By Mackenzie Hasenauer

 Very first Olympic games were traced back to 776 B.C.  Games were dedicated to the Olympian gods  Took place on the plains of Olympus  Continued for 12 centuries until 393 A.D. when Emperor Theodosius banned them

 Started as a one day event  Extended to 3 days in 624 B.C.  5 th century B.C. - they were extended even further to five days

 Closely linked to the religious festivals of the cult of Zeus  Showed the physical qualities and evolution of the performances accomplished by young people  Olympic Games owed their purity and importance to religion.

 Zeus, the father of humanity, fought and defeated Cronus in a struggle for the throne of the gods.  Herakles staged games in Olympia in honor of Zeus  Helped him conquer Elis when he went to war against Augeas.

 Olympic victories immortalized them  All free Greek male citizens  Regardless of social status  Married women couldn’t even watch  Unmarried women could attend events  Had to take an oath in front of Zeus statue  Stating they trained for at least 10 months

 Running Events:  Stade race (200 meters)  Diaulos race (2 stades, 400 meters)  Dolichos (ranging between 7 and 24 stades)  Jumping:  Used stone or lead weights to increase the distance of a jump  Held the weights until the end of their jump, and then threw them backwards.

 Discus Throw:  Originally made of stone and later of iron, lead or bronze  Technique was very similar to today’s technique  Equestrian Events:  included horse and chariot races  took place in the Hippodrome

 Wrestling:  Highly valued form of military exercise  Went on until one opponent admitted defeat  Boxing:  Wrapped straps around wrists to strengthen and steady hands  Later switched to leather which disfigured opponents’ faces  Plankration:  Combination of boxing and wrestling  Considered the toughest sport

 Astylos of Croton  Won a total of six victory olive wreaths in three Olympiads  Stade and Diaulos  Milon of Croton  Six times Olympic wrestling champion  One in youth, and the rest in men’s

 Leonidas of Rhodes  Won 12 total Olympic victory wreaths  4 consecutive Olympiads  Won Stade, Diaulos, and Armor races  Kynista of Sparta  Daughter of King Archidamos of Sparta  First woman to be listed as an Olympic victor  Chariot won in the four-horse chariot race in the 96th and 97th Olympiads  Equestrian events go to the owner not the rider

 Received first awards immediately after the competition  Hellanodikis (Greek judge) would place a palm branch in the victor’s hands  Spectators cheered and threw flowers  Red ribbons were tied on his head and hands as a mark of victory

 Official award ceremony would take place on the last day of the Games  Took place at vestibule of the temple of Zeus  The herald would announce the name of the Olympic winner, his father's name, and his homeland  Hellanodikis placed the sacred olive tree wreath on the winner's head