Title: Ancient Olympic Games - Wikipedia
Headings: Ancient Olympic Games
Ancient Olympic Games
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Contents
Origin mythology
History
Prehistory
First games
Olympiad calendar
Early history
Imperial period
Roman conquest of Greece
Augustus
Nero
Renaissance
Decline
Location
Culture
Politics
Events
Running
Combat
Discus
Long jump
Pentathlon
Equestrian events
Famous athletes
Olympic festivals in other places
See also
References
Bibliography
Further reading
External links

Content: Ancient Olympic Games - Wikipedia
Ancient Olympic Games
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For the modern event, see Olympic Games. Athletic competitions in Ancient Greece
The palaestra of Olympia, a place devoted to the training of wrestlers and other athletes
Olympic Games

Main topics
Bids
Boycotts
Ceremonies
Charter
Host cities
IFs
IOC
Medal
Medal tables
Medalists
NOCs
Pierre de Coubertin medal
Scandals and controversies
Sports
Symbols
Television
Torch relays
Venues
Women participation
Games
Summer
Winter
Youth
African
Asian
European
Pacific
Pan-American
Ancient
Intercalated
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The ancient Olympic Games (Ὀλυμπιακοὶ ἀγῶνες, "Olympiaki agones") were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. They were held in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin. The first Olympics is traditionally dated to 776 BCE. They continued to be celebrated when Greece came under Roman rule, 2nd century BCE, until the emperor Theodosius I, who having been converted to Christianity, banned pagan festivals. He banned the Olympics in CE 394 as part of the campaign to impose Christianity as the State religion of Rome. The games were held every four years, or Olympiad, which became a unit of time in historical chronologies. During the celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their cities to the games in safety. The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. The games became a political tool used by city-states to assert dominance over their rivals.