Top 10 Olympic Games trivia | Olympics older than Jesus

Olympic fever takes over the world

Michael Phelps image from Flickr.

It’s that time again: No one can talk about or think about anything other than the Olympic Games. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is about the Olympics that keeps so many people so completely fascinated, but it is true that once you start watching it’s hard to stop.

So, as a run-of-the-mill American citizen, I decided to learn more about the Olympics, even though I have never even considered getting a personal loan to actually go to the Olympics. Here are some of the tidbits I found out.

1. Olympics as old as dirt

Many people know that the Olympics originally started in Ancient Greece. The first recorded date for the Olympic games was 776 B.C. That means, as far as we know, the Olympics have been around for nearly 3000 years.

2. Religious element

The Ancient Olympic games were not just for sport. Even then, the games were held every four years, and a four-year period was known as an Olympiad. Also the ceremonies included ritual sacrifices honoring Zeus and Pelops, divine hero and mythical king of Olympia.

3. Taking a break

For hundreds of years the Greeks held the Olympic Games, but that was before the Romans took over. The date they stopped holding the Olympics is disputed. Some records say Theodosius I banned the Olympics in 393 AD, when he banned pagan practices. Others say the Olympics ended under Theodosius II when he ordered the destruction of all Greek temples in 426 AD. They weren’t held again for nearly more than 1,000 years. The modern Olympic games began in the late 18th century. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “Top 10 Olympic Games trivia | Olympics older than Jesus“