Olympia, Greece :: Geography Geographic History Essays

Olympia, Greece ?Here in the States, if we find a penny from 1964, we think that we have found something extremely old, and will probably save the penny with audacious hopes of its worth skyrocketing in the distant future.? Contrary to our Americanized minds, 1964 is not old. . .at all.? However, the site of the first Olympic games, dating back to 776 BC, is extremely old.? ?Olympia is in the southern half of Greece, near the western coast towards the Mediterranean Sea near the Alpheus (now Alfi��span>) River (Columbia).? It has become a hot spot for tourism because of its historical significance and its shear beauty.? Olympia is about a five hour bus ride from capital city Athens. Home of the first Olympic games Olympia, as we will soon see, is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in Greece.? New tourists flood the home of the first Olympic games by land and by sea, coming in on buses and on cruise ships that dock at the nearby port of Katakolo.? The town is filled with tourist shops, cafes, restaurants, and a Historical Museum of the Olympic games.? Olympia is definitely most noted for its being the host of the first Olympic games in 776 BC.? This event put Olympia on the map and it became internationally renowned as the site of the first Olympic games.? The Olympic games where ceased in 393 AD after an edict issued by Theodosius the Great, but were revived for the first time, after fifteen centuries, in 1896 in the all-marble Stadium of Athens.? The festival was open to only Greek born men but later Romans were allowed to compete most likely because they were running the country by then.? Slaves and women were not even allowed to be spectators and women caught sneaking in were apparently thrown off a cliff!? The events included foot races, wrestling, discus, javelin, long-jump, horse and chariot racing, and a type of boxing called pancratium. Also unlike the Olympics of today, There were not only atheletic events but also writing, poetry and history readings, plus business transactions and treaties were made between leaders of city-states (Vaughan). The very first and only competition of the first Olympic games was a 200 meter race, won by a man named Coroebus, thus becoming the first Olympic champion.? The Greeks decided to hold the race at Olympia every four years.