Modern Revival of the Ancient Olympic Games

The original Olympic Games were played between 776 BC and 393 BC, according to most scholars. During that time, the number of games increased from one to 20, and the Olympic Games Festival or celebration increased from one day to several days.

In ancient times, the Olympics were religion-based. Contests were held between sacrifices and ceremonies honoring Zeus and Pelops (a divine hero and mythical king of Olympia famous for his legendary chariot race with King Oenomaus of Pisatis).

Then in 393 AD, Emperor Theodosius I proclaimed Christianity the religion of the empire and banned pagan rites. The Olympic Games were outlawed as a pagan festival.

The Olympic Games were not dead, but they did lay dormant for a very long time. It wasn't until the 16th century AD that an "Olympic Games" sports festival was held at Chipping Campden in the English Cotswolds. The festival was held for several years, and others attempted to revive the Olympic Games, without a lot of success.

Then in 1859, a wealthy Greek philanthropist, Evangelos Zappas, sponsored the revival of the first modern international Olympic Games. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens city square. The Ottoman Empire sent athletes to compete against the athletes from Greece, making the games the first international games. Zappas used his own personal funds to rebuild the ancient Panathenian stadium. The stadium was first used for the Olympic Games of 1870 and then was used again in 1875.

Evangelos Zappas refurbished the Panathenian stadium again with his own money, and the stadium was the site for the Olympic Games of 1896. The Olympic Games of 1896 included the participation of athletes from 14 nations.

It took a lot of years between the early attempts to revive the Olympic Games and the Olympic Games that we know today where athletes from every continent in the world compete in hundreds of different contests.