The Olympic Games - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com The Olympic Games A+E Networks Introduction The Olympic Games, which originated in ancient Greece as many as 3,000 years ago, were revived in the late 19th century and have become the world’s preeminent sporting competition. From the 8th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D., the Games were held every four years in Olympia, located in the western Peloponnese peninsula, in honor of the god Zeus. The first modern Olympics took place in 1896 in Athens, and featured 280 participants from 13 nations, competing in 43 events. Since 1994, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games have been held separately and have alternated every two years. Google The Olympics in Ancient Greece The first written records of the ancient Olympic Games date to 776 B.C., when a cook named Coroebus won the only event–a 192-meter footrace called the stade (the origin of the modern “stadium”)–to become the first Olympic champion. However, it is generally believed that the Games had been going on for many years by that time.

Legend has it that Heracles (the Roman Hercules ), son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, founded the Games, which by the end of the 6th century B.C had become the most famous of all Greek sporting festivals. The ancient Olympics were held every four years between August 6 and September 19 during a religious festival honoring Zeus. The Games were named for their location at Olympia, a sacred site located near the western coast of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. Their influence was so great that ancient historians began to measure time by the four-year increments in between Olympic Games, which were known as Olympiads. Did You Know? The 1896 Games featured the first Olympic marathon, which followed the 25-mile route run by the Greek soldier who brought news of a victory over the Persians from Marathon to Athens in 490 B.C. Fittingly, Greece's Spyridon Louis won the first gold medal in the event. In 1924, the distance would be standardized to 26 miles and 385 yards.

After 13 Olympiads, two more races joined the stade as Olympic events: the diaulos (roughly equal to today’s 400-meter race), and the dolichos (a longer-distance race, possibly comparable to the 1,500-meter or 5,000-meter event). The pentathlon (consisting of five events: a foot race, a long jump, discus and javelin throws and a wrestling match) was introduced in 708 B.C., boxing in 688 B.C. and chariot racing in 680 B.C. In 648 B.C., pankration, a combination of boxing and wrestling with virtually no rules, debuted as an Olympic event. Participation in the ancient Olympic Games was initially limited to freeborn male citizens of Greece; there were no women’s events, and married women were prohibited from attending the competition. Decline and Revival of the Olympic Tradition After the Roman Empire conquered Greece in the mid-2nd century B.C., the Games continued, but their standards and quality declined. In one notorious example from A.D.

67, the decadent Emperor Nero entered an Olympic chariot race, only to disgrace himself by declaring himself the winner even after he fell off his chariot during the event. In A.D. 393, Emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, called for a ban on all “pagan” festivals, ending the ancient Olympic tradition after nearly 12 centuries. It would be another 1,500 years before the Games would rise again, largely thanks to the efforts of Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937) of France. Dedicated to the promotion of physical education, the young baron became inspired by the idea of creating a modern Olympic Games after visiting the ancient Olympic site. In November 1892, at a meeting of the Union des Sports Athlétiques in Paris, Coubertin proposed the idea of reviving the Olympics as an international athletic competition held every four years. Two years later, he got the approval he needed to found the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which would become the governing body of the modern Olympic Games. The Olympics Through the Years The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896.

In the opening ceremony, King Georgios I and a crowd of 60,000 spectators welcomed 280 participants from 13 nations (all male), who would compete in 43 events, including track and field, gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, cycling, tennis, weightlifting, shooting and fencing. All subsequent Olympiads have been numbered even when no Games take place (as in 1916, during World War I , and in 1940 and 1944, during World War II ). The official symbol of the modern Games is five interlocking colored rings, representing the continents of North and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia. The Olympic flag, featuring this symbol on a white background, flew for the first time at the Antwerp Games in 1920. The Olympics truly took off as an international sporting event after 1924, when the VIII Games were held in Paris. Some 3,000 athletes (with more than 100 women among them) from 44 nations competed that year, and for the first time the Games featured a closing ceremony.

The Winter Olympics debuted that year, including such events as figure skating, ice hockey, bobsledding and the biathlon. Eighty years later, when the 2004 Summer Olympics returned to Athens for the first time in more than a century, nearly 11,000 athletes from a record 201 countries competed. In a gesture that joined both ancient and modern Olympic traditions, the shotput competition that year was held at the site of the classical Games in Olympia. Tags Interesting Historical Facts Behind the Olympic Games - Beliefnet Beliefnet Sign up for our free newsletters and special offers! Just enter your email below. Inspiration Delivering you the best in inspirational articles, life stories, quotes and more. Bible Reading Receive a Daily Measure of God's Word and guidance straight to your inbox. Angel Wisdom Let angels be your guide with help from this inspiring and thought-provoking newsletter. Entertainment Interesting Historical Facts Behind the Olympic Games These amazing Olympic facts will blow your mind! By Lesli White Shutterstock.com The modern Olympic Games or Olympics are the leading international sporting event featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes around the world compete for Gold and to claim dominance in their competitive sport.

The Olympic Games are also considered to be the world’s foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. While millions of people tune into Olympic coverage when the Games are held, there are a number of facts about the history of the Olympics that many people don’t know. As the Olympics approach us, let’s take a look at some amazing facts and traditions that make up part of this celebrated global event: The First Olympics and The Game’s Evolution The first Olympics started in ancient Greece from the 8th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. They were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia. The Games were closely linked to the religious festivals of the cult of Zeus. The games continued nearly 12 centuries until Emperor Theodosius decreed in 393 A.D. that all such “pagan cults” be banned. The Games were resurrected in the late 19th century with the help of Baron Pierre de Coubertin who founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. During this period, only men were allowed to take part in the Olympic Games.

Women first took part in the Games in Paris in 1900, four years after the first Olympic Games of the modern era in Athens. There were 22 women out of 997 athletes who competed in just five sports: tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrian and golf. Female participation has increased over the years with women accounting for more than 44 percent of the participants today. Other major adjustments have taken place over the years including the creation of the Winter Olympic Games for ice and winter sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with disabilities and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes. The Ancient Greeks Competed Nude The first Olympic Games celebrated nudity. Yes, that’s right – ancient Olympic sportsmen ran, wrestled and fought completely naked. Many people don’t know that the word gymnasium comes from the Greek word gymos, which means naked. All athletes kept a pottery flask of oil to rub over his body before training or public competition. They did this not only for looks, but also to pay tribute to the gods. The ancient Greek athletes also worked out in the nude.

