What was the original purpose of the ancient Olympic games?
606847
To unite people against poverty!\nThe myth is as:\nCronus (Time) the father of everything was swallowing everything and everyone! (It is still true, we are born and die somewhen on time axis!)\nZeus, the son of Cronus and Rhea, to be saved was given to Kourites (5 brothers in Crete - the island in South Greece, north from Egypt). While little Zeus was sleeping, the eldest brother, Hercules, was the judge for the four brother running contest. WHO was finishing first was getting a wreath from a wild olive tree. These brothers, some time later formed many cities, including Olympia. There the contests were on and off. That time there was poverty, sickness, hate and the Oracle of Delphi advised thee local king to start the Olympics again, so some 35 centuries ago, the Olympics started again and they were held every fifth year (to commemorate the fiver brothers). \n2782 years ago they started recording the games, which lasted until the 4th century, when the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius forbid the games! After that, poverty started again and we reached the Middle ages. At the end of the 19th century the Greeks started to think and make efforts to revive the Olympics, which was done successfully several times with greatest effort being involving international attention and the first modern Olympics, in Athens 1896.
302421
MODERN OLYMPIC GAMES:\n\nOfficialy, it was only at Paris 1900 that women were allowed to participate. The first female winner was Charlotte Cooper (Great Britain). She won in singles tennis. The first women competitors in the Modern Olympic Games of 1900 in chronological order were: Helen de Pourtales (first female gold medalist with Charlotte Cooper), Switzerland (Yachting), Elvira Guerra, France (Equestrianism), Mme Ohnier and Madame Depres, France (Croquet), Charlotte Cooper, Great Britain (Tennis), Margaret Abbott, USA (Golf), Madame Maison, France (Ballooning).\n\nBut, in the first modern Olympics of 1896, there was an unofficial competitor in the marathon, a poor Greek woman who became known as 'Melpomene'. Melpomene’s real name was Stamati Revithi. She was not allowed to compete in the mens race, but ran by herself the next day. The final lap was completed outside the stadium as she was refused entry to the stadium. After her marathon run, athletics officials couldn’t remember her name so they labelled her 'Melpomene', who is the Greek muse of Tragedy. Ballooning, croquet and golf (1900) were once Olympic events in which women competed.\n\n\nANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES:\n\nMarried women were barred, but prostitutes or virgins were allowed to spectate. Kallipateria was the first female Olympic boxing coach in 440 BC. The first female Olympic champion was a Spartan princess called Kynisca, in 392 BC. She was also the first woman to become a champion horse trainer when her horses and chariot competed and won in the Ancient Olympic Games. Women were originally the prizes in mens Ancient Olympic chariot races.
211508
A History of the Olympics\n\nAccording to legend, the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Heracles (the Roman Hercules), a son of Zeus. Yet the first Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in 776 BCE (though it is generally believed that the Games had been going on for many years already). At this Olympic Games, a naked runner, Coroebus (a cook from Elis), won the sole event at the Olympics, the stade - a run of approximately 192 meters (210 yards). This made Coroebus the very first Olympic champion in history.\n\nThe ancient Olympic Games grew and continued to be played every four years for nearly 1200 years. In 393 CE, the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the Games because of their pagan influences.\n\nApproximately 1500 years later, a young Frenchmen named Pierre de Coubertin began their revival. Coubertin is now known as le Rénovateur. Coubertin was a French aristocrat born on January 1, 1863. He was only seven years old when France was overrun by the Germans during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Some believe that Coubertin attributed the defeat of France not to its military skills but rather to the French soldiers' lack of vigor.* After examining the education of the German, British, and American children, Coubertin decided that it was exercise, more specifically sports, that made a well-rounded and vigorous person. ....
399559
The Modern Olympic Games started in 1896 in Athens.  The Centennial Olympic Games would have taken place in 1996 (Atlanta).  If I remember the story correctly, Athens originally won the bid for the '96 games but couldn't get their act together so they lost them to Atlanta.  Then they went back and got the '04 games
554489
No one person invented it, but sprint races date back to the ancient Olympiads, where the only event was a footrace. The "stadion" was a sprint the length of about 192 m or the length of the stadium. The games were eventually abolished by the decree of Emperor Theodosius in A.D. 393.\n\nTrack and field athletics in the United States dates from the 1860s. The Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America, the nation's first national athletic group, held the first collegiate races in 1873, and in 1888 the Amateur Athletic Union held its first championships. \n\nAs for how distance were selected. That's anyone's guess, but we may assume that since we are a country that based it's measurements on the Imperial measures, (inches, feet, yards, miles) we would have selected various standards like the mile, half mile (880yds), quarter mile (440yds), one half lap (220yds) and straight sprint. As we're a country that likes round numbers, we chose 100 yards, instead of 110 yds...\n\nAnd far as the 100m goes, virtually all US distances had a direct metric equivalent in meters, which was the measuring system used in Europe. As the Modern Olympics were resurrected under France's Baron De Coubertin, metric distances were chosen.\n\n100yds = 100m (actually is 109 yds, 1 ft)\n220yds = 200m (218 yds, 2 ft)\n440yds = 400m (437 yds, 1 ft)\n880yds = 800m (874 yds, 2 ft)\n1 mile = 1,500m (1640 yrds, 1 ft.) This is about 80 yards short of the mile. As the metric system is base on measurements of 10, they decided to not continue with the multiples, but move to distances like 1,500, 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 meters, instead of 1600, 3200, 6,400 & 12,800...
