Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were born in Olympia with a sacred character; festival was dedicated to the god Zeus in a religious compound. They emerged a nascent national consciousness that kind PanHellenic and preserved through the centuries. These festivals religion joined the sports, music and literary events to honor the gods of antiquity. The first Olympic Games on record took place in 776 BC and since then has been happening every four years until 393 d. C., the date on which the Roman emperor Theodosius decided to suppress its pagan character. The total is 293 Olympics, that is, many times when the Greeks agreed to renounce war to meet the goal of worshiping the gods of Olympus measuring their forces in a peaceful and regulated. In Greece were not the only events, but as important were those that became the starting point of the Hellenic calendar. Always held during the second or third full moon after the summer solstice. Months before the start roaming the cities heralds announcing the start date, each city choosing their representatives. A month before beginning the sacred truce during which paralyzed all military conflicts, bearing in mind that if you violate this peace could not be allowed to participate. Those who came to Olympia in those days were spectators and players in the biggest show of ancient Greece. One of the most important moments of the Games occurred at the beginning of the festival with the slaughter or sacrifice a hundred oxen in honor of Zeus in front of his temple and the highlight was the end of the competitions with the crowning of the victors at the end games with an olive wreath, this was the only award they received there, but then in their cities received all kinds of honors. Participants were only free men who had not committed any crime. Women could not participate as athletes and even married women or as spectators because the athletes competed naked. For 11 centuries, Olympia became the center of world sport and a benchmark for games posterity.