Profound History of The Olympics
- 12 hours ago
- 3 min read
Watching the 2026 Winter Olympics has been a blast this year! Seeing all of the world’s greatest athletes duke it out in front of a candid world-spanning audience is extremely entertaining. But have you ever thought about how these traditions came to be? I’m not talking about the history of the modern Olympics, which, although great and very extensive, is only roughly 130 years old. No, I’m talking about the ancient Olympics that started it all: the great Greek Games of old.
Timeline
When I say “ancient” when referring to the Olympics, it is a perfect description. The Olympics first began in 776 BCE, in Olympia, Greece, close to 2,800 years ago, as a religious festival honoring Zeus that occurred once every four years. They consisted of just a short foot racing event called stadion. But after a few centuries of development and fame, many other sports were added, and the event was extended to five days. Wrestling was added in 708 BCE, primitive boxing was added in 688 BCE, chariot racing was added in 680 BCE, and many more were added over the centuries. However, the ancient Olympics did have an end. Despite being a massive form of entertainment for over 1,000 years, they were discontinued around 393 AD by Roman emperor Theodosius I as a way to end pagan worship in the empire and embrace Christianity. But as we know, this was only a temporary end to the long-lasting tradition as it was revived in 1896 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
Similarities/Differences
Unlike the refined, polished state of our modern Olympics, the ancient version was much more rugged and dangerous. Some of the most popular events, like boxing and running, were done fully naked and with only minimal protection. That meant if two Olympians were scheduled to hold a boxing match during the Olympics, they would fight with nothing but leather wrapped around their hand. Overseers called the Hellanodikai did exist, but regulation was limited during that time, which led to most combatants fighting brutally, and the matches often led to injuries and even deaths. For example, the ancient pankration is an MMA-style wrestling sport that was very popular in those times, and the only illegal moves were biting, eye-gouging, and genital attacks. This meant that a plethora of moves considered illegal in modern combat sports were acceptable, and that led to numerous injuries and occasional deaths over the centuries.
Despite these major differences between the ancient Games and our modern Olympics, there are still plenty of similarities. The first is the continuation of the four-year repetition cycle. This four-year cycle began in ancient Greece as a ritual to worship Zeus, and the modern Olympics have adopted this tradition since 1896. Another similarity between the versions is the sports. Despite going through many changes in regulation and structure, many foundational sports like running, boxing, and javelin throwing are still part of the Olympics today and are even some of the most popular events.
But beyond that, the Olympics today are a spiritual successor, paying homage to the glories of the past. The Olympics are a chance, an opportunity for someone to show the world their strength. To stand once every four years under the light of millions of eyes and prove that in this vast, infinite world, you are an Olympian. That is what the Olympics have always been about, and it has not changed despite the years and empires that have gone by.
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