The Ancient Olympic Games, originally called simply the Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions held in the city of Olympia between different polis of ancient Greece. Were held in Olympia between 776 BC and 393 AD. It is a festive event, which also celebrated a number of sporting events, surrendered several tributes to the most important deities of the time. In tests competed representatives of each city, which had to be freemen (not slaves) and Greek citizens. They faced different types of athletic races and chariot races and other tests that were introduced over the years: wrestling, ancient pentathlon, long jump, javelin and disc.
Games disputed normally every 4 years or Olympiad, which was a unit of time. During the celebration of peace or a truce was enacted Olympics, to allow athletes to travel safely from their polis or city-states to Olympia. The ancient Olympics were quite different from the modern; There were fewer events and only free men who spoke Greek could compete more than ever celebrated in Olympia, instead of moving to different places each time.
The last Ancient Olympic Games were held in 393, almost twelve centuries after its inception. Following the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the empire with the Edict of Thessalonica, Emperor Theodosius I finally prohibits pagan celebration, including the Games.
When children meet twelve pounds Greeks entered the arena, where they were taught to develop muscles and nerves to discipline. At sixteen entered the gymnasium, where the Greek athletics and physical exercise. The gym had a track and places of exercise outdoors between forests. For twenty years the Greeks concluded their training sports where they surrendered their weapons and were trained to participate in the Olympic Games.
Alejandro Aguilera Ruiz