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WorldNet Service Installation Disk - Cybercathlon Games and Interactive Tour of Olympic Museum (1996).ISO
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00800_Field_Ancient.txt.txt
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1996-06-03
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The first recorded Olympic
Games were held in 776 B.C. but
may have been in existence more
than 500 years before that.
Conceived to honor the god
Zeus, the Olympic Games were
one of 4 classical Greek sporting
festivals and were held every
four years, until they were
abolished by the Roman emperor
Theodosius I in A.D. 394.
At first, there was only one
event in the Olympics, a foot race
of about 200 yards, but
eventually other events were
added and the Games extended
from one day to several. By the
late 7th century B.C., the games
included foot races, discus,
javelin, wrestling, boxing, horse
racing and chariot racing. The
prize for the winner, and there
were no prizes for any but the
winner, was a wreath woven
from the branch of a wild olive
tree.
Only men competed in the ancient
Olympics, and only men could be
spectators, with the exception of
the priestess of Demeter. Any
other female who attended the
games would be hurled to her
death from a cliff. Once, the
mother of one of the competitors
disguised herself as a male
trainer in order to watch her son
compete. When he won his
event, she jumped over a fence
in her excitement and revealed
her true identity. Only because
her father, brothers and son
were all Olympic champions was
her life spared, but thereafter all
Olympic trainers were required to
enter the arena without clothes.
The athletes traditionally wore no
clothes during their events.
In the 6th century A.D., an
earthquake destroyed the
Stadium of Olympia. It wasn't
until 1875 that the ruins were
discovered, and the idea of the
modern Olympics was born.