The ruins of ancient Olympia were excavated by the German
archaeologist Ernst Curtius from 1875-81. Among the remains
uncovered was the ancient stadium where the original Olympic
Games were celebrated from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D., when Roman
emperor Theodosius I banned all pagan festivals. Athletics
played an important role in the religious festivals of the
ancient Greeks, who believed competitive sports pleased the
spirits of the dead. The festivals honoring gods like Zeus were
undertaken by many Greek tribes and cities and usually held
every four years. During the first 13 Olympiads (an Olympiad is
an interval of four years between celebrations of the Olympic
Games), the only contested event was a foot race of 200 yards.
Longer races were gradually introduced and by 708 B.C., field
events like the discus, javelin throw and the long jump were
part of the program. Wrestling and boxing followed and in 640
B.C., four-horse chariot races became a fixture at the Games.
During the so-called Golden Age of Greece, whic