The History of the

Olympic Games
The Olympic Games were thought to have started over 2,700 years ago in ancient
Greece. Read on to find out about the first ancient Games and the beginning of the
modern Games.

The First Olympic Games

The first ancient Olympic Games

were believed to have started in
776 BC. These Games took place in
Olympia, Greece. They were held
every four years and contained
several sporting events. However, the main focus
was as a religious ceremony to honour the king
of the Greek gods, Zeus.

Zeus is said to have travelled to Olympia from his home in Mount Olympus in
1200 BC. He announced his visit by throwing his thunderbolt from Mount Olympus
into Olympia. This became the setting for the first ancient Olympic Games. People
travelled from all over Greece to see the Games and visit the Temple of Zeus.

Ancient Olympic Events

During the running events, competitors would run up and

down a track that was 192 metres long. Despite being rebuilt
Running several times, the track always stayed the same length.
Some people believe that this is because 192 metres is how
long the Greek hero Hercules could run on a single breath.

The wrestling and boxing matches seen at the ancient

Olympic Games were often much more violent than those
Wrestling
seen today. One of the most dangerous matches was known
and Boxing
as pankration. In this match, the only rule was that you
couldn’t bite your opponent or poke them in the eye.

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 The History of the Olympic Games

Competitors in the long jump would

hold large weights in their hands and
swing their arms around. This would
Long Jump help them to jump longer distances. A
man on a flute often played music for
the athletes that would help them to
time their jumps.

The End of the Ancient Olympic Games

When ancient Greece was invaded by the Roman Empire in the 2nd century
BC, the Games continued. However, it is thought that the quality began to go
downhill. In AD 67, a Roman emperor named Nero took part in the chariot race,
which was a dangerous race on chariots pulled by horses. Although he fell off
during the race, he still told everyone that he was the winner.

By AD 393, an emperor named Theodosius I called for the ancient Olympic

Games to be cancelled. This ended the Games after
nearly 1,200 years.

The Modern Olympic Games

Around 1,500 years later, a French baron named Pierre de Coubertin suggested
the idea of holding an international athletics competition. He wanted it to be
held every four years just like the ancient games in Olympia. When his idea was
accepted, he started the International Olympic Committee.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. Since then,
the modern Olympic Games have been held every four years. Throughout their
history, the modern Games have been cancelled or postponed four times. Once in
1916 due to the First World War, in 1940 and 1944 due to the Second World War
and again in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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 The History of the Olympic Games

Questions
1. When were the first ancient Olympic Games believed to have started? Tick one.

776 BC
1200 BC
AD 67
AD 393

2. Number the events from 1-4 to show the order that they happened in.

Emperor Theodosius I called for the ancient Olympic Games to be cancelled.

Pierre de Coubertin suggested the idea of an athletics competition.
The ancient Olympic Games started.
The first modern Olympic Games were held.

3. Where were the first modern Olympic Games held?

4. Look at the section titled The End of the Ancient Olympic Games.
What do the words began to go downhill mean?

5. Fill in the missing words.

A man on a often played for the athletes that

would help them to time their jumps.

6. Summarise what you have learnt about the first Olympic Games using 20 words or fewer.





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 The History of the Olympic Games

7. Which event from the ancient Olympic Games would you most like to take part in? Explain
your answer.





8. How do you think Pierre de Coubertin felt during the first modern Olympic Games in 1896?





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 The History of the Olympic Games

Answers
1. When were the first ancient Olympic Games believed to have started? Tick one.

776 BC
1200 BC
AD 67
AD 393

2. Number the events from 1-4 to show the order that they happened in.

2 Emperor Theodosius I called for the ancient Olympic Games to be cancelled.

3 Pierre de Coubertin suggested the idea of an athletics competition.
1 The ancient Olympic Games started.
4 The first modern Olympic Games were held.

3. Where were the first modern Olympic Games held?

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece.

4. Look at the section titled The End of the Ancient Olympic Games.
What do the words began to go downhill mean?
The words ‘began to go downhill’ mean that the quality of the games began to
get worse.

5. Fill in the missing words.

A man on a flute often played music for the athletes that would help them to time
their jumps.

6. Summarise what you have learnt about the first Olympic Games using 20 words or fewer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: They were held in Olympia every four years and were a
religious ceremony to honour Zeus.

7. Which event from the ancient Olympic Games would you most like to take part in? Explain
your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I would most like to take part in the long jump because
holding weights in your hands and swinging your arms around sounds like a lot of fun.
I also like the idea of doing that to music.

