Olympics

        The Olympics were held in a grassy field outside of Athens. Their purpose was to honor the god , Zeus, the head god.Every participant brought a sacrifice  so that the gods might look favoringly upon them and give them good luck.The first Olympics were held in 776 B. C. They ceased in 393 A.D. because wars began and the Greeks went to the aid of other countries in need. In 1896 , a British sports fanatic decided to restart the Olympics . The centennial anniversary of those Olympics was held in Atlanta , Georgia two years ago .

    At the Olympic events , only men were allowed to see the games for two reasons:The brutality, and the contestants wore no clothing . They competed naked because they felt that even the slightest resistance would cause them to lose . The Greeks competed in many events that are related to our modern day Olympics. Events such as track and field events , horse - racing , wrestling , and many more . They held boxing matches , but they did not use padded gloves like we do . They used huge leather straps wrapped around their hands . These caused more injuries , and if you broke an opponent's finger ( which happened often ) , you were shunned by the judges because that was considered un - sportsmanlike .One of the favorite events was the shield race . Contestants ran naked carrying only there huge bronze shields . It may sound strange , but it's no laughing matter . Men in the military needed to be quick and agile to survive .

    There were three days for events and one day for prize - giving . If you were the winner of the pentathlon , you received the over - all prize . You received a ribbon for your hair , and a crown of wild olive . There was one winner by the name of Pheidippides  . He would be escorted home by a   many of the contestants . He would show - off all the way home , and upon arriving , he would be reward for bestowing such an honor on their village . He would get front seats on all important occasions , and he would dine every day at City Hall . There were also Pythian Games held at Delphi to honor Apollo . That is some information on the Olympic games .