The Olympics originated in Greece, with the first games being held in Olympia in 776 BC, and the final games being held more than a thousand years later in 393 AD. The games were originally for people from different cities in Ancient Greece to compete against each other. This was a massive and one of the most important ceremonial rituals enjoyed by the citizens of Greece.

The Greek gods were thought to live on Mount Olympus, and so the games were not held on the Mountain but rather in the sanctuary of Olympia, and thus the name Olympic is derived from the name of that city. Had they been held on Mount Olympus the name given would have been Olympian.

Stories abound regarding the origins of the Olympic games. One well-known story is that a famous hero of that time, Heracles, had won a race in Olympia and then declared that the race should be repeated every four years. Another story claims that Pelops, the king of Olympia, defeated Oenomaus so that he could marry his daughter, the lovely Hippodamia. Poseidon, his former lover, helped him in his endeavor. Originally, funeral sacrifices were offered to Pelops but that tradition has evolved so that now there are no sacrifices at the Olympic games, only offerings. Yet another story tell how the king of Elis, Iphitos, asked the Oracle at Delphi, Pythis, to protect his kingdom, keeping it safe from both war and foreign invasions. The price asked of him for this help was that he hold the games in hone of the gods to pleases them. Another story directly involves Zeus, claiming that he started the Olympics to celebrate his victory over Titans Cronus, who led a powerful race of deities.

The sanctuary of Zeus where the first Olympic games were staged has a twelve-meter tall gold and ivory statue of Zeus, the father of all the Greek Gods. This status was one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. The only game that was held in the beginning was Stadion or Stade race.

It was a prestigious race and the victor was awarded great respect and a lot of money. There was no time limit for completion of the race, and the runners had to pass five stakes, or divisions in the track. The winner was the first one to reach the last line. Another race, the two stade (four hundred meters long) was instituted in 724 BC during the fourteenth Olympic games and known as the Diaulos.

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