Essay On The Olympic Games

The Olympic Games was a test of strength and competition that is still relevant today. Exactly when the Games were first held and what circumstances resulted in their creation is uncertain. We do know, however, that the Games were a direct idea of the values and beliefs of Greek society. The Greeks idealized physical fitness and mental discipline, and they believed that excellence in those areas honored Zeus, the greatest of their gods.
The Olympic Games originated in 776 B.C. Ancient Greece. It was a new era for athletes to show their skills and compete. At the first Olympic Games there were only foot races as sports events, but as the Olympics added more popular events like wrestling, boxing, chariot racing, horse racing, javelin tossing, …show more content…
The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. The man who came up with the idea was a French man named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who suggested the idea in 1894. His original idea was to unveil the modern Games in 1900 in his native Paris, but delegates from 34 countries were so enthralled with the concept that they convinced him to move the Games up to 1896 and have Athens serve as the first host. One main difference between the Ancient time games and the games today is that in ancient times they were part of a religious festival. The Games were held in honor of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, and a sacrifice of 100 oxen was made to the god on the middle day of the festival. Athletes prayed to the gods for victory, and made gifts of animals, produce, and small cakes, in thanks for their successes. For some people to be in the Olympics was a life long dream. They were able to serve their gods proudly on the sacred land around Mt. Olympia where the Olympian gods and goddesses lived. Another difference is that women were not allowed to compete in the games or even attend them. The games were originally every 2 years but now have been changed to every 4