Ancient Olympic Games

Bloomsbury presents Terrible True Tales: Greeks written and read by Terry Deary. Featuring exciting activities for listeners to enjoy alongside the stories! 'Deary's storytelling is simple, historically accurate and compelling.' – The i newspaper on The Silver Hand From the author of the...

The Pan-Hellenic Games is the collective term for the four major sports festivals held in ancient Greece. These include the Olympic Games, held in honor of Zeus at Olympia every four years; the Pythian Games in honor of Apollo, held at Delphi every four years; the Nemean Games, held to celebrate Zeus and Heracles at Nemea near Corinth every two years; and the Isthmian Games, honoring Poseidon at Isthmia every two years. The main events at all of the games were chariot racing, wrestling, boxing, the pankration, the stadion, various other foot races, and the pentathlon.

Naked athletes, an olive-wreath grand prize, and a marathon "winner" who rode in a car — the Olympics like you've never heard them. Forget the highlight reel. Olympic Tales is a treasure chest of the strangest, funniest, and most jaw-dropping facts, secrets, and scandals from nearly 3,000 years of the Games — from Ancient Greece all the way to today. Perfect for curious kids ages 8–12, and a fun countdown read before the Olympics come to Los Angeles in 2028. Did you know… Ancient Greek athletes competed completely naked — and the prize wasn't gold but a wreath of wild olive leaves...

While they are still well-known, the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece are more relevant today than most people know, and the ways in which athletic sports pervade contemporary culture is comparable only to the spirit of athleticism in Hellenic Greece. Today, a large section of the media industry is devoted exclusively to sports, and in some nations sports even figures as a critical component of their identity.

Ancient Olympia is not just the birthplace of the Olympic Games, it is also the origin of philosophical ideas that resonate even today. Combining the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle with the art, archaeology, and history of Ancient Olympia, this short book offers ancient Greek insight on the nature of sport, athletes, and human excellence, as well as the less-expected topics of women, beauty, fairness, and peace.

The Olympic Games, both ancient and modern, represent one of humanity’s most enduring celebrations of sport, culture, and shared ideals. Beginning in ancient Greece over two thousand years ago, the Games were originally held to honor the gods and bring together city-states in peaceful competition. They showcased athletic skill, bravery, and the human drive to push boundaries, with events like running, wrestling, and chariot racing, and even inspired the legend of the marathon. After more than a millennium, the Games ended in 393 CE but were revived in the late 19th century by Pierre de ...

In ancient Greece and across the Mediterranean, kingdoms strive for dominance. The great powers of Carthage and Egypt look on with avarice as the might of the Greeks is spent warring between themselves, oblivious to external dangers. Year in and year out, the people suffer at the hands of their rulers and the famine and pestilence that comes with conflict. The great rulers of the day are themselves helpless to end this cycle of destruction. While life on the battlefield is cheap, the slave trade flourishes through the years of interminable battle and death.