History of the Olympics.

How it was founded. Olympic Games were founded by Heracles, a son of Zeus. Yet the first Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in 776 BCE.

When it was held. The games were usually held every four years or the ,Olympiad, the unit of time became to be known.

Facts about it. The ancient Olympics were rather different from the modern Games. There were fewer events, and only free men who spoke Greek could compete, instead of athletes from any country. Also, the games were always held at Olympia instead of moving around to different sites every time.

Types of events. There was a five day event. Each day had a different sport. The first day of the festival was devoted to sacrifices, they sacrificed 100 oxen to show their god they were ready to celebrate. The second day there was a foot race. The third day was wrestling and boxing. The forth day was pancratium, a combination of the two. The fifth day was Chariot races.

Who be playing the games. Usually prisoners or heroes would play the games. If a commoner did something horrible wrong against the emperor the would be assigned to a death threatening game.

Who were invited to watch. Only men were allowed to watch. The women were either home preparing supper for their returning husbands or they were trying to help the injured of the games so that the gamer may go back out again.

The rules. Like the modern Olympics, strict rules and regulations governed the ancient Olympics. The Eleans were accomplished promoters and sought to make the Olympic games a positive experience for all participants, athletes, and spectators. Consequently, the ekecheiria, or truce, was the most important rule. Originally initiated by three kings, Iphitos of Elis, Kleosthenes of Pisa, and Lykourgos of Sparta, for the period of one month, the Eleans extended the ekecheiria to three months. During the truce, participants from warring city-states could presumably pass through the territory of their enemy without jeopardy. To add to the positive atmosphere, no armies could enter Elis, and the death penalty was suspended.

Pictures of the games.

Bibliography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Olympic_Games http://history1900s.about.com/od/fadsfashion/a/olympicshistory.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games

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