Greece - The Olympic Games from 1896 to 2004

By Mary Rowland
Through the years, the Olympic Games have managed to win their rightful place in history. They are still the highest ambition of athletes all over the world. Though the olive branch has been replaced by a gold medal and the exalting songs of the ancient world by tempting prizes for "the winners of the modern Games, the glory that comes from an Olympic victory remains exactly the same.
The modern history of the Olympic Games begins in 1896, and from then to now it has lasted through both difficulties and moments of sheer magnificence. The only Olympiads not to have been held were those scheduled for 1916, 1940 and 1949 due to the outbreak of the two World Wars. The honour of hosting the Games has always been great, but the task extremely difficult. The undertaking of the countries who organize the Games offers, each time, the opportunity for...

Ancient Olympia Greece - Pelops and Hippodamia

By Yiannis Papadimitriou
The first evidence relevant to the worship of Pelops and Hippodamia, in the area of Olympia, appeared during the Mycenaean period.
The mythological tradition of the area is connected to the ancient king of Pisa, Oenomaus, son of the god Ares. Oenomaus had received a prophecy that the end of his life would come with the marriage of his daughter Hippodamia, whom he...

A History of the Olympic Games

Author: Mariam Ma
There are many stories on how the Olympic Games started in ancient Greece. One story unfolds that it was Heracles who first established the Games after concluding his twelve labors to honor his father, the deity Zeus. Another legend tells that it was the guardians of an infant Zeus who founded the Games by competing in the first footrace. Or perhaps it was Zeus himself who created the Olympic Games after he defeated his father Cronus to become the King of Gods. Whatever the story of how the Olympic Games originated, one constant is clear: the ancient Olympic Games were held as a tribute to Zeus.

Unlike the modern Olympics, the host city of the ancient Olympic Games did not change. It was always held in Olympia, Greece. Olympia is also known for ...