🏛️ The First Olympics

What you’ll learn

1. Games From Long, Long AgoKnow that the first Olympic Games were held very long ago in Greece, at a place called Olympia.The very first Olympic Games began about 2,700 years ago, in the year 776 BC, in a country called Greece. They were held at a special place named Olympia, which is how the Games got their name. That was such a long time ago that people did not have cars, phones, or electric lights.
2. Games to Honour a GodUnderstand that the ancient Games were part of a festival held to honour the Greek god Zeus.The ancient Greeks believed in many gods, and the greatest of them was called Zeus. The Olympic Games were a big festival held to honour Zeus. People came from all over Greece to celebrate, pray, and watch the athletes compete.
3. The Sports They PlayedName some events from the ancient Games, especially the running race called the stadion.The ancient athletes played sports we would still recognise today. The oldest and most important event was a short running race called the stadion. There was also wrestling, boxing, long jump, throwing the discus and javelin, and exciting chariot races pulled by horses.
4. The Winner's Special PrizeKnow that ancient Olympic winners received an olive wreath, not a medal.Winners at the ancient Games did not get gold medals like today. Instead, the champion was given a wreath — a crown made from the leaves of an olive tree — to wear on their head. Even though it was just leaves, it was a very great honour, and winners became famous heroes back home.
5. From Then to NowUnderstand that the ancient Games ended long ago but were brought back as the modern Olympics we watch today.The ancient Games were held for about a thousand years and then stopped. Much later, in the year 1896, people brought the Olympics back to life in Athens, Greece. Today the Olympics still happen every four years, with athletes from all over the world, a flaming torch, and five joined rings — a living link all the way back to Olympia.

Questions this course answers

Grounded in trusted sources

• The ancient Olympic Games were traditionally first held in 776 BC at Olympia in Greece, took place every four years, honoured the god Zeus, awarded winners an olive wreath, and included the stadion foot race (about 192 m) plus wrestling, boxing, chariot racing and other events; the last recorded ancient games were in AD 393: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Olympic_Games
• The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece, revived by Pierre de Coubertin, with 14 nations and 241 athletes taking part, and the Olympics have continued every four years since: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1896_Summer_Olympics

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