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

Content: One (later) myth, attributed to Pindar, states that the festival at Olympia involved Heracles, the son of Zeus: According to Pindar, Heracles established an athletic festival to honor his father, Zeus, after he had completed his labors. The patterns that emerge from these myths are that the Greeks believed the games had their roots in religion, that athletic competition was tied to worship of the gods, and the revival of the ancient games was intended to bring peace, harmony and a return to the origins of Greek life. History
The Olympic games were held to be one of the two central rituals in ancient Greece, the other being the much older religious festival, the Eleusinian Mysteries. Prehistory
Areas around the Mediterranean had a long tradition of athletic events. Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians depicted athletic scenes in tombs of kings and their nobles. They did not, however, hold regular competitions, and those events that occurred were probably the preserve of kings and upper classes. Minoans culture held gymnastics in high esteem, with bull-leaping, tumbling, running, wrestling and boxing shown on their frescoes. The Myceneans adopted Minoan games and also raced chariots in religious or funerary ceremonies. Homer 's heroes participate in athletic competitions to honor the dead.