How the Olympic Games began: a love of sport and competition inspired the ancient Greeks to create the greatest athletic contests ever.

Of all the athletic contests ancient Greece, none rivaled the Olympics. The Games, which honored Zeus, the king of all gods, served many purposes: religious, political, and athletic. The ancient Greeks even measured time in Olympiads, the four-year intervals between Games.

Pindar's Olympian Odes, written around 470 B.C., tell us the significance of these events: "Water is best, and gold, like a blazing fire in the night, stands out supreme of all lordly wealth. But if, my heart, you wish to sing of contests ... let us not proclaim any contest greater than Olympia."

No one knows exactly why the Games began, but the Greeks liked to turn almost everything into an agon, or contest.

The first known Olympics took place in 776 B.C. at Olympia (see map, p. 11). The Games consisted of only one event, a 210-yard sprint known as the stadion. Eventually, longer races were added.

In 708 B.C., wrestling and the pentathlon were introduced. In the wrestling competition it was permitted to trip one's opponent, but not to bite him or gouge out his eyes. The pentathlon--an event that included running, jumping, the discus throw, the javelin (spear) throw, and wrestling--tested endurance, strength, and speed. Later, chariot and horse racing were added.

The athletes competed without clothing. Since the events took place on summer's hottest days, a lack of clothing was probably a wise idea. Women could not even watch the Games, much less participate.

Traveling Safely

During the five-day Olympic festival, the Greeks made many sacrifices to the gods at Olympia. In the most extravagant display, they sacrificed a hundred cattle to Zeus.

The competitions followed a strict set of rules. The first rule stated that cities had to cease (end) hostilities during the Games. Wars were halted, but not just to foster a spirit of togetherness. Thousands of spectators traveled to the Games from across the Greek world. They needed to be able to do so safely.

The second rule prohibited women, barbarians (non-Greeks), and slaves from competing. Additional rules, not unlike modern Olympic regulations, addressed training procedures and sportsmanship. Cheaters risked disqualification and fines. The money collected from them was used to construct bronze statues of Zeus.

Winners did not receive gold, silver, or bronze medals as they do today. Instead, they were crowned with a wreath of wild olive branches.

Victory brought great glory to the athletes and to their home cities, and encouraged a sense of civic pride. Each city celebrated its local heroes with parties and festivals. Some athletes even received free meals for life!

The Games Are Banned

After Rome conquered Greece in 146 B.C., the Olympics diminished in importance and religious significance. Many athletes became interested only in winning money. In 393 A.D., the Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned the Games, partly because they had declined in quality.

Over time, people forgot about the Olympics, and no Games were held for more than 1,500 years. Then, in 1875, a group of German archaeologists came upon the ruins of the Stadium of Olympia. The stadium had long ago been leveled [flattened] by an earthquake and lay buried beneath a landslide.

Seeing the ruins inspired Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator, to organize a modern international Olympics. He believed that individuals needed to test their athletic skills against others.

"How then should the athletes not seek to meet," he reasoned, "since rivalry is the basis of athletics, and in reality the very reason for its existence?"

The Modern Games

The first modern Games were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896, with 245 athletes representing 14 countries. American James Connolly became the first Olympic champion in more than 1,500 years when he won the triple jump. Spiridon Louis, a Greek postal worker, won the final event, the marathon.

In 1900, women competed for the first time, but only in lawn tennis and golf. Some sports popular in the early 1900s--including live-pigeon shooting, tug-of-war, and the high jump on horseback--have since been dropped from the competition.

At this summer's Games in Athens, marathon runners will retrace part of the route taken by the Greek athlete Pheidippides in 490 B.C. According to one legend, Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens, a distance of 25 miles, to tell of the defeat of Persian invaders.

The marathon remains a beloved tradition in Greece, uniting the ancient and modern Games. JS

OBJECTIVES

Students should understand

* The Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece as a way to honor the Greek gods.

* The modern Olympic Games were first held in Athens, Greece, in 1896.

THINKING SKILLS

Ask: "Can the Olympic Games help promote world peace among nations? Why or why not?"

BACKGROUND

The 1896 Olympic Games included nine sports--cycling, fencing, gymnastics, lawn tennis, shooting, swimming, track and field, weight lifting, and wrestling. This summer's Games in Athens will feature 28 sports.

CRITICAL THINKING

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: Compare the ancient Olympic Games with the first modern Games. (The ancient Olympics honored Zeus and were open only to male, flee-born Greeks. Athletes competed in such events as a 210-yard sprint, chariot racing, wrestling, and the pentathlon. Women were not allowed to compete or attend the Games. About 245 male athletes representing 14 countries competed at the 1896 Games. In the new century, athletes competed in events such as live-pigeon shooting, tug-of-war, the marathon, and equestrian jumping. Women were allowed to attend in 1896, but could not compete until the 1900 Games.)

CAUSE AND EFFECT: How did the Olympic Games promote peace in ancient Greece? (Warring cities agreed to temporarily halt their fighting before, during, and after the Games. This temporary truce allowed for the safe passage of athletes and spectators to and from Olympia.)

ACTIVITY

ROLE OF SPORTS: Instruct students to write an essay about the importance of sports in their personal lives or on the impact sports have on American culture.

Answers

1. C 2. D 3. A 4. B 5. E