History of the Olympic Games

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The Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states of Ancient Greece.

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They were held in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin. Historical records indicate that they began in 776 BC in Olympia.

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There are many myths about the origin of the Olympic Games for example : « When the powerful Zeus defeated his father Kronos , who ate his own children and was absolutely merciless. Zeus freed them, and commanded to celebrate the occasion to play games that are called Olympic . »

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During the celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their countries to the games in safety. The prizes for the victors were wreaths of laurel leaves. The games became a political tool used by city-states to assert dominance over their rivals. Politicians would announce political alliances at the games, and in times of war, priests would offer sacrifices to the gods for victory.

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The games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean. The Olympics also featured religious celebrations and artistic competitions. The statue of Zeus at Olympia was counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Sculptors and poets would congregate each olympiad to display their works of art to would-be patrons .

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The Olympic Games continued to be celebrated when Greece came under Roman rule, until the emperor Theodosius I suppressed them in 394 AD as part of the campaign to impose Christianity as the state religion of Rome. The games were usually held every four years, or olympiad , which became a unit of time in historical chronologies.

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Again, the Olympic Games were revived in 1896 by Pierre de Coubertin

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Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics, held in the first year of the four-year cycle. The Winter Olympic Games were started in 1924 as a supplement to the Summer Games.

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The last Olympic games were held in London (2012 ) And the next will be held in our country in Sochi this year .

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Thank you for your attention !