Ancient Greece Olympics

Why do the ancient Greece Olympics participants take off their clothes before competing? Do their clothes get in the way when they wrestle each other?

Are you a sports-minded person? If you love the Olympic Games, you probably know where it all began. Otherwise, you’re missing out on something. Shame on you.

Greece is where the Olympic Games all started from. The ancient Greeks adored sports and almost all cities in ancient Greece had their own gymnasiums, where athletes went for training. One particular city, Olympia, is known to be the biggest host for the ancient Greece Olympics. It was the venue for all ancient Greece Olympics done every four years. These games were very much celebrated and were even made as a foundation of the Greek calendar.

The term Olympiad, in the ancient Greek time system, means the era between two ancient Greece Olympics. The first Olympiad happened in 776 BC. All the games in the ancient Greece Olympics, held in Olympia and anywhere else in Greece, were all in accordance with the religious festivals. These games were actually conducted as offering to the gods. The ancient Greece Olympics held in Olympia were all done to honor the greatest god – Zeus. There were wine, grain and animal sacrifices made during the first day of these ancient Greece Olympics. Games included were long jump, boxing, chariot and horse races, wrestling, and non-strenuous ones like poetry and drama.

The ancient Greece Olympics were very important that wars engaged by the different cities were ceased so that people may be able to travel safely to watch the games. This is in sharp contrast to what happened in the 20th century when Games were cancelled because of the World Wars.

Athletes who competed in the ancient Greece Olympics were all naked. This is not because they can perform without their clothes, but they need to show off how much effort they put in for their training. Gymnasium was actually derived from the Greek word “gymnos” which meant “naked”.

Not everyone can compete in the ancient Greece Olympics. Men, who were not free citizens of the country or have committed murder, are not allowed to participate in the games. Women were excluded from participating and from watching the ancient Greece Olympics. Those who were caught violating this law were thrown down from the cliffs.

The ancient Greece Olympics sure sounded very exciting. Too bad, men had to show off their abs. Otherwise, women could have shared in the thrills of the games.