Ancient+Greece+5

Hi, this is Chris Sayad and Mac Warren's Olympic Wikispace. We will be discussing Ancient Greece and the 1896 Summer Olympic Games. Enjoy our blog!

The first ever Olympics takes us back to 776 B.C.E. in Olympia. Here, a spiritual gathering was taken place to dedicate the two Greek gods, Zeus and Hera. The first event was called the stade, a 200 yard footrace. As the years went by, the Olympic organizers added more events. One of the hardest events was the Pentahlon that consisted of a footrace, wrestling, jumping, and throwing Discuss and Javelin. Other events were chariot racing and boxing. Only men were allowed compete in the games. Winners were crowned with an olive branch. The female athletes celebrated with a festival known as the Heraea. The Olympic Games continued for many more years. Success ended when Emperor Theodosius abolished the games in 393 A.D.

The inaugural  Summer Olympics of 1896 consisted of 280 athletes from twelve different countries. The athletes competed in 43 different events including cycling, swimming, gymnastics, weightlifting, wrestling, and tennis. Just like the first Olympics, only males were allowed to compete. The marathon, a 26-mile race, was introduced to the games and now stands out as one of the most competitive and toughest events in Olympic Games history. The winner was a Greek runner named Spyridon Louis, giving him recognition throughout the country of Greece.



Story Board

"Olympic Games." __Britannica Online__. 2008. __Britannica Online__. Vasser Wooley Library, Atlanta. 23 Apr. 2008.