Title: Ancient Greek Olympics: 27 Historical Facts On The Festival And Its Games
Headings: Ancient Greek Olympics: 27 Historical Facts On The Festival And Its Games
Ancient Greek Olympics: 27 Historical Facts On The Festival And Its Games
1. Olympia Was Home To The Site Most Sacred To Zeus
2. The Ancient Olympics Were Originally Funeral Games
3. The Olympic Truce Was Signed Before The Games Began
4. The Ancient Greek Olympics Were Held At The Height Of Summer
5. There Was A Hotel At The Ancient Olympics
6. Greek Colonies Held Treasuries At Olympia
7. Victorious Athletes Had Poems Written For Them
8. Many Modern Elements Of The Games Did Not Exist In The Ancient Olympics
9. Women Did Not Participate In The Ancient Olympics
10. Event Rules Were Enforced With Violence
11. The First-Ever Event Held At The Games Was The 200 Metres
12. Each Event Was Originally Intended As Training For War
13. Athletes Tied Up Their Penises While Competing
14. The Pentathlon Was One Of The Oldest Events At The Games
15. Discus-Throwing Is Thought To Have Originated From A Story In Homer’s Iliad
16. The Ancient vs. Modern-Day Long-Jump Events Are Very Different
17. The Boxing Event Dates Back To The Minoan And Mycenaean Periods
18. The Pankration Was The Most Violent Sport At The Ancient Greek Olympics
19. Chariot Racing Was Associated With The Dead Passing Into Hades
20. The Rider Running Alongside His Horse Event
21. Olive Wreaths Were Awarded To Winners At The Ancient Greek Olympics
22. Victors In The Ancient Olympics Received A Variety Of Prizes And Honours
23. Some Honours For Ancient Olympic Victors Lasted A Lifetime
24. Great Feasts Were Held For The Olympic Victors
25. The Final Ancient Greek Olympics Were Held In The AD 380s
26. Baron De Coubertin Revived The Olympic Games In 1896
27. The Logo of the Olympic Games Still Used Today Was Created by the Baron

Content: Ancient Greek Olympics: 27 Historical Facts On The Festival And Its Games
Ancient Greek Olympics: 27 Historical Facts On The Festival And Its Games
Marble sculpture of ancient Greek wrestlers, ca 510 BC, courtesy National Archaeological Museum, Athens
For a thousand years from 776 BC, every four years, people from all over the Greek-speaking world traveled to the site of Olympia to celebrate the ancient Olympic Games. Here athletes representing city-states across Greece and its colonies would compete in sports from boxing to chariot racing. Those who succeeded in this ultimate test of physical prowess would be treated as local heroes for centuries to come. Perhaps the sharpest divide between the ancient games-festival and the modern-day Olympics is the fact that the ancient Greek Olympics were as much a religious as a sporting event. Over 70 different religious altars have been discovered at Olympia and the first two days of the festival were entirely devoted to religious sacrifices. This period culminated in the sacrifice of 100 oxen to the god most closely associated with the Games – Zeus. 1. Olympia Was Home To The Site Most Sacred To Zeus
A later copy of the statue of Zeus at Olympia, via The Archaeology News Network
The Altis grove at Olympia was believed to be the place where Hercules made a clearing in the trees and used the space to hold the first Games in honour of Zeus.