Ancient+Greece+4

The First Greek Games were held in 776 BCE. After the colonization of Greece and of its metropolitan areas, activity was need to promote athleticism without the demand for a strong army. Along with musical contests, physical competitions were created which united Greek culture, and they were not limited to those with money. The Olympic Games emerged as the most prestigious of its kind. Multiple myths and legends exist in the attempts to explain the Olympic's origin. Nonetheless, the prevailing idea of the Olympic Games revolves around Greek mythology and its gods. The popularity of these ancient games ensured that these sporting events be repeated, with a largely unchanged program,every four years for nearly 1200 years. In 393 C.E., the Roman empereror Theodosius, who was a Christain, abolished the Games due to their reliance on pagan religious ritual. The Olympics are so named because Olympia stadium was the site of the first OlympicGames. The first Olympic champion in history was Coroebus, the first naked runner. The main events are Boxing, Discus, Equestrian Events such as horse racing and chariot racing, Javelin, Jumping, the Pentathlon, Running, and Wrestling. When boxing, men wore wraped thongs around their arms and hands. Only free men who spoke Greek could compete; women atheletes were forbidden. There was no torch or relay, and the clothing, or lack of, was different. Also, many risks accompanied most of these sports. For example, in horse racing the ground was so sharp and rough, that a fall usually meant death. In wrestling, the participants fought until the other contestant was too serverely injured to continue. There were few rules. One could bite, kick, or any other imaginable sick thing to win.

Bibliography Gill, N S. "Ancient History of the Olympics." 2008. New York Times Company. 23 Apr. 2008 <[|http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/olympics/a/aa021798.htm>.] Cline, Austin. "Olympia, Greece - Origin of the Olympics." 2008. New York Time Company. 29 Apr. 2008 . Julay. "Ancient Athenian Olympic Stadium." 4 Aug.-Sept. 2007. Yahoo Company. 28 Apr. 2008 . Corps, Stephen. "Temple of Zeus." 29 May 2006. Yahoo Company. 29 Apr. 2008 .


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