the early olympics

1. The Early Olympics

2. • The first Olympic games
trace back to approximately
776 B.C. and were held in
honor of the Greek God Zeus.

3. • The games were named for their location at Olympia
(located in the Western Peleponnese Peninsula)
• The games were originally held every four years
between August 6th and September 19th
• They were held between those dates during
celebrations in honor of Zeus

5. • From 8th century B.C. to 4th century A.D. the games
were held every four years in Olympia.
• The four year intervals were referred to as Olympiads
by ancient historians
• After 13 Olympiads, Diaulos (Today’s 400m race) and
Dolichos (1500m dash) were introduced to the games

6. •Ancient
Art depicting
Diaulos

7. • In 708 B.C. the Pentathlon (a footrace, a long jump, discus, javelin
throws, and a wrestling match) was introduced to the Olympic
Games.
• Boxing was introduced in 688 B.C.
• Chariot racing was introduced in 640 B.C.

8. •Participation in the Olympic Games was strictly
for males, there were no female events and
married women were banned from attending
the games.

9. • In the year 67 A.D. the Emperor Nero entered himself
into an Olympic Chariot game. He disgraced the
games by announcing himself the winner of the event
after falling from his chariot.
• In the year 393 A.D. the games were put to an end
after Emperor Theodosius I banned all pagen Festivals.
The games ended after nearly 12 centuries

10. • The games wouldn’t arise until nearly 1500 years later when Baron
Pierre de Coubertin—a physical education advocate—would be
inspired to revive them.
• Baron pitched his idea in 1892 at a meeting of the Union des Sports
Athlétiques in Paris, and suggested the games be held every four
years as an international competition.
• Two years later Baron’s ideas were approved and founded the
Internationa Olympic Comittee (IOC)

11. • The first of the modern Olympics was held in Athens, Greece in 1896.
• King Gerogios greeted 280 participants from 13 different nations
whom competed in 43 events.
• The official symbol of the Olympics is the five interlocking rings
representing the continents of North America, South America, Asia,
Africa, Australia and Europe.