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 The History of the Olympic Games

8. How do you think Pierre de Coubertin felt during the first modern Olympic Games in 1896?
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think that Pierre de Coubertin felt excited and nervous
at the first modern Olympic Games. Excited because he was finally seeing his plan
become a reality and nervous because it might not work out as well as he had hoped.

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The History of the
Olympic Games
Thought to have started over 2,700 years ago in ancient Greece, the Olympic Games
have a rich history but where did it all begin? Read on to find out about the first
Games, how they ended and the resurfacing of the modern Olympic Games.

The First Olympic Games

It is believed that the first ancient

Olympic Games were held in 776 BC.
These Games took place in Olympia,
Greece and were held every four
years. Although sporting events
played a large part, the main focus was as a
religious ceremony to honour the king of the
Greek gods, Zeus.

Zeus is said to have travelled to Olympia from his home in Mount Olympus in 1200
BC. He announced his visit by throwing his thunderbolt from Mount Olympus into
Olympia. This became the setting for the first ancient Olympic Games.

As part of the festival, people would travel from all over Greece to visit the Temple
of Zeus. The main event was the sacrifice of 100 oxen on an altar in honour of Zeus.
The ashes of previously sacrificed oxen were collected over the years and formed the
altar. By around AD 200, this was thought to be six metres high.

Ancient Olympic Events

During the running events, competitors would run up and

down a track that was 192 metres long. Despite being rebuilt
Running several times, the track always stayed the same length.
Some people believe that this is because 192 metres is how
long the Greek hero, Hercules, could run on a single breath.

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 The History of the Olympic Games

The wrestling and boxing matches seen at the ancient

Olympic Games were more violent than those seen
today. Competitors were expected to show that they had
Wrestling
surrendered by raising a finger into the air. One of the most
and Boxing
aggressive matches was known as pankration. In this match,
the only rule was that you couldn’t bite your opponent or
poke them in the eye.

In this event, competitors would hold large

weights (called halteres) in their hands
and swing their arms around. This would
Long Jump propel them forward. A man playing a
flute often accompanied the athletes; the
music is thought to have helped them to
accurately time their jump.

The Fall of the Ancient Olympic Games

When ancient Greece was invaded by the Roman Empire in the 2nd century BC,
the Games continued. However, it is thought that the quality of the Games
began to go downhill. In AD 67, a Roman emperor named Nero took part as a
competitor in the chariot race (a dangerous race around a circular track on
chariots led by horses). Although he fell off during the race, he
still announced himself as the winner.
By AD 393, an emperor named Theodosius I had called for a
ban of Pagan festivals. This meant that the ancient Olympic
Games were cancelled after nearly 1,200 years.

The Modern Olympic Games

Around 1,500 years after the ancient games were cancelled, a French baron
named Pierre de Coubertin wanted to promote physical education. He suggested
the idea of holding an international athletics competition every four years just
like the ancient Games in Olympia. Two years later, this idea was accepted and
he started the International Olympic Committee.
The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. 14 different
countries competed in a total of 43 events. Since then, the modern Olympic
Games have been held every four years. Throughout their history, the modern
Games have only been cancelled or postponed a total of four times. Once in 1916
due to the First World War, in 1940 and 1944 due to the Second World War and
again in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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 The History of the Olympic Games

Questions
1. Where did the first ancient Olympic games take place? Tick one.

Athens
Mount Olympus
Olympia
Rome

2. Draw four lines and match each event to the year that it is thought to have happened in.

Emperor Nero declared himself as

1200 BC
the winner of the chariot race.

The ancient Olympic Games

776 BC
were cancelled.

Zeus travelled to Olympia. AD 67

The first ancient Olympic Games

AD 393
were held.

3. Look at the section titled The First Olympic Games.

Find and copy one word which means the same as declared.

4. In a pankration match, what was the only rule?

5. In which section would you find information about the ancient Olympic Games being
cancelled?

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 The History of the Olympic Games

6. Compare the ancient Olympic Games to the modern Olympic Games. How were they
different?





7. Read the first paragraph beginning Thought to have started…

Explain why the author has chosen to include this paragraph.





8. Using 20 words or fewer, summarise what you have learnt about the modern
Olympic Games.





9. Would you have preferred to have been a spectator or a competitor at the ancient Olympic
Games? Fully explain your answer





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 The History of the Olympic Games

Answers
1. Where did the first ancient Olympic games take place? Tick one.

