Olympic games

An athletic festival with competitions in music and poetry was held every four years on the island of Peplos in Southern Greece. The period between the games was called an Olympiad.

The games were held in honour of Zeus, the principle god of the Greeks, who according to the legend lived on Mount Olympus. The festival lasted five days and became a symbol of peace friendship because in keeping with the decree of that time no wars should be waged during an Olympiad.

The athletes competed in running, boxing, wrestling, horse and chariot racing and the like.

The winners were given laurel wreaths in the temple of Zeus. There is a record of Champions dating from 776 B.C. The Olympic Games were so important in the life of the Greeks that they reckoned time by them. The Olympic Games were held for nearly twelve centuries and were abolished in 394 AD by Christian Emperor Theodosius I on the ground of their pagan origin.

The Olympic Games were revived only at the end of 19-th century due to Baron Pierre de Coubertin. In 1894 he addressed the International Congress of Athletes and pointed but the importance of sports in peoples' life.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896 to signify the succession of the tradition. Since then the Games have been regularly held in different countries of the world. The International Olympic Committee is responsible for the programme, the number of the participants, the city-host for the Games.

Nowadays the Olympic Games have become a wonderful tradition which helps to bring people closer together.