The Ancient Olympics from The Olympic Games by Theodore Knight

Poster for first modern Olympic Games

The Olympics games originated in Ancient Greece and were originally made as a honor to the gods. They were held at sacred places such as in Olympia located in western Greece.  These games brought together all the people in Greece and united them as one. Winning was the ultimate honor. Even though these games were practiced before, the first official Olympic Games that took place were at an Olympic festival during the year 776 B.C. A man named Coroebus won a 200 yard, which is 180 meter, run. The victory of this man, sparked the official start of the Olympic games.  There were originally there were rules, to compete in the Olympic games you had to be a male Greek citizen, if you were a foreigner, slaves and women were not allowed to participate in competition. Even if women attempted to be a spectator they could be put to death. So women were so desperate to see the games, they even disguised themselves as men to get in!
   "One story tells how the mother of a young runner named Pisidorus did just that. When the young man's father died while training him, the mother took over the training and then attended the race disguised as a man. When Pisidorus won the race, the mother's cries of joy were so loud she was discovered. She was not put to death, however. To this day, no one knows why."
Yet by the 128th game women were finally allowed to participate and watch the games.  All competitors had to swear under an oath that they had been training for these games ten months prior to the actual games. Yet the Olympics were mostly for the wealthy, since they had to be able to provide for travel and, if they won, a lavish banquet for all. There were at the beginning, only few games that could be played at the Olympic games, but as the years progressed there were a variety of different things added. Things such as footraces, chariot races, wrestling, boxing, pancratium and tathlon. The Roman Empire conquered the the Greek Empire around the time 100 B.C, the Greek way of life and their games changed, the Romans turned them into something brutal, and the Olympics simply lost the whole idea of celebrating patriotism and religion." The Games themselves became brutal forms of entertainment." Some people started to complain about the simple prize of an olive branch for winning them games and money started to become involved. This sparked bribery and cheating in the games. The Olympics games had continued through well over 12 hundred years but it ended and then did not start until 15 hundred years after and was revived again by Baron Pierre and the first Olympic games in the modern world were held in Athens, Greece during the year 1896.

Knight, Theodore. The Ancient World. New York City: n.p., 2010. Print. Article:
     The Olympic Games