What Were the Ancient Olympics Like?
Sport, religion and politics converged in ancient Olympia
David Gilman Romano • 02/08/2018
Beginning in 776 B.C. as a simple foot race, the quadrennial Olympic Games grew—during a span of 1,200 years—into the most prestigious athletic/religious festival of the Greek-speaking world. The feats of Olympic champions were recorded by historians and poets, and victorious competitors were thought to be the favorites of Zeus, chief god of the Greek pantheon. Below, learn what the ancient Olympics were like in David Gilman Romano’s article “When the Games Began†from the July/August 2004 issue of Archaeology Odyssey.—Ed.
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/ancient-olympics-like/
