Academic Reading: 2

The History of the Olympic Games

The Olympic Games began in ancient Greece more than two thousand years ago. The first Games were held in a place called Olympia in the year 776 BCE. At that time, the Games were part of a religious festival held to honor Zeus, the most important god in Greek mythology. Every four years, athletes from different Greek city-states traveled to Olympia to compete against each other.

In the earliest Olympic Games, there was only one event: a short running race called the stadion. Over time, more events were slowly added, such as longer running races, wrestling, boxing, and a chariot race. Only free men who spoke Greek were allowed to compete in these events. Women were not permitted to take part, although some old records suggest that unmarried women were allowed to watch.

The ancient Olympic Games were extremely important to Greek society. During the Games, a special agreement called the Olympic Truce was declared across the region. This meant that wars between competing city-states had to stop, so that athletes and visitors could travel safely to Olympia. Winners of the events did not receive any money as a prize. Instead, they were given a simple wreath made from olive leaves, and they often became famous heroes in their home cities for the rest of their lives.

The ancient Olympic Games continued for almost twelve hundred years without stopping. They finally ended around 393 CE, when a Roman emperor banned the Games completely, because he wanted to promote Christianity instead of traditional Greek religious festivals. For many centuries after that, no Olympic Games took place anywhere in the world.

The Games we know today, called the modern Olympic Games, began much later, in 1896. A Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin organized the first modern Games in Athens, Greece. He believed strongly that international sports competitions could help bring peace and better understanding between different countries. Today, the modern Olympic Games are held every four years and include athletes from almost every country in the world.