The Olympic Flame In the first Olympic Games in ancient Greece, a flame was ignited by the sun and kept burning until the closing of the game. The flame represented a number of things including purity and the endeavor for protection. In 1936, Carl Diem, the chief organizer of the 1936 Olympic Summer Games suggested what is now the modern Olympic torch relay, where a torch is passed from runner to runner and placed in the stadium of the hosting city. The flame continues to burn until the Games have concluded. The Olympic torch relay represents a continuation from the ancient Olympic Games to the modern Olympic Games. There Is an Olympic Creed Did you know the Olympics have a creed? The Olympic Creed reads: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to conquer but to have fought well.” Pierre de Coubertin, the International Olympic Committee founder got the idea for the phrase from a speech given by Bishop Ethelbert Talbot at a service for Olympic champions during the 1908 Olympic Games and it has stuck around ever since.

Gold Medals Aren’t Pure Gold Retired Olympic wrestler Dan Gable once said, “Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.” Well, there’s more truth to that than just his last sentence. While many people believe that when an athlete wins the ‘gold’ they are winning a solid gold medal, the truth is they aren’t. In fact, medals haven’t been made out of pure gold for around 100 years. Today, the gold medals that athletes receive are silver, with gold plating. The First Olympic Broadcast The 1936 Berlin Olympics, recognized as the ‘Nazi’ Olympics by many, were the first Olympic Games to ever be televised. Prior to this evolution, sports fans had to listen to radio commentary and prior to that, had to read about the events in the newspaper. Can you believe that? At the time, there were no global television broadcasts. These were not made possible until the ‘60s. Today, giant screens and HD televisions are where the games are primarily broadcast. We’ve come a long way since the first Olympic broadcast, haven’t we?

First Olympic Games: 776 BC 776 BC Statue of Olympic Zeus According to the earliest records, the first Olympic games were held in 776 BC. The Olympic games originate in athletic contests to honor of Zeus and other deities at Olympia. The games were also helped to solve the constant civil wars among the Greek city-states. During the Olympic games Elis and Olympia were sacred sites and that no armed man should set foot on the grounds. In addition, three months before and after the games, a truce should exist among all the Greek city-states. This sacred truce of the games became an almost religious observance among the Greeks Back to "Archaic Greece" Chronology The ancient Greek Olympics were held every four years during the full moon of midsummer. That date was chosen so the games could last into the night. The time between games was called an Olympiad, and each Olympiad was named for an athletic victor at the previous contests. Coribus from Elis won a 200-meter foot race. To honor him, Coribus' name was given to the first Olympiad. The Greeks used the Olympiads as a way to establish historical chronology.

Later, Greek historians noted important events by placing them in the Olympiad in which they occurred. Only free born male Greek citizens not accused of murder or sacrilege were eligible to participate. Training began as early as one year before the games in the athlete's home city. A month before the games, the athletes were the obligated to move to Elis or Olympia for their final training. It was here that the athletes were taught the rules of fair-play and honorable competition. Spectators also abided by strict rules. Only free men not convicted of any sacrileges could attend. Women, especially married women were not allowed to watch nude contests between men. Only the priestess of Demeter Chamyne, seated on the altar of the goddess, was allowed to watch the contests in the stadium. People from all over Greece gathered for this Olympic festival. It was a chance to sell goods, recite poems for money, negotiate business deals, and even sign peace treaties between cities. Visitors slept in the open air or tents due to overcrowded small residential quarters. A simple foot race marked the early Olympic games, but over the centuries the games became numerous and complicated. At most, a total of fourteen contests were held over a period of four days.

The games were divided into two classes: physical contest were held in the stadium nude, and those on the race tracks with chariots. The first day of the games began with sacrifices to the gods, for the games were meant as religious tributes. At the great altar of Zeus, the athletes vowed that they were eligible to participate in the games and that they would obey the Olympic rules while competing. Judges, trainers, and even the athlete's parents all had to make a similar vow. The second day of the games began early with the chariot races followed by the horse races. Spectators then hurried to the stadium to watch the pentathlon. These contests lasted until evening and marked the end of the first day of the festival. The third day of the games began with a sacrifice to Zeus, which was the most solemn moment of the entire festival. A herd of 100 bulls were slaughtered by assembled priests after a procession to the Great Altar of Zeus. The thighs of the killed bulls were burned as a sacrifice while the remains of the bull was used in the victory banquet at the end of the games. The remainder of the day was the boys' events.

On the forth day, foot races, wrestling and boxing events, and the pankration (combination of wrestling and boxing) took place. This day marked the end of the athletic events of the Olympic festival. The victory banquet was held on the fifth day. It started with a procession to the Temple of Zeus, referred to by the Greeks as the Altis , where each winner received his wreath of live branches from olives. Crowds then showered them with flowers. Meat and wine were feasted late into the night and by morning, the athletes, trainers, and families left for home. The victors of the Olympic games were rewarded generously. Statues were erected in their honor. Parades with chariots, songs, and poems written in their honor were given in their hometowns. Other special privileges awarded to the athletes were choice seats at all public spectacles; statues carved in their image were placed in prominent locations in the city, and they were also exempt from paying taxes. Cash rewards were common. In some Greek cities, part of a wall was torn and victorious athlete was led in though the opening. This ritual signified that any city with strong citizens had no need to defend itself with a wall from its enemies.

The importance of the Olympic games in the Hellenic world is the "profusion" of buildings, statues, and other archaeological remnants found at the site. Now lost, but was considered at the time the most stunning artwork was the central statue of Zeus created by the Greek sculptor Phidias. This statue was made of chyrseliphantine (gold and ivory) and stood about forty feet high. The statue showed Zeus seated on a regal throne and holding a scepter in left hand and the figure of Victory in the right. The beauty of the statue was considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world. As the popularity of the Olympic games and other Greek athletic festivals spread, it forced out amateur athletes in which the original games were meant to attract. Specialization in particular events began to take place. According to Ring, "the development of body, mind, and spirit that the original games hoped to encourage was forgotten." Bibliography: The illustration is an artist's recreation of the famous statue of Zeus made by Phidias for the Olympic Games. This image from: . Used by permission. Ring, T. 1995. International Dictionary of Historical Places. Vol 3. Fitzroy Dearborn Publisher.

