The long journey of the Olympics began more than 2，700 years ago. Historical records show that the ancient Olympic Games were held in Greece as early as 776 BC.
They were part of a religious① festival to honor the god， and the Greeks always announced an end to all wars for the duration② of the Games， making it safe for people traveling to and from the event.
The Games were held every four years at Olympia. Each four-year period was called an Olympiad， as this was how time was calculated in ancient Greek history.
The ancient Olympics were rather different from the modern Games. Instead of moving around to many different sites， everything was held at Olympia. There were fewer events， too. At first， only one race—the sprint-was run. Discus and javelin throwing， long jumping and wrestling were added later.
Only free men who spoke Greek could compete， instead of athletes from any country. Each athlete competed on his own as there were no team events. No records were kept of the length of the winning jump or the finishing time of the winning runner.
Women were forbidden from taking part in or even watching the Games. If a woman was discovered sneaking③ a quick look， she could be thrown off a cliff.
Just like today， though， the Olympics was an event at which heroes were made. But the prizes awarded to the winners were not medals， but wild olive wreaths④. They could also put their home towns on the map.
To the Greeks it was important to win well， and any competitor found guilty of an unfair practice had to pay a fine. The money collected was used to build a statue of Zeus at the entrance to the stadium. Only 13 of these statues were ever built during the history of the ancient Olympics.
People still made the most of the Games as a stage on which to show off. One young Athenian nobleman defended his political reputation by saying he entered seven chariots⑤ in the Olympic chariot race. This high number of entries made both himself and Athens look very wealthy and powerful.
The ancient Olympic Games were held for more than 1，000 years， reaching its all time high by about 400 BC. In AD 393， the Games were ended at the order of the Roman Emperor Theodosius.
① religiousadj. 宗教的，宗教上的
② durationn. (时间的)持续，持久，持续期间
③ sneakv. 【口】偷窃，偷偷取得
④ wreathn. 花圈，花环，花冠
⑤ chariotn. (古代的)双轮战车(或比赛马车)
古代奥运会概述
源远流长的奥林匹克运动会开始于2700年前。据史料记载，古代奥运会早在公元前776年就在希腊举行了。
古代奥运会其实是古希腊人敬神宗教活动的一个组成部分。每当奥运会来临，古希腊人往往宣布终止所有战争，保证奥运会的正常进行，使人们能够安全地出入赛场。
古代奥运会每四年在奥林匹亚举行一次。每四年叫做一个奥林匹亚德周期，古代希腊就是用奥林匹亚德纪年的。
古代奥运会与现代奥运会有很大差别。在古代，人们不必辗转于不同的比赛地点，因为所有的赛事都在奥林匹亚举行，比赛项目也比较少。起初，只有短跑，后来又增加了掷铁饼、投标枪、跳远和摔跤等项目。
并非来自所有国家的运动员都能够参加比赛，只有讲希腊语的自由人才可以。没有以团队为单位的赛事，每个运动员都独立参赛，也没有跳远或跑步冠军的高度或时间的纪录。
古代奥运会禁止妇女参加甚至观看比赛。如果一个妇女被发现偷看比赛，她就有可能被扔下山崖。
古代奥运会和今天一样，英雄辈出。不过，授予获奖选手的不是奖牌，而是橄榄枝编成的花环。此外，他们还可以把自己的家乡标在希腊地图上。
对古希腊人来说，赢得冠军是很重要的，但是，在比赛过程中，如发现选手舞弊，则予以罚款。在体育馆入口处，人们用这些罚款建造一尊宙斯像，在古代奥运会历史上，这样的雕像只建造了13尊。
人们把古代奥运会当成一个炫耀财富和能力的舞台。为维护其政治声誉，一个年轻的雅典贵族声称在赛战车比赛中他曾驾驭7辆战车。他辉煌的“战绩”显示了他和雅典人的富有与霸气。
古代奥运会举办了一千多年，在公元前400年左右达到全盛。然而，公元393年，罗马皇帝狄奥多西一世下令废止了古代奥运会。