Athens
Mount Olympus
Olympia
Rome

2. Draw four lines and match each event to the year that it is thought to have happened in.

Emperor Nero declared himself as

1200 BC
the winner of the chariot race.

The ancient Olympic Games

776 BC
were cancelled.

Zeus travelled to Olympia. AD 67

The first ancient Olympic Games

AD 393
were held.

3. Look at the section titled The First Olympic Games.

Find and copy one word which means the same as declared.
announced

4. In a pankration match, what was the only rule?

The only rule was that you couldn’t bite your opponent or poke them in the eye.

5. In which section would you find information about the ancient Olympic Games being
cancelled?
You would find this information in the section ‘The Fall of the Ancient Olympic Games’.

6. Compare the ancient Olympic Games to the modern Olympic Games. How were they
different?
Pupils’ own responses, such as: The ancient Olympic Games had more violent boxing
and wrestling matches than the modern Olympic Games. The ancient Games were also
a religious celebration for the Greek god, Zeus, which the modern Games are not.

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 The History of the Olympic Games

7. Read the first paragraph beginning Thought to have started…

Explain why the author has chosen to include this paragraph.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think that the author has chosen to include this
paragraph to make the reader excited about reading the rest of the text. It also gives a
hint about what the text is going to be about without giving everything away.

8. Using 20 words or fewer, summarise what you have learnt about the modern
Olympic Games.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: They were first held in Athens in 1896 and were started
by a French baron named Pierre de Coubertin.

9. Would you have preferred to have been a spectator or a competitor at the ancient Olympic
Games? Fully explain your answer
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I would have preferred to be a spectator at the ancient
Olympic Games because the sports sound too dangerous to take part in. I especially
don’t like the sound of taking part in pankration but I would enjoy watching it.

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The History of the
Olympic Games
Thought to have begun over 2,700 years ago in ancient Greece, the Olympic Games
have a rich history but where did it all begin? Read on to find out about the first
Games, the downfall and the resurrection of what we now know as the modern
Olympic Games.

The First Olympic Games

Many historians believe that the

first ancient Olympic Games were
held in 776 BC. These Games took place in
Olympia, a small town in Greece and, much like
the modern Games, were held every four years.
Interestingly, although sporting events played
a large part in the ancient Games, the main
focus of the Games was as a religious festival to
honour Zeus: the king of the Greek gods.

It was believed that Zeus travelled to Olympia from his home in Mount Olympus in
1200 BC. He announced his visit by throwing his thunderbolt from Mount Olympus
into the grove of Olympia. This grove was to become the setting for the first ancient
Olympic Games.

As part of the festival, which lasted for five days, people would travel from all over
Greece to visit the Temple of Zeus. The main event was the sacrifice of 100 oxen on
an altar in honour of Zeus. This altar was not made of stone as you might expect
but, instead, it was made from the ashes of previously sacrificed oxen. By around
AD 200, the altar was thought to be six metres high.

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 The History of the Olympic Games

Ancient Olympic Events

During the running events, competitors would run lengths of

a track that was 192 metres long. Despite the stadium being
rebuilt several times throughout the years, the track always
Running
remained the same length. Some people believe that this is
because 192 metres is how long the Greek hero, Hercules,
could run on a single breath.

The wrestling and boxing competitions seen at the ancient

Olympic Games were far more violent than those seen in
the modern Games. There were notoriously few rules and
competitors were often expected to signal their surrender
Wrestling and defeat by raising a finger into the air.
and Boxing
One of the most aggressive forms of wrestling was known
as pankration, which translates to mean ‘all force’. In
this match, the only rule was that you couldn’t bite your
opponent or poke them in the eye.

During this event, competitors would

hold large weights (called halteres) in
their hands and swing their arms around
in order to propel themselves forward. A
Long Jump
man playing a flute often accompanied
the athletes; the rhythm of the music is
thought to have helped them to accurately
time their jump.

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 The History of the Olympic Games

The Fall of the Ancient Olympic Games

When ancient Greece was invaded by the Roman Empire in the 2nd century BC,
the Games continued. However, it is thought that the quality of the Games
began to quickly decline. In AD 67, a Roman emperor named Nero took part as
a competitor in the chariot race (a dangerous race around a circular track on
chariots led by horses). Although he fell off during the race, he still declared
himself as the winner.

By AD 393, Emperor Theodosius I had called for a ban of Pagan festivals.

