The Olympic Games Have Changed Over Time

The Olympic Games are one of the most popular Pan-Hellenic Games dating back to 776 BC. The Games were a religious festival, and I believe they were an excuse for all Greeks to unite. It was held in Olympiads, four year intervals, and lasted a total of five days as seen today. Ekecheiria, a sacred truce, was proclaimed during the Games. The Olympic Games were temporarily banned by 393 AD but revived as the Games we know and love today. Although the Olympic Games were around since 776 BC, it has changed dramatically over the years. The Olympic Games were around for over 1,000 years. “The original Games were held in the Greek sanctuary of Olympia around the temple of Zeus” (AthensGreeceGuide, 1). Olympia, unlike the other Greek city-states,

“… [Participants] had to be male of Greek origin and a free man” (Olympic.org, 6). From farm hands to royal heirs, all Greek men could participate or watch the Games with women, foreigners, and slaves excluded from watching and competing. Much like the modern Games of today, “…only the best are allowed to participate in the [Olympics]” (Olympic.org, 6). Athletes, liked today, trained several months before the Games until a point when a final selection was made to determine who were good enough to participate. Athletes trained in a palaestra, or gymnasium, which was located in every Greek city. Athletes stripped when they arrived at the palaestra (Olympic.org, 6). A participant was identified by his nakedness during the Games, so why not train nude. After stripping, athletes would cover themselves in olive oil and fine sand to “…regulate body temperature as well as provide[e] protection from the sun…” (Olympic.org, 6). Nudity illustrated the idea that the mind could be developed through the training of the

“The journey of the Olympic torch is a long-standing tradition…dating back to the Berlin Games in 1936” (Olympics.mu, 1). The torch’s journey starts in Olympia, site of the original Games, and is passed to various athletes as it makes its way to the location of the latest Olympic Games where the last torch bearer lights a large cauldron to signal the start of the occurring Games. I believe the journey of the torch signifies the continuance of the Games from the ancient times to the modern. The Olympic Hymn is a musical theme played when the Olympic flag is raised and has been a big part of the Games for over 100 years (Olympics.mu, 1). The Olympic flag bears the Olympic symbol. The symbol is of five different colored rings linked together. The five linked rings represent the five continents America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe (Scholastic, 2). These five continents are the one that compete in the Games. The linked rings also “…symbolized the uniting of athletes all over the world to compete in the Games” (Scholastic, 2). The colors of the rings are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present