Olympic games

The first Olympic games took place in Greek in 776 before Christ. Grave games with ceremonies and matches passed off in Olympia in honour of Dius, who was a king of gods. Quadrennial cycle - it means Olympiad, became a foundation of Grecian style.
Olympic games took place from 776 before J.C. regularly every four years. From this date were documented all names of winners of each Olympiad. Very important is a fact, that every Greek tribe, which were normally smashed, became one to national union. During games, there were stopped conflicts and broke off wars. Ten months before entrance of games, there was elected a body of judges, who oversaw the training of future partners of competitions. But really exact feasts took 5 days, from 12. to 16. day of chosen lunar cycle. On the saint area, named Altis, there were flocking together a lot of pilgrims from all country. Matrons didn’t allowed to visit these games.

The first day took place preliminary ceremonies. But really exact games took from 2. to 4. day. The games started with parade, 3. day after novoluni, the priests sacrificed sacrifices, near a sculpture of Dius, which was 13 meters high and it was considered to be a wonder of world. Feidias made this sculpture with his fellow workers and it was made from gold and ivory. After procession and accession of champions started really athletic competitions. The end of games was in a sign of procession of winners and corporate dinner. A number of competitions varied among 13 and 15. They started by sunrise with courses. After that followed Greek fights and boxing fights, pankraion, disk casting, javelin casting, running, jumping, fight. The other competitions were added later. There were arranged some concerts, recitations and a lot of other shows, which throw off a boredom of visitors. At the end of competitions the talker, herold, enunciated the winners, who won a crown of olive branches.

Olympic games were arranged before a time of Roman Empire and then later at the time of Roman empire too, but then already not like only clear Greek games. They died out in the end of 4. century thanks to interdict of Theodosius I. in 393. The temple of Dius was burnt down and the other buildings were destroyed by earthquake in 6. century.

On the cultural tradition of the games in Olympia established a modern Olympic games, which ran firstly in 1896 in Athens, thanks to Pierre de Coubertin.