When the Olympics started

Image: Hypatia's eyes

In the 776 BC that's when the Olympics started. Today, everyone knows what the Olympic Games are and the different activities that take place in it. But, could you tell me how long these games have existed and why they were made? In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk about when did the olympic games start for, later, to finish talking about the recovery of these in the Contemporary Age.

Index

1. The date the Olympics started
2. What did the Olympics mean for Greece?
3. What tests were carried out in the Olympic Games in Greece?
4. The end of classic games and their reinvention

It is maintained that in the year 776 a. C. the first Olympics were held where there was only one activity that involved a race in a stadium. Its creator was Ífito de Elide although, other historians, maintain the possibility that these began in the year 884 a. C. since some sporting activities have been found that have been doing since that year and that served to honor the gods.

Possibly, it could be pointed out that, as the ancient Olympics are known, it would be 776 BC C. the year of departure, the previous date being the germ of this.

But, Why are they called the Olympics? This question has a simple answer. This type of celebration had a fixed place, Olympia, located in the valley of Alfeo, the place where a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus existed. In this way, every four years, all the Hellenic cities sent their best men to try to achieve glory, the favorite months being between July and August.

In this other lesson we discover a brief summary of the Greek Empire.

Continuing with the lesson we must know that every four years it was proclaimed the ékécheiria, that is, a truce by which the cops they left open conflicts between them, so that athletes and everyone who so wished could safely travel to Olympia.

Therefore, although in principle it had a religious character, the Olympics produced periods of peace spacious, which served the whole of Greece to recover from the wars in which they used to be immersed. In fact, if any city did not comply with this, it was obliged to pay a generous amount and, in addition, its representatives were immediately disqualified.

Image: SlideShare

Continuing with the lesson on when the olympic games started, we now stop at the different modalities that existed at the time:

Athletics

• Race: we can say that it was the oldest test within the games, in this one, it had to travel 192.27 m, although with the passage of time it was extended to 384m. A curiosity that we must point out is that the competitors had to run with armor, spear and shield, being therefore an exhausting race. With the passage of time, only the shield was left.
• Long jump: As today, athletes had to gain momentum to jump over a sand pit, where the footprints were measured.
• Disk: the launch of the disc, was about trying to send the object as far as possible to get the best mark. At first, these were made of stone, although with time they began to be made in bronze, the highest weight found being about 6.5 kg.
• Javelin: as in the previous test, the distance traveled was measured, the object being a blunt war lance.
• Body to body
• Pankration: We can say that it is a kind of mixed martial art, where you could hit anywhere on the body, sometimes this test ended in the death of one of the contestants.
• Boxing: It was another form of fighting in which you could only hit with your fists, therefore, we can say that it resembles current boxing.
• Struggle: in this modality, the opponent had to be thrown to the ground only.

Horse riding

• Horse race: like the races on foot, they had to travel a series of meters on the animal.
• Cars: the famous charioteers, had to win over other cars in impressive races where on many occasions some athletes used to die.

Art

From the year 396 a. C. we will find a new modality where games of music and recitals. Already in Roman times, they were added theater activities. In this other lesson you will discover the periods of greek art into which it is divided.

Image: SobreHistoria.com

To conclude our lesson on when the Olympic games began, we must place ourselves in the 396 AD. C. moment in which the barbarians entered the city of Olympia looting everything that was there.

Furthermore, in the year 408, with the arrival of christianity to the highest corners of society, the destruction of pagan temples was decreed and with it the end of the celebrations.

The reinvention of the Olympic Games

In the year 1896 It was decided to resume this series of competitions without the religious part that it had previously. These first modern games were held in Athens in honor of the ancient games created by the Greeks.

Since then, and every four years, these types of competitions have been held at the international level (only the great wars have prevented them from taking place).

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