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Olympic Games History

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Olympic Games History

Read the information, inspect the comparison grid and use evidence to solve the questions. Some questions ask you to explain your thinking.

A festival becomes a global event

The earliest recorded Olympic contest took place at Olympia in 776 before the Common Era. The Games were part of a religious festival honouring Zeus, a major god in ancient Greek religion. Athletes competed in events such as running, wrestling and chariot racing. The ancient Games followed a four-year cycle. They eventually stopped in the late Roman period. More than a thousand years later, French educator Pierre de Coubertin helped start an international Olympic movement. The first modern Olympic Games opened in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Athletes from different countries competed, and the Games returned on a four-year cycle. The modern Olympics have changed over time: many more sports and countries now take part, and women have competed since 1900. The ancient and modern Games share a four-year rhythm, but they belong to different societies and have changed to reflect their times.

Feature

Ancient Games

Modern Games

Beginning

Earliest recorded contest: 776 BCE

First Games: 1896

Location

Olympia, Greece

Athens, Greece, for the first modern Games

Purpose or context

Religious festival honouring Zeus

International sporting movement

Who competed?

Athletes in ancient Greek society

Athletes from many countries; women have competed since 1900

Investigate the evidence

Answer each question using the passage or comparison grid.

1.Where were the ancient Olympic Games held?

Athens
Olympia
Rome
Sparta

2.What year is given for the earliest recorded Olympic contest?

3.Which god did the ancient Olympic festival honour?

Zeus
Apollo
Poseidon
Athena

4.Name two sports that athletes competed in at the ancient Games.

5.How often were both the ancient and modern Olympic Games held, according to the passage?

Every year
Every two years
Every four years
Every ten years

6.Put these events in order from earliest to latest: women compete in the modern Games; earliest recorded ancient contest; first modern Games.

7.True or false: The first modern Olympic Games opened in Athens in 1896.

TrueFalse

8.Use the grid to describe one important difference between the ancient and modern Games.

9.The modern Games began more than a thousand years after the ancient Games ended. What does the word “revival” mean in this history, and why is it more accurate than saying the Games continued without a break?

10.The ancient Games honoured Zeus, while the modern Games bring athletes from many countries together. What does this change suggest about how the purpose and values of the Games have changed over time?