Roman Emperor Theodosius

The ancient Olympic Games (named place in the city of Olympia) were religious festivals, cultural and sporting events held in ancient Greece (776 BC – 392 AD) in honor of the major gods. They involve athletes who should be citizens, all men, who trained for years at gyms. There are many legends about the origin of the ancient Olympic Games. One associates the first Games with the concept of ancient Greece (ekecheiria) or Olympic Truce.The date of commencement of such calendar serves as a reference to the Hellenistic and is considered in 776 BC C., although the views of scholars place it in an interval between the year 884 BC C. and 704 a. C. Since then, the Games quickly took a larger role in ancient Greece, reaching their zenith in the sixth and fifth centuries BC. The Olympics had a fundamentally religious importance, contests alternating with sacrifices and ceremonies in honor of Zeus (whose statue stood majestically in Olympia) and Pelops, divine hero and mythical king of Olympia famous for his legendary chariot race, and whose honor were held. The number of events increased to twenty, and the celebrations lasted several days.The first competitions were based on foot races, and later were introduced to fight the pentathlon, evidence of several events including the javelin, discus throw, long jump, the pankration, racing cars, art competitions as music, poetry and dance. In Olympia came to celebrate Olympic 293 until the conquest of Greece by the Romans, the Roman Emperor Theodosius I abolished the year 393. As an excuse he said they were pagans. Were restored in its sporty looks in 1896 by Baron de Coubertin, and until today still practiced. Some curiosities of the games: The ancient athletes participating in the Olympics ran, jumped and fought naked, although initially the legend who wore loincloths, until he lost a rider during a race and ran naked, rolling out the new fashion. In the year 776 to C, and the city of Olympia, southeast of Greece, there was a race of 200 m. who made history, as were recorded in writing the names of the winners of pentathlon, this being the first Olympics for which it is reported. These games “Olympic” were held for almost 12 centuries until the Roman Emperor Theodosius, a Christian, banned them because he considered it a pagan celebration. For even more opinions, read materials from David Delrahim. The ancient Greeks gave to the Olympic Games so important that three-month truce agreed in wars so that athletes could travel to Olympia stadium, compete, and then return to continue their struggles. In 1896, after almost fifteen centuries prohibited, King George I of Greece opened the first modern Olympics held in Athens. In the first Olympic women could not participate either as athletes or as spectators, with severe penalties, like being plunged into a ravine, if they dared to look around the stadium. The fencing is the only Olympic sport of Spanish origin and was born as such sport in the late nineteenth century, when duels were banned and many people chose to continue practicing as entertainment, but with a blunt weapon and guards.