, 1900-12-17
THE OLYMPIC GAMES
WERE HELD EVERY FOUR YEARS
BY ANCIENT GREEKS.
From SEA A. u. Until 1895 There Were
No Olympic Games America Led l.
Modern Games with Nine Events
Her Credit.

Beginning with 776 u. c., the Greeks
reckoned their time by olympiads, OF
periods Of four years when the olym
pic games were held. A sacred truce
lasting for a month put a stop to all
war Detween the various states at the
time of the games. This enabled ev-
eryone to travel in safety. as none
would dare to offend the terrible god
Zeus. Almost every town in Greece
sent representatives either to compete
or to look on at these contests. and
from the islands along the coast as
well as from the colonies in Asia. AZ
RIGA and Western Europe visitors
came for business or pleasure. No
women, except one priestess, We're al
lowed to be resent at the contests. All
competitors were Obliged to prove hat
they were of pure Greek blood and
that they had spent ten motnhs in
preparation for the contests. Then,
II accepted. they were Obliged to pass
the thirty days Immediately preceding
the games in training at Olympia I'M
der the direction of the officials. Dur
Ing this period the athlete and his
friends made frequent sacrifices and
prayers to the various deities whom
they thought might assist in giving
him the victory. On the day of the
games all the competitors were obliged
to "A a solemn oath at the altar OF
the god 2eus that they would abide by
advantage of an opponent. Originally
the games consisted Of but a single
race, the stadium-600 feet; but at the
time of their greatest glory five days
were consumed in deciding the con-
tests. They were then as follows:
Foot races. the pentathlon, horse and
chariot races, boxing. wrestling and
the pancratium. The foo races con-
sisted of the single course. already
mentioned. the double course. the long
race. sometimes tw~enty-four times the
length of the course, and the race in
armor The pentathlon consisted OF
five events. leaping with dumb bells.
throwing the discus, throwing the
spear, running and wrestling. A victor
Wa obliged to win three o of the
five events. The wrestling was not
80 q lu w "
adays: but the boxing was done with
the hands enclosed in strips Of leather
on which were fastened pieces OF
metal. This arrangement was called
a cestus, and you can imagine what o
terrible mass Of blood and bruises
would result from such a contest. One
day was given to the contests OF boys.
the others IN the mon and SDnthA
After each contest the victor was CIV
Ell a palm Dranch At the end OF the
gaines there was d formal presentation
OF olive wreaths to all the winners,
then followed feasts and sacrifices al
most Without number. When a cham
pion neared home. the whole town or
city came out to meet him. If there
was a wall about the city, a new open
ing was made for the glorious n to
enter through; songs were sung re-
garding him, statues were made of him
and set up in his native town and at
Olympia. Presents of all kinds were
made to him in such numbers and OF
such magnificence hat all necessity
of working for the good things of life
was taken away from him. From the
year 1874 A. D., when they were dis
continued by the order OF the Emperor
~Theodosius, until 1896, there were no
Olympic games. But in that year,
through the efforts Of Baron Pierre de
Coubertin and a committee represent
ing all the nations which take an ac-
| tive interest in %gymnastic and athletic
exercises, a modern edition OF the
Olympic games was held at Athens.
America led the prize winning. with
nine events to her credit. The other
winning countries were France. Eng
land. Greece, Germany, Australia. Hun
gary. Austria, Switzerland and Den
mark.