Chicago, London. Christopoulos, G. A. & Bastias, J. C. Eds. 1975. History of the Hellenic World: The Archaic Period. Pennsylvania State University Press. University Park, Pennsylvania. Edited, Researched and Written by: Sharon Pecson and Cathy Sutherland March 16, 2000 ancient Greek Olympic Games | Britannica.com Ancient Greek Olympic Games THIS IS A DIRECTORY PAGE. Britannica does not currently have an article on this topic. Alternative Title: ancient Greek Olympics Actors performing the traditional Olympic torch ceremony in Olympia, Greece, 2004. © Yannis Behrakis—Reuters/Corbis Men wrestling, detail of an ancient Greek cup, by Epictetus, c. 520 bc; in the Agora Museum, Athens. © Gianni Dagli Orti/Corbis Pindar’s first Olympic ode, its context, and the significance of the victory ode, or epinicion. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Learn about this topic in these articles: in ancient Greek civilization: The Olympic Games The first “date” in Greek history is 776 bce, the year of the first Olympic Games. It was computed by a 5th-century- bce researcher called Hippias. He was originally from Elis, a place in the western Peloponnese in whose territory Olympia itself is situated. This date and the list of early victors, transmitted by another literary tradition, are likely to be reliable, if only... in athletics: Origin and early development ...many centuries before the Christian era. Perhaps as early as 1829 bc, Ireland was the scene of the Lugnasad festival’s Tailteann Games, involving various forms of track-and-field activity. The Olympic Games of Greece, traditionally dated from 776 bc, continued through 11 centuries before ending about ad 393. These ancient Olympics were strictly male affairs, as to both participants and... in boxing: Early years Boxing first appeared as a formal Olympic event in the 23rd Olympiad (688 bce), but fist-fighting contests must certainly have had their origin in mankind’s prehistory.

The earliest visual evidence for boxing appears in Sumerian relief carvings from the 3rd millennium bce. A relief sculpture from Egyptian Thebes ( c. 1350 bce) shows both boxers and spectators. The few extant Middle... in boxing: Amateur boxing Amateur boxing spread rapidly to other countries and resulted in several major international tournaments taking place annually, biennially, or, as in the case of the Olympic Games, every four years. Important events include the European Games, the Commonwealth Games, the Pan American Games, the African Games, and the World Military Games. All international matches are controlled by the... in boxing: Ring, rules, and equipment ...the judging, and three ringside officials score the bout. The officials award points to each boxer for each round, and a boxer must win on two of the three scorecards to earn a decision victory. In Olympic bouts five judges score the fight electronically by pushing a button whenever a punch is believed to have landed on a boxer. No punch is registered as a hit unless at least three judges press...

Things You Didn't Know About The History Of The Olympics Things You Didn't Know About The History Of The Olympics By Kellen Perry 15k views 10 items tags f t p @ There are many strange and fascinating facts buried in the long, bizarre history of the Olympics . The Summer Olympics of 2016 look almost nothing like those from a century ago, and it’s not just the slick presentation and technological advancements in the individual events. Everything about the Summer and Winter Olympics used to be a whole lot weirder and, well, pretty backwards. In many ways, the games have acted as a microcosm of what was happening in the world at the time, for better or for worse. Just how old are the Olympics? That depends if you’re referring to the ancient or modern games: the ancient games were held from the 8th century BCE to the 4th century CE, while the modern games were born in 1896. Both eras feature tons of examples of almost superhuman athleticism, but also a whole lot of sexism, racism, nudity, incompetence, drug abuse, waste, and wackiness. So who created the Olympics? What about those Olympic rings?

Read on to learn some things you probably don’t know about the history of the Olympic games. Collection Photo: user uploaded image Z G Options B Comments & Embed The First Olympics in America Were Super Racist Photo: Unknown / WikiMedia Commons / Public Domain It sounds too disgusting to be true, but it happened: the so-called “ Anthropology Days ” of the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, MO were real. “Savage” and “primitive” people from around the world were kept in a “human zoo” and paid to compete in unofficial Olympic competitions against whites. It was just as absurd and nauseating as you’d imagine. Language barriers created a ton of confusion about the rules of the European-style competitions, meaning most match-ups had no clear winner. There were also “savage-friendly” games like mud-throwing, tree-climbing, archery, and a “Mohawk vs. Seneca lacrosse match,” but those didn’t go much better. What was the point of all this? The organizer wanted to prove the physical inferiority of "primitive" peoples.

The Founder of the Modern Olympics Didn't Want Women to Participate Photo: Dutch National Archives / WikiMedia Commons / CC BY SA 3.0 The man largely responsible for the existence of the modern Olympics was kind of a sexist . Well, maybe more than “kind of”: he thought the games should be reserved exclusively for men. French Baron Pierre de Coubertin was basically a sexist quote factory. Here’s his view on women’s sport in general: “the most unaesthetic sight human eyes could contemplate.” Here he is in 1912 on what the Olympics should be all about: “the solemn and periodic exaltation of male athleticism with internationalism as a base, loyalty as a means, arts for its setting and female applause for its reward.” The Torch Relay and Ceremony Is a Nazi Invention Photo: German Federal Archives / WikiMedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 3.0 It may look and feel like something the ancient Greeks would have done, but the Olympic torch relay and ceremony was actually invented by the Nazis for the 1936 games in Berlin. The whole thing was the brainchild of Nazi official Carl Diem, who served as the secretary general of the organizing committee of the Berlin games.

Diem was reportedly inspired by the torch that burned during the 1928 games in Amsterdam. The torches used in 1936 were created and sponsored by The Krupp Company, Germany’s largest armament producer at the time (the company later used Jewish women from Auschwitz to build its weapons). Women Couldn't Compete in Races Longer Than 200 Meters Until 1968 Photo: BiblioArchives / WikiMedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 Before 1968, women were barred from competing in track events that required running farther than 200 meters. Why? The “health of global womanhood,” according to David Goldblatt , author of The Games: A Global History Of The Olympics. A little backstory: the 1924 games in Amsterdam were the first time women could compete in track and field at all, and they were actually allowed to compete in the 800 meter event (before 1928, women were limited to events such as swimming, diving, and tennis). But when men saw how exhausted the women were after running the 800 (duh), they freaked out.

