According to legend, the first Olympic Games in ancient times organized Hercules in 1210's.They were held every five years, but then for some unknown reason, this tradition was interrupted and was revived during the reign of Ifite.
first Olympic Games in Greece were not numbered, they were known only by the name of the winner, and only then in the form of competition - the race for a certain distance.
Ancient authors on the basis of materials of the reference point of the competition with 776 BC.e., that this year the Olympic Games have become known by the name of the athlete, who won them.However, there is a belief that they are simply not able to establish the names of the winners of earlier and therefore could not conduct itself in those days considered held and significant fact.
Although Julius Africanus, the author of the third century, says that the game is considered the first 776 BC- Error in fact they - fourteenth.
first Olympic Games were held in Olympia - a town located in southern Greece.Tens of thousands of participants and spectators of the many policies of Greece traveled to the site by sea or by land.
In competitions in agility and strength participated runners and wrestlers, discus throwers or copies, jumpers, pugilists.Games were held in the hottest month of the summer, but this time under pain of death forbidden war between policies.
Spokespersons for the year carried the cities throughout Greece to announce the news of the world of the sacred and that the roads leading to Olympia, safe.
in the competition have the right to participate all the Greeks: and poor, and high, rich and humble.Only women were not allowed to attend them, even as spectators.
first Olympic Games, as well as the following, in Greece were devoted to the great Zeus, it was the only male holiday.According to legend, a very brave Greek woman in menswear secretly entered in Olympia to watch the performance of his son.And when he won, his mother could not help excited rushed to him.Unhappy woman on the law to be executed, but out of respect for her offspring-winner pardoned.
Almost ten months before the Olympic Games all who wanted to participate in them, had to start training in their cities.Day after day, for ten consecutive months, the athletes practiced continuously, and a month before the opening of the competition, they came to South Greece and there, near Olympia, continued training.
Usually majority of the games were usually wealthy people, because the poor could not afford to train the whole year and not working.
first Olympic Games lasted only five days.
On the fifth day before the temple of Zeus, the chief god of the table set made of ivory and gold, and on it put the awards for the winners - wreaths made of olive.
winners came one after another to the chief judge, who on their heads they laid wreaths premium.This herald publicly announce the name of the athlete and his city.At the same time the audience shouted: "Glory to the winner!".
fame of the Olympic Games survived many centuries.And today, everyone on the planet knows the Olympic symbol of five rings that signify the unity of the continent.
first modern Olympic Games began the tradition: to pronounce the oath.There is another wonderful tradition to light in Greece, as in ancient times, the Olympic flame, and then carry it relay race across the country in the hands of dedicated sports people to the venue of the next Olympic Games.
Although as a result of the earthquake all the Olympic facilities antiquity razed to the ground, but in the XVIII century, as a result of excavations at ancient Olympia, were found many of the attributes of the then games.
And at the end of the XIX century and the first permanent president of the IOC, Baron de Coubertin, inspired by the writings of archaeologist Curtius revived the game and wrote a set of defining rules for their conduct - "Olympic Charter".