490648
All of these people are incorrect with their answers and they don’t even know it. \n\nThe word 'sport' has changed from its original definition to mean something rather different. It was originally used to describe a team event where participants had to overcome a common goal. 'Sports' in the tradition sense of the word were invented by the British to help train their youth in schools to become officers and leaders headed for the colonies. Original sports were rugby, cricket, football (soccer) etc.\n\nAnyway the definition and understanding of the word ‘sport’ has since changed to encompass activities such as games, athletics, gymnastics, individual events etc.\n\nAnd the goal of modern sports is slightly different. The emphasis now is on winning and less on teamwork as was the original purpose.\n\nSo to ask which is the oldest sport, you need to ask what definition of the word sport you are using. The original or the modern meaning?\n\nAs for the oldest event you would have to say running. But who knows if it was an organized competition.
422785
The first sport ever was gymnastics in Greece during Greek GOD time.
59002
first olympic sport? that was the foot race. (sprinting) in athens i think
279112
There was no Olympic flame in the ancient Olympic games
662546
The origin was on mount Dikti of Crete, when Zeus was a baby, according to the myth! Then, when the baby Zeus was sleeping, the five guardians Kourites brothers were exercising. The four brothers were competing while the elder, Hercules, was the judge who was preparing the wreath, from the wild olive tree branch.\nAfter time, they founded the city of Olympia, where the games rived to commemorate the foundation of the city, as well as the work accomplished by the Kourites bros and the saving of Zeus by them.\nEtymologically, Olympus is the outer sphere (the seventh) containing everything: Matter, Soul, and so on! This is where the supreme resides, thus the god! Being there god is simultaneously everywhere! Since the Olympics were held to honor Zeus and Zeus is on Olympian level, the ceremonies are called Olympian! Also, since the city founded by the Kourites Bros, they competitions are also called Olympic!
748587
The first Olympics took place in 776 BC at Olympia in the Greek district of Elis, on the banks of the Pinios River on the Greek penninsula.  It was some distance from the urban center of Athens and from other city-states, and most of the time was a sleepy backwater where nothing much happened.  This shows the location.  http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=4347\n\nThe ancient Olympic games were a sacred festival, and all enmities between city-states were suspended for the duration of the games.  A sacred truce held sway during the games.\n\nInitially the Games consisted of nothing more than a footrace, but gradually over time other events were added.  The events were built around the kinds of things that men might have to do in war:  javelin throws, discus, footrace, and the wrestling/fighting matches.  At first the games were deemed to be the test of a warrior and there were no specialist athletes, but over time that changed.  Athletes began to specialize in events, to the point where the all-around athlete of the type haled as the ideal when the games first started was essentially pushed out of competition by the specialists.  \n\nAthletic games were a part of Greek culture even before the Olympics began.  Homer cites the funeral games held during the Trojan war, and even then the tradition of having games as part of a religious celebration wasn't new.  Games of various sorts were held all over the greater Greek territories by all men of Greek heritage.  The Olympics were conceived as a pan-Greek religious festival where people came together to worship and compete.
135396
The first Olympic games started in Olympia 776 bc.\nThe modern one in Athens in 1896.
548979
It is said it was one of the games played amongst the Greek Gods of Olympus It was started by the ancient greek back in 688 bc as an Olympic sport. Homer reffered to t in the Illiad.
1136071
The total gold medal count for all Olympic Games from 1896 to 2004 (excluding the 1906 games which are no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee as official.)\n\n\nSummer- 896 \nWinter - 78
634906
The Olympics have always been a world comp. the greatest athletes from all over the roman empire and parts of Europe would come to compete. wars between countries would be put on hold for the events. truly just about every country has been represented in the games.
149826
The site listed below states:\n'According to legend, the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Heracles (the Roman Hercules), a son of Zeus. Yet the first Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in 776 BCE (though it is generally believed that the Games had been going on for many years already). At this Olympic Games, a naked runner, Coroebus (a cook from Elis), won the sole event at the Olympics, the stade - a run of approximately 192 meters (210 yards). This made Coroebus the very first Olympic champion in history. \n\nThe ancient Olympic Games grew and continued to be played every four years for nearly 1200 years. In 393 CE, the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the Games because of their pagan influences.\nApproximately 1500 years later, a young Frenchmen named Pierre de Coubertin began their revival. Coubertin is now known as le Rénovateur. Coubertin was a French aristocrat born on January 1, 1863.'
645929
Ancient Olympics Started in 776 BC at Olympia of Greece.\nModern Summer Olympics started in 1896 at Athens of Greece.\nModern Winter Olympics started in 1924 at Chamonix of France.\n\nSee this link for details of Ancient Olympics\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Olympic_Games\n\nSee this link for details of First Modern Summer Olympics\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1896_Summer_Olympics\n\nSee this link for details of First Modern Winter Olympics\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_Winter_Olympics