The Olympic Games are a main international sporting event in which both the summer and winter games are played. More than 200 countries participate in this event, which makes it a major global event with worldwide participation.
Held every 4 years
These games are held every 4 years. After one period of 4 years the Summer Olympics are held while after the next 4 years, the Winter Olympics are held. The place where the Olympics Games take place is completely randomly chosen by a Committee. The budget and safety of that country matters to a great degree.
Dates back to 776 BC
We will now look at the Olympics’ History. The Olympic Games have a rich and extensive history which dates back all the way to the Greek Empire in the year 776 B.C. These games at that time were dedicated to the ancient Greek Historical Olympian gods.
They were held on top of the plains of the area called Olympia. These are some of the reasons through which the games got their name. In the beginning the main purpose behind the Olympic Games was to show good communication and integration between the different cities of Greece.
For evaluation of Greek youth
Another purpose for the holding of the games was so that there would be a place where the Greeks could evaluate the performance of their youth in the olden day sports. Some of the sports played in those time included wrestling, boxing, javelin throwing, foot and other races, pentathlon, pankration, horse and chariot racing, along with the normal sports of those times. All the conflicts of the empire and its states were put aside for the duration in which these sports were held, making Greece a very peaceful place.
To honour Greek god Zeus
In the Olympics History, we see that the games had many features which stuck out as unique and extraordinary; some of these being the fact that the games which were held were linked to the religious festivals of the Greek god Zeus. Sometimes rituals and sacrifices were made in the name of the mythical king Pelops and Zeus.
Greeks call it Olympiad
In those times the winner of the games won many awards and was given a high and distinguished role and appreciation in the society. The similarity between the games then and the games held now is that both of them are held after a four-year period, which was called Olympiad by the Greeks.
Romans abolished Olympics
The Olympic Games gradually faded away and stopped being as important as the Romans came into power. At this time the Romans own sports became of higher importance than the original Greek sports of the past. Looking beyond the Olympics History, the Olympic Games now are a different story altogether.
Final Words
Nowadays, the Olympics Games are more than just a country playing sports for honour. These days the Olympics are held at a global level in which almost every country participates and come together in a friendly manner. The Olympics are without a doubt a great tradition of the world and is widely looked forward to every four years.