forestry Skills Southern Forestry Conclave Stihl Timbersports Series World Logging Championship Youth and students Gymnasiade International Children 's Games SELL Student Games Universiade World Interuniversity Games Commonwealth Youth Games Other types Arafura Games CSIT World Sports Games Dew Tour Mind Sports Olympiad World Mind Sports Games SportAccord World Mind Games TAFISA World Games World Combat Games World Games World Masters Games X Games World Beach Games Intercommunity Commonwealth Games CPLP Games Croatian World Games Gay Games Invictus Games Islamic Solidarity Games Jeux de la Francophonie Lusophony Games Maccabiah Games Pan Arab Games Pan-Armenian Games Transplant Games World Eskimo Indian Olympics World Indigenous Games World Nomad Games World Outgames Regional Africa African Youth Games African Games All - Africa University Games Americas Pan American Pan American Games Parapan American Games Central American and the Caribbean Central American and Caribbean Games Central American Games Latin American ALBA Games Bolivarian Games North American CANUSA Games North American Indigenous Games North American Outgames South American South American Games South American Beach Games South American Youth Games Asia Pan Asian Asian Games Asian Beach Games Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Asian Para Games Asian Winter Games Asian Youth Games Southeast Asian Southeast Asian Games ASEAN School Games ASEAN University Games ASEAN Para Games Central Asian Games East Asian Youth Games South Asian Games West Asian Games Europe Black Sea Games European Games European Masters Games European Sports Championships European Youth Olympic Festival Games of the Small States of Europe Jeux des îles EuroGames Oceania Australian Youth Olympic Festival Micronesian Games Pacific Games Intercontinental Arctic Winter Games Asia Pacific Deaf Games Asia Pacific Masters Games Indian Ocean Island Games Island Games Mediterranean Games Pan Arab Games National Africa South African Games Americas Canada British Columbia Quebec Western Colombia United States amateur juniors seniors Warrior Games NCSG, United States Alabama California Florida Massachusetts Missouri Montana Nebraska New York North Carolina North Dakota Lakota Nation Texas Wisconsin Asia Bangladesh China All - China Games National Games National Peasants ' Games National Youth Games India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Para Mongolia Pakistan Philippines National Games Batang Pinoy Palaro Singapore South Korea Summer Winter Thailand youth Vietnam Europe Netherlands Poland ( youth ) All - Union Spartakiad Spartakiad of Albania Spartakiad of Peoples of the USSR youth WheelPower Historical Pre-Modern Olympics ( in order, from 1900 BC to 1859 AD ) Tailteann Games ( ancient ) Panhellenic Games Ancient Olympic Games Pythian Games Nemean Games Isthmian Games Heraean Games Panathenaic Games Roman Games Cotswold Olimpick Games Gog Magog Games Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games Zappas Olympics Alternatives to the Modern Olympics Aryan Games Friendship Games GANEFO Goodwill Games Inter-Allied Games Islamic Games Liberty Bell Classic People 's Olympiad Workers ' Olympiads Defunct regional or community events Afro - Asian Games Asian Indoor Games Asian Martial Arts Games Central African Games East Asian Games Far Eastern Championship Games FESPIC Games Games of the New Emerging Forces Nordic Games Pacific Ocean Games Spartakiad of Peoples of the USSR Tailteann Games ( modern ) Women 's Islamic Games World Youth Games Winter games International Olympics Paralympics Winter Universiade Commonwealth World Scout Arctic Winter Games Kennedy Memorial New Zealand Winter Games Regional National Winter Games of China Asian Winter Games European Youth Olympic Festival Winter X Games Europe Defunct Sub-national 51 component games in 36 U.S. states Category List WikiProject Olympic Games Ceremonies Charter Participating nations Summer Olympics Winter Olympics Host cities Bids Venues IOC NOCs Country codes Medal Medal tables Medalists Ties Diploma Scandals and controversies Colonialism Doping Sports Symbols Torch relays Pierre de Coubertin medal Women Deaths WWI Olympic video games Summer Games 1896 Athens 1900 Paris 1904 St. Louis 1908 London 1912 Stockholm 1916 Berlin 1920 Antwerp 1924 Paris 1928 Amsterdam 1932 Los Angeles 1936 Berlin 1940 Tokyo 1944 London 1948 London 1952 Helsinki 1956 Melbourne 1960 Rome 1964 Tokyo 1968 Mexico City 1972 Munich 1976 Montreal 1980 Moscow 1984 Los Angeles 1988 Seoul 1992 Barcelona 1996 Atlanta 2000 Sydney 2004 Athens 2008 Beijing 2012 London 2016 Rio de Janeiro 2020 Tokyo 2024 Paris 2028 Los Angeles 2032 TBD Winter Games 1924 Chamonix 1928 St. Moritz 1932 Lake Placid 1936 Garmisch - Partenkirchen 1940 Sapporo 1944 Cortina d'Ampezzo 1948 St. Moritz 1952 Oslo 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo 1960 Squaw Valley 1964 Innsbruck 1968 Grenoble 1972 Sapporo 1976 Innsbruck 1980 Lake Placid 1984 Sarajevo 1988 Calgary 1992 Albertville 1994 Lillehammer 1998 Nagano 2002 Salt Lake City 2006 Turin 2010 Vancouver 2014 Sochi 2018 Pyeongchang 2022 Beijing 2026 TBD 2030 TBD Ancient Olympic Games Intercalated Games 1906 Paralympic Games Youth Olympic Games Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ancient_Olympic_Games&oldid=845657760 '' Categories : Ancient Olympic Games 8th - century BC establishments in Greece 390s disestablishments in the Roman Empire 394 disestablishments Defunct multi-sport events Festivals in Ancient Greece Greek inventions History of Gymnastics History of the Olympics Olympic Games Panhellenic Games Recurring sporting events established before 1750 Sport in antiquity Iron Age Greece Hidden categories : Articles containing Ancient Greek - language text Webarchive template wayback links Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Use dmy dates from November 2017 Use American English from November 2017 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Talk Contents About Wikipedia Alemannisch Asturianu Azərbaycanca বাংলা Башҡортса Беларуская Български Brezhoneg Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Italiano עברית Қазақша Latina Latviešu Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Qaraqalpaqsha Română Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Türkçe Українська 中文 43 more Edit links This page was last edited on 13 June 2018, at 08 : 12 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where did the ancient olympic games take place
Answer: Olympia, Greece, in a sanctuary site for the Greek deities near the towns of Elis and Pisa (both in Elis on the peninsula of Peloponnesos)