Ancient Olympics Research Paper

The Olympic Games are a significant event not only in today 's society, but also in the lives of the ancient Greeks, with its origins stretching way back to the classical time. The Ancient Olympic Games were primarily a part of a religious festival that honoured Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses. They were an athletic event that was held every 4 years and began in the early 700 BC. The Ancient Olympic Games were held at Olympia, which is in the south-west of Greece, and involved a series of athletic competitions among representatives of the 10 city-states. The Olympics is said to have mythological origins, with many different myths claiming to be the cause of the games. Importance of Event:

In the Classical world, the Olympics

The king had a beautiful daughter named Hippodamia, and was foretold by an oracle that his death would come by the hand of her husband. Thus he decreed that the man who wished to be her husband, must partake in a chariot race, and if he won, would have her hand in marriage. The king 's chariot horses, however, were a present from the god Poseidon and were therefore supernaturally fast, giving him an advantage over the suitors. Pelops was a very handsome young man, causing Hippodamia fell in love with him. Before the race, she persuaded her father 's charioteer Myrtilus to replace the bronze axle pins of the king 's chariot with wax ones. As the race progressed, the wax melted and the king fell from his chariot and was killed. Pelops was declared the winner and married Hippodamia. After his victory, Pelops organized chariot races as thanksgiving to the gods and as funeral games in honor of King Oenomaus. It was from this race held at Olympia that the beginnings of the Olympic Games were

Although the Olympics are still an important part of the 21st century where sporting is concerned, it is no longer a religious event. It has a very different meaning now than it did back then, as well as many different events. The ancient Olympic Games were banned in 398 AD when they were abolished by Emperor Theodosius 1, after being held every 4 years for over a Millenia. Many attempts were made to bring back the games in the 1700 's and 1800 's to no avail, until 1896 when they were officially revived and made international. The Olympic Games are now used to find the sporting champions at the top of their games across a diverse range of events, from swimming to equestrian