The event was limited to men until 1968, and it wasn’t until 1984 that women could compete in marathons. Ancient Olympic Athletes Competed in the Nude (Except the Charioteers) Photo: dvdbramhall/ flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0 Historians don’t know why, exactly, but ancient Olympic competitors (all men) competed in the nude, slathered in olive oil. They would even scrape the oil off - if it wasn’t too bloody! - and sell it to fans. Why let it all hang out? One theory is that baring it all for the games was sort of an initiation rite for young men. But it also “really appealed to the exhibitionism and the vanity of the Greeks,” according to Tony Perrottet , author of The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games. Perrottet says the men would parade, Magic Mike-style, “like peacocks up and down the stadium.” One exception to this rule? Charioteers fearful that their, uh, torches may get extinguished.

Andrew Connor of the University of Cincinnati says , reasonably enough, that “apparel afforded some protection if the horses dragged the charioteer as the result of a mishap.” The First Athlete Disqualified for Drugs Drank Beer to Calm His Nerves Photo: Swedish Olympic Committee / WikiMedia Commons / Public Domain Poor Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall . The Swedish pentathlete made history in 1968 when he became the first Olympian disqualified for drug use. His drug of choice? “Two beers” to calm his nerves before the pistol-shooting part of the pentathlon (there’s fencing, swimming, show jumping, pistol shooting and cross-country running in a modern pentathlon ). That’s probably not the kind of “doping” the International Olympic Committee thought they would catch first after introducing new regulations ahead of the ’68 games, but alcohol is one of the many banned substances . His self-medicating ways lost the Swedish team their bronze medal. The First U.S. Woman to Win Gold Didn't Know She Was Competing Photo: Unknown / WikiMedia Commons / Public Domain The 1900 games in Paris were such a mess that some of the athletes didn’t even know they were competing at the Olympics.

Margaret Abbott , for example, was the first American woman to win a gold medal and she died in 1955 not knowing she was ever an Olympian! Abbott won “gold” for golf (but not an actual gold medal) at the first Olympic games that even allowed female competitors (they could participate in golf, tennis, and croquet). She thought she was playing in “ just another tournament ” while traveling to study art and received a porcelain bowl as a prize. Her mother competed, as well, making the duo the first mother-daughter team to compete in the Olympics at the same time... even though they didn’t know it! It wasn’t until 1996 that Abbott’s relatives were informed of her historic performance. The Meaning of the Olympic Rings Logo Is Kind of Disappointing Olympic Games Timeline | HistoryOnTheNet Olympic Games Timeline Last Updated: 01/17/2017 - 11:35 For more information on counter-intuitive facts of ancient and medieval history, see Anthony Esolen's The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization . Athens, Greece First Olympics First recorded evidence of the ancient Olympic games. The games were held at Olympia.

There was only one event - the men's 200m sprint. 490BCE Greece First Marathon The messenger Pheidippedes ran 42km from Sparta to Athens to bring the news of the Greek victory at the battle of Marathon. 424BCE Greece Decline With large numbers of young men having to go to fight against the Spartans there were fewer athletes able to train and compete in the games and so they began to fall into decline. 394CE The Roman Emperor, Theodosius I, abolished the games claiming they were a pagan event. 1612 Cotswolds, UK Cotswold Olympick Games Robert Dover, a barrister, founded the Cotswold Olympick Games. The games featured horse racing, fencing, shin-kicking and throwing the hammer. 1766 Englishman Richard Chandler discovered the site of ancient Olympia. 1796 France French Olympic Revival L'Olympiade de la République was an olympic-style yearly competition held between 1796 and 1798 in France.

1850 Shropshire, UK Wenlock Olympian Games An Olympic-style yearly sports festival was established in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, UK by Dr William Penny Brookes. It continues to this day. 1859 Greece Zappian Games Dr William Penny Brookes persuaded Greek Evangelis Zappas to stage a revival of the ancient Olympic games. Brookes sent 10 pounds to be used as prize money. 1875 A German-funded team of archeologists excavated the site of ancient Olympia. 1890 Shropshire, UK Pierre de Coubertin visited Much Wenlock Pierre de Coubertin was invited to attend the Much Wenlock games by Dr William Penny Brookes. 1894 France IOC founded The International Olympic Committee was founded by Baron Pierre de Coubertin who took the title of President of the committee. Coubertin suggested that the Olympics be re-established as an international four-yearly event to be hosted by different countries each time. 1896 Athens Greece First Modern Olympic Games The first modern Olympic games was held in Athens, Greece. All winners were presented with an olive branch and a silver medal.

1900 Paris, France Women competed for the first time Paris hosted these games without a stadium. Most events were held in the Bois de Boulogne and swimming events were held in the river Seine. Women competed for the first time. 1904 St Louis, USA Gold, silver and bronze medals were introduced Gold, silver and bronze medals were introduced. Winners of events were given a gold medal, second place a silver medal and third place a bronze medal. 1908 London, UK Olympic Stadium For the first time the Olympics take place in a purpose built stadium. Figure skating was introduced as an Olympic sport. Australia and New Zealand competed together as Australasia. 1912 Stockholm, Sweden Competitors from all 5 continents Athletes from all 5 continents take part. A public address system and electric timing devices were used for the first time. The Decathlon and Pentathlon were introduced for the first time. 1914 Pierre de Coubertin designed the Olympic symbol of 5 interlocking rings. 1916 Due to be held in Berlin this games was cancelled due to World War One 1920 Antwerp, Belgium Doves first released The Olympic rings symbol was used for the first time.