As a festival dedicated to the Greek god Zeus, this put
an end to the ancient Olympic Games after nearly
1,200 years.

The Modern Olympic Games

Around 1,500 years after the cancellation of the ancient Games, a French baron
named Pierre de Coubertin wanted to promote physical education. After a visit
to the ancient Greek site of Olympia, he was determined to restart the Olympic
Games. He proposed the idea of holding an international athletics competition
every four years. Two years later, his proposal was accepted and he was given
permission to start the International Olympic Committee.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. 14 different
countries competed in a total of 43 events between 6th and 15th April. Since this
time, the modern Olympic Games have been held every four years in a variety of
countries around the world. Throughout their history, the modern Games have
only been cancelled or postponed a total of four times. Once in 1916 due to the
First World War, in 1940 and 1944 due to the Second World War and again in
2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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 The History of the Olympic Games

Questions
1. What were ‘halteres’? Tick one.

a type of sporting event

the name of a competitor
large weights
a musical instrument

2. Draw four lines and match each section to its summary.

All about different competitions that

The First Olympic Games
took place during the Games.

A description of what happened to the

Ancient Olympic Events
Games following the invasion of Greece.

The Fall of the Ancient Information about the festival to

Olympic Games honour Zeus.

The Modern Detailing what happened in order to

Olympic Games revive the Olympic Games.

3. Look at the first paragraph.

Find and copy one word which means the same as revival.

4. How many countries competed in the first modern Olympic Games?

5. What was surprising about the altar in Olympia?

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 The History of the Olympic Games

6. Interestingly, although sporting events played a large part in the ancient Games…
Explain why you think that the author has chosen to start this sentence with the word
interestingly.





7. The ancient Olympic Games were held in Greece every year.

Explain why you think that Pierre de Coubertin wanted to make the modern Olympic
Games an international event.





8. Compare the events found in the ancient Olympic Games to those found in the modern
Olympic Games. How are they different?





9. Explain how the layout of the text helps you to understand the information.





10. After reading this text, what area of the history of the Olympic Games would you like to
research further? Fully explain your answer.





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 The History of the Olympic Games

Answers
1. What were ‘halteres’? Tick one.

a type of sporting event

the name of a competitor
large weights
a musical instrument

2. Draw four lines and match each section to its summary.

All about different competitions that

The First Olympic Games
took place during the Games.

A description of what happened to the

Ancient Olympic Events
Games following the invasion of Greece.

The Fall of the Ancient Information about the festival to

Olympic Games honour Zeus.

The Modern Detailing what happened in order to

Olympic Games revive the Olympic Games.

3. Look at the first paragraph.

Find and copy one word which means the same as revival.
resurrection

4. How many countries competed in the first modern Olympic Games?

14 different countries competed in the first modern Olympic Games.

5. What was surprising about the altar in Olympia?

It was not made out of stone. It was made from the ashes of previously sacrificed oxen.

6. Interestingly, although sporting events played a large part in the ancient Games…
Explain why you think that the author has chosen to start this sentence with the word
interestingly.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think that the author has chosen to start this sentence
with the word ‘interestingly’ because it is interesting that the main focus of the ancient
Games was as a religious festival. Today, people will think of the Olympic Games as a
sporting event.

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 The History of the Olympic Games

7. The ancient Olympic Games were held in Greece every year.

Explain why you think that Pierre de Coubertin wanted to make the modern Olympic
Games an international event.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think that Pierre wanted to make the modern Olympic
Games an international event because he wanted everyone to be able to take part. He
was also from France but inspired by the ancient Greek games which would have made
him think about how they could happen across the world.

8. Compare the events found in the ancient Olympic Games to those found in the modern
Olympic Games. How are they different?
Pupils’ own responses, such as: The wrestling and boxing at the ancient Olympic Games
were more violent than those seen at the modern Olympic Games. Also, you wouldn’t
have a man playing a flute while someone jumped at the modern Games but they did
during the ancient Games. You would also not find chariot racing in the modern Games.

9. Explain how the layout of the text helps you to understand the information.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: The sub-headings help you to be able to find different
information quickly and let you know a brief summary of what you are about to read.
The illustrations help to make the text look more exciting and give you an idea of what
the different things that you are reading about looked like.

10. After reading this text, what area of the history of the Olympic Games would you like to
research further? Fully explain your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I would like to know more about how the Games
changed when Greece was invaded by the Roman Empire. In the text, it says that the
quality began to quickly decline but I would like to know how it declined so quickly
after being so popular.

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