The Olympic Games
were originally an ancient Greek religious festival in honour of
Zeus, held in Olympia near Mount Olympus, the mythical home of
the gods. The initial date for the beginning of the Games was
776 В. С. They were held every four years, in the middle of the
summer; the main condition of the festival was that there should
be peace throughout Greece. The ceremonies included contests in
oratory, poetry, music, and art, as well as in athletic skills
like wrestling, throwing the javelin, and running.
The Olympic Games
were an exclusively male festival, open to young men from all
the Greek cities. Women were not allowed to compete in the
Olympic Games, or even to attend and watch them. The victors
were traditionally crowned with olive leaves rather than with
gold medals. Their importance in Greek life was so great that
the Olympiad, the four-year interval between Games, was a main
unit of the Hellenic calendar. To be a victor in the classical
Olympic Games was a great honour not only for the athlete but
for his city.
The classical
Games continued for over a thousand years. The Games were
suppressed by the Roman Emperor Theodosius in A. D. 392.