It was depicted on a flag with a white background which has been used ever since and is known as the Olympic flag. The opening ceremony saw doves, which symbolise peace, released for the first time. Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary and Turkey were not allowed to take part because they were defeated in World War One 1924 The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix France 1924 The games returned to Paris France 1928 The second Winter Olympics held in St Moritz, Switzerland 1928 Summer Olympics Olympic Flame first lit Amsterdam had previously bid for the 1920 and 1924 games. The Olympic flame was lit for the first time and burned throughout the entire competition. At the opening ceremony Greece led the athletes procession with the host nation at the end for the first time. 1930 Uruguay First FIFA World Cup Jules Rimet abandoned all hope of incorporating football into the Olympic games and established a separate competition - the FIFA World Cup. 1932 First Winter Olympics in America 1932 Los Angeles, USA Summer Olympics First use of a photo finish camera.

First time winners stood on a tiered stand with national flags raised above them 1936 Alpine skiing was introduced for the first time. 1936 First televised Olympics Summer Olympics First Olympics to be televised, however the footage could only be watched on local television. Basketball became an Olympic sport for the first time and was won by the USA. 1940 Cancelled due to World War Two 1944 Cancelled due to World War Two 1948 Germany and Japan were not invited to take part 1948 Dubbed the 'Austerity Games' as there was no money to fund a lavish spectacle. 1948 Stoke Mandeville Games Forerunner to Paralympics Sir Ludwig Guttmann organised a sports event for recuperating British veterans of World War Two to coincide with the London Games. It was called the Stoke Mandeville Games after the leading rehabilitation hospital at Stoke Mandeville and became an annual event. 1952 After much discussion Germany and Japan were allowed to compete 1952 Snow had to be imported into the country before the games could even begin.

1956 Boycotts Summer Olympics Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt boycotted the games in protest at the British, French and Israeli invasion of Egypt (Suez Crisis) Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland boycotted the games in protest at the Soviet invasion of Hungary The People's Republic of China boycotted the games in protest at the games' recognition of Formosa (now Taiwan) 1960 Squaw Valley, USA Winter Olympics The games were awarded to Squaw Valley despite its not being a city but a winter sports resort 1960 Many events took place in the ancient ruins around the city. 1960 Paralympics Sir Ludwig Guttmann brought a team of disabled athletes to compete in a games parallel to the Olympics. The name was shortened to Paralympics.

1964 Innsbruck, Austria Winter Olympics Warm weather meant that the Austrian army had to bring lorry loads of snow from alpine regions before the games could begin 1964 First Olympics held in Asia 1968 Grenoble, France Winter Olympics An Olympic ban on branded equipment was revoked after many competitors protested that without donated equipment from sponsors they would not be able to compete at all 1968 Summer Olympics First Olympics held in Central America. Tommie Smith and John Carlos both give the 'black power' salute as the US national anthem is played in protest against racial prejudice in America. 1972 First Winter Olympics to be held in Asia.

1972 Black September terrorists killed 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team 1976 Innsbruck, Austria Winter Olympics Originally awarded to Denver, USA but transferred to Innsbruck when Denver rejected the offer due to costs 1976 Montreal, Canada Summer Olympics 31 nations boycotted the games as a protest against the New Zealand rugby team's recent game with South Africa Increased costs together with a reduced number of visitors nearly bankrupted Montreal 1980 The Winter games were held at Lake Placid for a second time 1980 Western boycott, Summer Olympics 61 Nations refused to compete in these games as a protest against Russia's invasion of Afghanistan. 1984 Torvill and Dean, GB skaters scored perfect 6's for their Bolero routine 1984 Eastern boycott Summer Olympics 15 communist block countries refused to compete in these games in retaliation for the boycott of the Moscow Olympics 4 years earlier. Romania was the only communist block country to take part and came 2nd in the medals table. 1986 Amateur status requirement dropped The IOC agreed to drop the requirement that competitors taking part in the Olympics had to have amateur status.

The official Olympic Charter was amended accordingly. 1988 The Winter games were extended to 16 days 1988 Seoul, South Korea Summer Olympics 11 medalists disqualified for using banned substances. The cost of the games was met by the sale of TV broadcasting rights. 1992 Albertville is the smallest place to host an Olympics 1992 Barcelona, Spain Summer Olympics Former Soviet Union members competed as a Unified Team and Germany competed as one nation following the collapse of the Soviet Union. 1994 winter Norway's only Olympics to date 1996 Atlanta, USA Summer Olympics Television rights were sold for a record sum and Coca-Cola was a major sponsor of these games. 1998 Women's ice hockey débuted at this Olympics 2000 Steve Redgrave won a fifth consecutive gold medal in rowing. 2002 Salt Lake City, USA Winter Olympics Despite members of the IOC accepting sweetners from the NOC Salt Lake City did not lose the right to stage these games. 2004 Athens, Greece Summer Olympics The games returned to Athens.

The cost involved in staging the Olympics, especially with regard to increased security provision following the 9/11 terror attacks led to delays and venues were completed only just in time. 2006 The second Winter Olympics held in Italy 2008 Beijing, China Summer Olympics 43 world records and 132 Olympic records were broken during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals in swimming the most ever at a single Olympics 2010 The first games to hold its opening ceremony indoors 2012 The games return to London for the third time 2014 For more information on counter-intuitive facts of ancient and medieval history, see Anthony Esolen's The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization © 2008. You can find it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. You can also check it out by clicking on the buttons to the left. Quiz: 6 Important Islamic Advances in Medieval Medicine While medieval European medicine was still mired in superstitions and the rigid Catholic teachings of the Church, the advent of Islam in the 7th century A.D. gave rise to impressive growth and discoveries in many scientific fields, especially medicine.

Islamic scholars and doctors translated medical texts from all over the known world, including the Greeks and Romans, Persians and Indians. They not only gathered... Read More Theriac: History's Amazing Wonder Drug From the 1st century A.D. to the late 19th century, one medical compound reigned supreme over all other remedies: theriac. First concocted by a Greek king worried about poisons, theriac went from being a general antidote to snake bites to an all around panacea, used to treat everything from asthma to warts, including the Black Plague. Famous doctors throughout this long history experimented with the drug and... Read More Crazy Potions and Nasty Nostrums: Six Bizarre Medieval Medicines If you think, as some do today, that many drugs used as medicines are potentially deadly, consider what people living in medieval times were prescribed as curative agents—from ground up corpses to toxic mercury to crocodile dung. The annals of medieval medical history are full of substances that make us cringe. Yet people believed in these cure-alls and willingly took them when prescribed by a doctor of the...

