The modern Olympic Games are held every four years in a different major city and feature over 18,000 athletes from over 50 countries competing in 26 events. However, the Olympic Games have not always been this way. The Ancient Olympic Games started over 2,700 years ago in Olympia, Greece and only featured male athletes from Greek city-states competing in events like sprinting, boxing, wrestling, javelin, and discus over the course of one day. In contrast to the modern Games, the Ancient Olympics were a major religious festival held every four years to honor Zeus.

1. THE Ancient vs. Modern
OLYMPIC GAMES

2. The modern Olympic games take place
every four years in a major city. This
summer, they take place in London.

3. 18,000 male and female
athletes from 52 countries will be
competing in 26 different events.

4. But the Olympic Games have not
always been like this.

5. The Olympic games started 2,700 years
ago. Every 4th year, for a thousand years,
from 776 BC to AD 395, they came flocking
to one city, Olympia, in Greece…

6. To begin with only one country took part.
That was Greece, which at that time was
divided into separate city states. People
from all the main states of Greece travelled
from miles around to compete.

7. Before the games messengers or
heralds travelled across Greece to
remind everyone that there was a
month’s truce to ensure people could
travel and perform safely.

8. The games were held in honour of
Zeus, king of the Gods.

9. The first games had just one event, a
sprint, initially taking place on just a
strip of open land with a starting line
drawn in the sand so you were
‘starting from scratch’.
And yes, as we heard earlier, competitors were
completely naked!

10. Married women were not allowed to
watch the ancient Olympics. However,
Greek women had their own games called
Heraia held in honour of Hera, Zeus’ wife.
They could also be involved as owners of
horses taking part in the chariot racing
events for example.

11. Boxing, Wrestling, Javelin and Discus
soon joined the Ancient Greek
Olympic games.

12. A winner received an olive wreath, he
might have been given free meals for life
when he returned home. He might have
had a statue put up in his name or an ode
written about him, married a rich woman
and had the best seats at the theatre.

13. About 50,000 people could camp and
sit in the stadium; it was very hot and
very crowded. Jugglers and acrobats
performed. The games ended with a
great feast.