Learn

Do you enjoy sports? Do you know what popular and historic sporting event is just around the corner? If you have been watching TV or reading the newspaper this past month you may have heard of some Olympic trials in various sports being held. That’s right…the 2000 Olympic games are just around the corner! But do you know about the long history behind these games?

The first Olympic Games were held in ancient Greece in a place called Olympia in 776 BC. At the time, these games were a religious ceremony to honor Zeus, the king of the Greek Gods. Athletes would come form all over to compete in these games. They would come to Olympia many months before the start of the games to train full-time for their event. They also had to undergo a review by a ten-member panel who would assess them on their physical strength and character.

As the games approached, people came from all over the area to watch the games. We do not know, however, the exact number of people who came to these games. We know that the Olympic Stadium was built to hold about 50,000 spectators but we do not know how full the stadium was during that time. During this time in ancient Greece, women were not only banned from participating in the games but they were also banned from watching the games. We have definitely come a long way since then!

At the first game in 776 BC and up until the games in 724 BC the only event in the Olympic Games was the stadium-length foot race called the stade. The length of this race was determined by the legend that said that Hercules was able to run that distance in a single breath. The first recorded winner was Coroebus of Elis who won the 776 BC stade race. In time, more and more events were added to these games. One of the more popular events was the chariot racing that debuted in the 680 BC Olympic Games. The prize for winning an event was an olive tree branch cut from a wild olive tree with a gold-handled knife. The home town of the winner was also supposedly considered very highly by the Greek gods.

The Olympic Games were held once every four years in Greece. In 146 BC, the Romans gained control of Greece and the Olympic Games. The Romans soon changed the games and had slaves competing against wild animals for their lives instead of athletes competing against other trained and noble athletes. In 393 AD, the Roman Emperor Theodosius officially cancelled the Olympic Games. The ancient Olympic Games actually lasted for 1170 years!

Make sure you read next week’s Tribune to learn about the beginning of the modern Olympic Games, the meaning behind the five Olympic rings and the history behind the running of the torch from Greece to the location of the opening ceremony. Let the games begin!