Read More Engines of Destruction: Roman Advancement of Siege Warfare The Neo-Assyrian Empire used earthen ramps, siege towers and battering rams in sieges; the Greeks and Alexander the Great created destructive new engines known as artillery to further their sieges, and the Romans used every technique to perfection. That is to say, the Romans were not inventors, but they were superb engineers and disciplined, tough soldiers who fought against great odds and won, repeatedly. Engines of Destruction: Helepolis, the Massive Siege Engine that Failed Demetrius I, King of Macedon, invented many siege engines including battering rams and siege towers. For the Siege of Rhodes, he created the Helepolis, the Taker of Cities, a huge armored siege tower containing many heavy catapults. The island city of Rhodes maintained its neutrality among the warring nations of the time, although it remained friendly to Ptolemy I of Egypt, the enemy of Demetrius of...

Read More Ancient Greek Olympics by Vivek Gill on Prezi Invited audience members will follow you as you navigate and present People invited to a presentation do not need a Prezi account This link expires 10 minutes after you close the presentation A maximum of 30 users can follow your presentation Learn more about this feature in our knowledge base article Do you really want to delete this prezi? Neither you, nor the coeditors you shared it with will be able to recover it again. Olympic Games History - Olympic-Legacy.com A Brief History of the Ancient Olympic Games Introduction The ancient Olympic festival, from which we derive the Olympic games of today, was a pivotal force in ancient Greece. Its recorded history spans more than a millennium�from 776 BC to AD 392, a total of 293 Olympiads. The Games developed gradually, mirroring the rise of classical Greek culture. The ancient Olympics were based on a philosophy of balance between physical/athletic and spiritual/moral development that was a cornerstone of Greek democracy. As the ideals and political forces that inspired the Games began to deteriorate, so did the festival.

Under Roman rule, the Olympics experienced a renaissance, but in a form not true to its original spirit. Finally, by decree of the Christian emperor Theodosius I, the Games were abolished in AD 393. So, how did the ancient Olympic games come to be? Why did they become so famous in the ancient world? Why were so many magnificent structures built at Olympia? The answers to these questions trace a fascinating journey through the history of ancient Greece, "the cradle of civilization." The Site of Olympia The history of the ancient Olympic games must be traced in relation to its permanent home: the sanctuary at Olympia. The site is located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese, which is the southern peninsula of mainland Greece. The site takes its name from Mount Olympus (mythic home of the pantheon of gods, of whom Zeus was chief), which is not close to Olympia, but well to the north on the mainland. Olympia was (and is) situated in a rural location, in a valley at the base of Kronos hill (named for the father of Zeus), bordered by the Kladeos river on the west and the Alpheios river along the south.

Olympia is located in what was the region of Elis, and the city-state of Elis controlled the Games for almost all of its history. Exactly why or how Olympia came to be a sacred place is lost in the mists of prehistory. There is evidence that Olympia was being used as a sanctuary at the end of the Mycenean period (12th century BC). By the 10th century BC, it was an established center for worship, and religious activities had blossomed by the late 8th century BC. Zeus quickly emerged as the focus of worship, and he remained the main divinity at Olympia until the end of antiquity. Olympia consists of temples, altars, athletic facilities, and other buildings within a described area. The site developed gradually over the years until it was crammed with temples and sacred articles. The oldest and most sacred place at Olympia, the "holy of holies" as it were, is a wooded grove called the "Altis." The Altis is located on a naturally occurring shelf of land behind the site along the northern extent at the base of the hill of Kronos. This rural sanctuary was an ideal place for a regional festival.

Religious Festivals in Antiquity The Greeks of ancient Hellas (Dark Ages; 1100 to 800 BC) were scattered, and city-states had not yet begun to organize themselves. The region was settled by people who shared a common ancestry, religion, and language, yet had no common government�were in fact often at war with each other. Sanctuaries became cultural, social, and religious centers where people from these independent settlements could come together. Religious festivals grew up around the great sanctuaries and combined worship with sporting events, music, theater, dance, and public debate. Although the idea of combining sports competitions and religious worship seem foreign to us today, they were a natural part of Greek thinking. The early Greeks believed that the deities gave power to the athletes to compete, and victors were lauded as those favored by the gods. Sports events also grew out of a natural competitiveness, and leaders encouraged them for their military benefits�in an age when all warfare depended on men, not machines, a strong, agile male population was a necessity. So, how did the Olympic festival get started?

Early Beginnings There is much we can learn about the ancient Olympic games from various literary, mythological, and archaeological sources. These are not sufficient, however, to piece together the exact origins of the Games at Olympia. It seems probable that races were held at Olympia on various occasions, slowly grew in popularity, and eventually came to be organized as a quadrennial event. What we lack in hard evidence is made up for by an abundance of [myths and legends] about the origins of the Games. Starting in 776 BC, Olympic victors were officially recorded in the Olympic lists. This date (776 BC), which is the earliest verifiable date in the history of Western Civilization, is universally accepted as the official beginning of the ancient Olympic games. The most significant event in the early history of the Games is the birth of the Olympic truce (824 BC). The truce began as a month-long "Holy Treaty" between king Iphitos of Elis (city that controlled Olympia), king Lykourgos of Sparta, and king Kleosthenes of Pisa (see our page on the Olympic Truce ). Other Greek city-states subsequently ratified this agreement.

A key to the success of the truce was the perpetual neutrality of Elis (which it maintained until 420 BC during the Peloponnesian War). The Olympic truce changed the Games from a local event into a growing panhellenic competition that drew competitors and spectators from neighboring regions. Early Growth For the first 13 Olympiads (counting from 776 BC), the only event was the 200-meter sprint. This race took place on a simple track that was nothing more than a rectangular area of cleared ground. It was around this time (750 BC) that Greek city-states began to organize. Longer foot races were added at the 14th and 15th Games and the pentathlon and wrestling were introduced at the 18th. Around the time of the 19th Olympiad (704 BC), various improvements were made to Olympia, including several wells to the east and changes to the northern boarders. Large areas ground were leveled and the sanctuary was improved.

