Olympic Games

I could not close this tribute to the contributions of the ancient Greece to modern societies without mentioning the Olympic Games. The Olympics were the oldest and most important of all the Greek games and the most important religious celebration in honor of Olympian Zeus, the father of the gods. The magnificent city of Olympia is the birthplace of one of the world's greatest and oldest sporting traditions. More than 3,000 years ago, the ancient Greeks began holding the Olympic Games every four years in honor of the god Zeus. This continued for nearly 12 centuries until the Emperor Theodosius banned this ritual of "pagan worship" in 393 AD. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896.

Visit the resources below to learn more about the history of the games.

Welcome to the Ancient Olympic Games [International Olympic Committee]
The Ancient Olympics and Other Athletic Games [THE MET]
The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece [The British Museum]
The real story of the ancient Olympic Games [Penn Museum]
The Olympic Games [History]
Ancient Greek Olympic Games [Britannica]
Ancient Olympic Games [World History Encyclopedia]
5 Facts You May Not Know About the First Olympics [Discover Magazine]
The Fascinating Origins of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece [Greek Reporter]
Ancient Greek Olympics [YouTube Video - Inspire Education]

The Ancient Greek Olympics (776 BC-393 AD)

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