The ancient Olympic Games were a religious and athletic festival held every four years at Olympia in the western Peloponnese in honor of Zeus. Tradition dates the first games to 776 BCE, and they grew from a local gathering to an event attended by Greeks from across the Mediterranean world. Competitions included running races, wrestling, boxing, the pentathlon and chariot races, and the winners received a wreath of wild olive and great honor in their home cities. A sacred truce allowed athletes and spectators to travel safely to the festival. The games continued under Roman rule and ended in the late fourth or early fifth century CE, when Christian emperors suppressed pagan festivals. The modern Olympic Games were revived in Athens in 1896.
Before and after
- from 8th century BCE to 3rd centuryClassical antiquity
- from c. 800 BCE to 800 CEHerrera Period
- c. 782 BCEOrigins of Yerevan
- from c. 782 BCE to 595 BCEConstruction of Erebuni Fortress
- from c. 776 BCE to 500 CEAncient Olympic Games
- from c. 771 BCE to 476 BCESpring and Autumn period
- c. 754 BCERomulus founds Rome (traditional date)
- from c. 753 BCE to 476 CEAncient Rome
- from 753 BCE to 46 BCERoman calendar
More in Art, literature & culture
- c. 3,000 BCECuneiform
- c. 1,500 BCERigveda
- from c. 1,200 BCE to 150 BCEPhoenician script
- from 448 BCE to 433 BCEConstruction of the Parthenon begins
- 284 BCEColossus of Rhodes
- 196 BCERosetta Stone
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 8th century BCE.