The early-to-mid 7th century saw the introduction new combat events�such as boxing (688 BC) and "pankration" wrestling (648)�and equestrian events�such as chariot racing (680) and horse races (648). (See Ancient Events ) for more information on the events of the ancient Olympics.) As events, participation, and enthusiasm increased, the games at Olympia drew larger and larger crowds from the Greek-speaking world. The Games were well on their way to accomplishing something that had eluded politicians for centuries�the molding of scattered people from warring municipalities into a cohesive culture that shaped the history of the world. The Olympic games became a link, a bond between people of a common blood. It is important to note that only those who could verify their Greek lineage were permitted to participate. International competitors were not welcomed until much later in the history of the Games. This policy was not for the purpose of exclusion or based in ethnocentricity; rather, the Games were seen as a way of fostering friendship among the warring Greek city-states with the aim of forming a nation. The success of the Olympic games prompted other trans-regional events.

The Four Panhellenic Festivals In the 6th century, the positive effect of the polis-encompassing Olympic games on the formation of Greek culture inspired three other panhellenic festivals. The first was the Pythian games at Delphi (begun in 590 BC) in honor of Apollo (son of Zeus; god of prophesy, music, and healing). The prize was a wreath from Apollo's sacred plant, the laurel. (Athletic competitions, whether great or small, were always held under the patronage of a Greek deity.) Eight years later in 582 BC, the Isthmian games for Poseidon (brother of Zeus; god of waters, earthquakes, and horses) were formed, awarding a sacred pine wreath. The celery wreath was conferred at the Nemean games (in honor of Zeus) for the first time in 573 BC. As people from mainland Greece began emigrating and forming colonies around the Mediterranean (750-650 BC), they took the tradition of these athletic festivals with them, as well as the culture of athleticism.

In later years, many of the great Olympic victors came from these remote regions, full of enthusiasm for the Greek "athletic ideal." Developing Ideology By now, the "athletic ideal" was a part of the Greek psyche, regional and national athletic competitions were well attended, and every city boasted a public gymnasium that was a cultural and educational center (see the Athletic Ideal page). An increasing number of visitors and competitors were coming to Olympia and its prestige was growing. The first temple, dedicated to Hera (Zeus's wife) was erected from 599 to 589 BC. A series of treasuries were dedicated in the Altis by various Greek cities, of which many were wealthy Greek colonies. These treasuries were small temple-shaped buildings that contained valuable offerings to the gods. Improvements were made to Olympia to accommodate the influx of attendees. In 560 BC (around the 55th Olympiad) the first rudimentary stadium was constructed. It was a simple track located on the southern slope of Kronos hill.

The most peaceful period in the history of Elis (and the period of greatest respect for the Olympic truce) was disrupted by the Persian Wars (530-479 BC), which put a temporary halt on further construction (although the stadium was remodeled in 500 BC). (To learn about the battle of Marathon against invading Persian forces in 490 BC, which later inspired the marathon race, please refer to the Marathon's Legacy page.) It was around this time (520 BC), that the race-in-armor event (hoplitodromia) was added to the Olympic games (see Ancient Events ). Greek culture was growing and changing, and new ideas and philosophies were forming. Democracy was first introduced in 508 BC. The groundwork for the age of Greek Classicism was now in place. The Golden Age It was during the Classical era (5th to 4th century BC) that the Olympic games came into their own. The victory against the Persians (in 479 BC) gave the collection of city-states a strong national identity and pride, and Olympia became a symbol of this growing Greek unity.

The ideals and principles that inspired the Games were at their pinnacle, and the fame and prestige of the Olympics grew exponentially. During this zenith, the Olympic festival drew crowds not only from the Peloponnesian Peninsula but also from colonies as far away as Libya and Egypt. The athletic ideal of amateurism�the relationship between spiritual and athletic accomplishments and the holistic approach to the education of mind, body, and spirit�was at its apex. This was the age of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Poets and other writers recited spontaneously at Olympia, sculptors worked on statues while surrounded by spectators, and great leaders and politicians delivered orations to the crowds assembled for the Games. This period saw a flurry of construction at Olympia. Up until the beginning of the 5th century, the only major buildings at Olympia were the Heraion (temple of Hera, wife of Zeus), the Bouleuterion (council house), and several treasuries in the Altis. The first classical construction was the temple of Zeus (472-457 BC), a magnificent structure that stood as the spectacular centerpiece of Olympia for the remainder of its history.

It was designed to accommodate the 13-meter-high gold and ivory statue of Zeus (cir. 435 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and one of the largest statues ever raised in an enclosed room. The figure depicted Zeus, seated on a throne, with a scepter in his left hand and Nike (winged victory) in his right hand. It was the work of famed sculptor Pheidias, who had just finished the gold and ivory figure of Athena for the Parthenon (built 447 to 438 BC) in Athens. A visit to Olympia was also a pilgrimage to Zeus's most sacred locale. A number of other religious and secular buildings as well as athletic facilities were also constructed at Olympia around this time. These included bathhouses, a pool, a temple to Rhea (mother of Zeus), a banquet hall / administration center, a grand hotel for VIPs, more treasuries, and several colonnades. The third and final stadium (capacity 45,000) was constructed in 350 BC, further away from the sanctuary (see the Stadium section in Ancient Events for more information).

Alas, in 431 BC, the rivalry between states overcame the fragile unity when Athens supported Corinth in battle against Sparta, thus launching the Peloponnesian War. Elis (city-state that controlled the Games), who had heretofore been neutral, sided with Athens and banned the Spartans from the Olympics. Consequently, the 424 BC Games (89th Olympiad) were held under the watchful eye of armed troops. In 404 BC, the Athenians surrendered to the Spartans. Nine years later (395 BC), several city-states, including Athens, took advantage of Sparta's involvement in war with Persia to challenge Spartan supremacy. The Corinthian War lasted until Sparta was defeated in 387 BC. These wars dealt a devastating blow to the religious and national unity of the Greeks, from which they never fully recovered. Gradual Decline Philip II of Macedonia began construction of the family memorial monument at Olympia (the Philippeum, 337-335 BC), and his son, Alexander the Great (who reigned from 336-323 BC), saw its completion.

