TheOriginofOlympicGamesHowever,weheldsomanyOlympicGamesandpeoplelikeitverymuch,butrarelypeopleknowtheoriginofOlympicGames.TheGreeklovessportsverymuch.Onceeveryfouryears,theyhadabigfestivalonOlympusMountsthatincludescontestsofsports.TheGreekOlympics,partofareligiousfestival,beganin776BCandinspiredthemodernOlympicGames(beganin1896).Attheancienttime,eachcityhastheirwaytocalculateyears,andnothavethesameCommonEra.ThemostimportantthingbetweendifferentcitieswasthePanhellenicGamesineveryyear.TheGameswerepartofacycleknownasthePanhellenicGames,whichincludedthePythianGames,theNemeanGames,andtheIsthmianGames.TheGameswereheldeveryfouryears,andthisperiod,knownasanOlympiad,wasusedbyGreeksasoneoftheirunitsoftimemeasurement.Duringthegames,allconflictsamongtheparticipatingcity-stateswerepostponeduntilthegameswerefinished.TheoriginoftheseOlympicsisshroudedinmysteryandlegend;oneofthemostpopularmythsidentifiesHeraclesandhisfatherZeusastheprogenitorsoftheGames.Accordingtolegend,itwasHeracleswhofirstcalledtheGames"Olympic"andestablishedthecustomofholdingthemeveryfouryears.Atthefirstone-dayOlympicGames,theonlyeventwasashortsprintfromoneendofthestadiumtotheother.Therunningtrackwasmuchwiderthanamodernone.Twentypeoplecouldrunatonce.Graduallymoreeventswereaddedtomakefivedaysofcompetitions,includingtheopeningandclosingceremonies.Theyincludedwrestling,boxing,longjump,throwingthejavelinanddiscus,andchariotracing.Inthepentathlon,therewerefiveevents:running,wrestling,javelin,discusandlongjump.Winnersweregivenawreathofleaves,andahero’swelcomebackhome.Winnersmightmarryrichwomen,enjoyfreemeals,invitationstoparties,andthebestseatsinthetheatre.Andthewinnersoftheeventswereadmiredandimmortalizedinpoemsandstatues.Onlymen,boys,andunmarriedgirlswereallowedtoattendtheOlympicGames.MarriedwomenwerenotallowedintotheOlympicGames.Anywomencaughtsneakinginwerechariotracethough.UnmarriedwomenhadtheirownfestivalatOlympiaeveryfouryears.ThiswastheHeraia,heldinhonourofHera,wifeofZeus.Womencouldcompleteinrunningrac