The Ancient Olympics sowed the seeds of the greatest sporting event of the modern world. The history of the Summer Games of ancient time, dates back to not later than 13th century B.C. However, the first recorded history of Ancient Olympics was in 776 B.C.
The Summer Games in those days marked the beginning of the four years based Greek Calender – Olympiad. Numerous mythological stories and amazing incidents are associated with the ancient Olympics. The games were held at the ancient Olympia city and the winners were treated with great respect. Songs were written in their names and they were rewarded with crowns made from olive leaves. Only the Greek men could compete in the prestigious games.
Held in honor of the Olympian Gods, the ancient Olympics remained as an integral part of the Greek culture for more than 12 centuries. In 393 A.D, Theodosius, the Roman Empire, banned the Olympics.
Ancient Events
A good number of events were covered in the ancient Olympics. Different disciplines of ancient sports like wrestling, running, horse riding, chariot racing, pancration and others sports were regular features of the games. The Pentathlon, a combination of various sports like javelin throw, running, discuss throw, wrestling and jumping, was one of the most popular sports in the games.
Fair Play
To ensure that Olympics was played in the true spirits of the games, various methods were introduced to curb and prevent cheating and usage of unfair means. Wrestlers were not allowed to use any lubricants and bribery was regarded as a grave offense.
History Makers
The ancient Olympics brought many outstanding sportsmen in the limelight. Some of the greatest athletes of that period were Melankomas of Karia, Astylos of Croton, Milon of Croton, Cyniska of Sparta, Timocrates of Athens, Lichas of Athens and numerous other sporting heroes.