Philip II and his descendants attributed great importance to Olympia by offering gifts and dedications and inspired other wealthy donors to do the same. With the end of the Classical period, the philosophy behind the Games began to decline, mirroring the decline in the general history of ancient Greece. Where once the worship of Zeus had been the focus, and all victory was attributed to the aid of the gods, and victors offered their crowns at the feet of their patron deity; now athletes reveled in personal glory for their achievements. The Olympic games were becoming less a religious festival and more a world-premiere athletic competition. Olympic victors were showered with honor, glory, and increasingly valuable prizes (see Ancient Prizes ). This period saw the rise of the professional athlete for the first time. This focus of this era on athletes (rather than divinities) was reflected in the construction at Olympia. Between the 3rd and 1st centuries, additional athletic facilities were built (exact dates are not known). These include improvements to the baths used by the athletes, a large gymnasium for track competitors to practice in, and a "palaistra," an arena where training in combat and jumping events took place.

Roman intervention in Hellenic affairs began in the early 2nd century BC and ended with the loss of Greek independence in 146 BC, when Rome imposed direct rule on Greece and Macedonia. It was the end of Greece, the beginning of the Roman period, and the beginning of the end for the Olympic games. "When in Rome�" The glory of the Olympic festival died with the glory that was classical Greece, although the Games lived on in a debased form under the Romans. In fact, the economic and cultural revival and political stability of the Roman occupation marked a brief renaissance of the Olympic games, albeit Roman-style. The Games ceased to be a sacred festival and became more like gladiator contests�increasingly violent and bloody. Boxers added iron to their gloves to appease the thirst of the crowds for blood. The Games also became "international" under the extensive umbrella of Roman citizenship now enjoyed by regions as far removed as Egypt. What once was the exclusive province of free-born Greeks now named Roman slaves among their ranks. Imperial patronage saw to it that the site of Olympia was improved on a scale befitting that of a Roman showpiece.

Extensive repairs to the temple of Zeus and other buildings took place and new monuments and athletic facilities were dedicated. First to be built were "modern" comforts such as several hot baths, the aqueduct that served them, and comfortable Roman guest houses. In AD 150, Herod Atticus built the Nympheum in honor of his wife Regilla. The weakening Hellenic devotion to the once-revered gods of ancient Greece was indeed no match for the juggernaut of Roman imperialism. Abandoned by the Gods The Romans committed many sacrileges against the Greek gods of Olympia. The temple of Rhea was converted into a shrine to the "divine Augustus." The treasuries of the Altis were sacked by the Roman general Sulla. When a number of strong earthquakes damaged much of Olympia in the 3rd century AD, the Greeks believed it to be a warning by the gods. Undeterred, Emperor Claudius attempted to carry away the gold and ivory statue of Zeus to Rome, where he planned to replace the statue's head with his own. However, the ship that had been sent to fetch it was hit on the way to Olympia by a thunderbolt (the symbol of Zeus).

None of these "divine warnings" deterred the Romans, however, and early in the 4th century AD, Constantine the Great removed the historic statue for good. As if the gods had finally abandoned Olympia, its fortunes rapidly declined. A series of catastrophes befell the site of the once-great Olympic games. In AD 267 the invasions of barbarian tribes prompted the fortification of the sanctuary by using rubble from monuments damaged in the earthquakes of the 3rd century. In the 4th century AD, the Kladeos River, which flowed along the west side of Olympia, burst its banks and washed away almost half of the great gymnasium. It never returned to its former course, and thus permanently redefined the western border of Olympia. In spite of these disasters, Olympiads continued to be held, but the end was near. Death� Christianity was founded during Roman rule. In the year 324 AD, Constantine became the ruler of the entire Roman Empire. For the first time a Christian emperor had ascended to the throne. Constantine came to the conclusion that Rome had ceased to be a practical capital for the empire from which the emperor could exact effective control over its frontiers.

On November 8, AD 324, Constantine created his new capital on the ancient Greek city of Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople. Rome gradually was weakened and eventually was conquered in 476 AD by the tribes of the north. In the east, in Constantinople, the Christian church enjoyed full support from the government. During that time, it waged war against heresy and any notion of the ancient "pagan" religion. In AD 393, Theodosius the Great (Theodosius I), the Christian emperor of the east Roman Empire, outlawed the Olympic games. �and Burial The temple of Zeus was demolished in AD 426 by decree of Theodosius II. Over the years, storms deposited rocks and dirt from Kronos hill across the site. Gradually a new village was laid over the ancient ruins, which was most likely destroyed by the Avars in the late 6th century. Then, two massive earthquakes decimated the site, destroying buildings and toppling columns. The site was left in ruins and could no longer be inhabited. In the late Middle Ages the Alpheios river flooded the site and washed away the hippodrome.

The flooding from both rivers (Kladeos to the west and Alpheios along the south) deposited much silt until the site became completely buried to an average depth of 4 meters. And there it remained�buried, quiet, waiting for that time when the world was again ready to embrace the Olympic ideal. Sponsored by AvantiLogic.net , Produced by Photoenhancements.com Copyright © 2003 by Photoenhancements.com 1º - ANCIENT OLYMPICS - EducaOLÍMPICOS ESO THE ANCIENT OLYMPICS. In this Unit we are going to connect what you have studied in Social Science with one of the most significants topics of our subject: The Olympic Games and particularly we will focus on the Ancient Games so you can supplement what you have learned and take advantage of it. As a start take a look at this introductory and very basic videos so you can recall all your previous knowledge. In the 8th century BCE different sports competitions were held in the Greek cities (polis) to honour the Gods. The name of the these games was taken from the city were they took place.

From 776 BCE onwards, the most important ones were held every four years in Olympia (Olympic Games) in honour of Zeus. They were such relevant event that during four years the participant polis stopped their internal warfare. During the Roman Empire the Games fell into decadence. Professional sports-people and slaves competed in which became very violent and cruel events. Emperor Theodosius abolished them in 393 CE. During 19th century, an ancient Greece enthusiast born in France, Pierre de Fredy, Baron de Coubertain, raised the possibility of reviving the spirit of peace, partnership, and harmony between nations that was boost during the Old Olympic Games. Taken away the religious meaning, sport became the engine to move these values. QUICK GUIDE TO ANCIENT OLYMPICS.pdf File Size:

Question: How many sports were competed at the first Olympic Games in 8th century BCE?
Answer: 1