The Olympic Games are a global sporting event that dates back to ancient times. The first recorded Olympics took place in 776 BC in Greece, and since then, the Games have been held every four years.
While the Modern Olympics were founded on the same principles as the Ancient Olympics, there are several key differences between the two. For one, the Ancient Olympics were only open to male citizens of Greece, while the Modern Olympics are open to athletes from all over the world, regardless of gender or citizenship.
Another difference is the range of events offered. The Ancient Olympics only had a handful of events, such as running, boxing, and chariot racing, while the Modern Olympics have dozens of events spanning multiple sports.
Finally, the Ancient Olympics were a religious festival dedicated to Zeus, while the Modern Olympics are secular. However, both the Ancient and Modern Olympics promote sportsmanship and fair play.
There are significant distinctions between the ancient and current Olympics. The most important ones would be the competitor’s looks, notably that of men who competed nude for pride and toughness. Another cause is that prior to the modern Olympics, only a few sports were included in the ancient Olympics. Over time, the modern Olympics have grown increasingly more events!
The last big difference would be the location as the ancients held their Olympics in Olympia, Greece while the moderns have it in a different city every four years. There are many more differences that seperate these two types of olympics but those are some of the most basic and important ones!
Athletes who won in ancient Greece would receive a lifetime supply of food, whereas those that win in today’s Olympics will get medals. The modern Olympic Games now include winter competitions; there are more sports than at ancient Greek times, when the latter was a preparation for war but the former were sporting events.
The ancient Olympic Games were a sporting event held every four years in the city of Olympia, in the western Peloponnese, in Greece. The first recorded Olympics took place in 776 BC. These games were held in honor of Zeus, and featured various competitions, such as foot races, wrestling, and javelin throwing. The most famous event was the chariot race, which often resulted in injuries and even death.
The modern Olympic Games are a much different affair. First held in Athens, Greece in 1896, they have since been held every four years (with the exception of 1916, 1940 and 1944 due to World War I and II respectively). The first modern Olympics featured just nine sports: athletics (track and field), cycling, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling. The number of sports has since increased to 28, with the most recent addition being golf and rugby union, which will both be featured at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
There are also a number of differences in the way the ancient and modern Olympics are run. In ancient times, only men were allowed to compete (and they had to be Greek citizens). Women were not allowed to even watch the Games! This is in stark contrast to the modern day Olympics, which are open to all athletes from around the world, regardless of gender.
Another big difference is that the ancient Olympics were always held in Olympia itself, whereas the modern Olympics are now held in a different city each time (although they do return to Athens every four years). This is partly due to the fact that Olympia is now a very small village, and couldn’t possibly accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people who now descend upon it every four years.
So there you have it: some of the key differences between the ancient and modern Olympic Games. What hasn’t changed, however, is the passion and excitement that surrounds these great sporting events.
Some of the differences were:
The ancient Olympics were only held in Greece, with the modern version being held all around the world.
The ancient games were exclusively for males. Men mostly competed without clothes on. The ancient Olympic games were occasionally suspended and, in some cases, even decided by war. Winners were regularly rewarded with precious metals such as gold and olives (a valuable commodity in antiquity).
The modern Olympics are open to both men and women from all countries. The games are now also held every four years (with a gap of two years between the Summer and Winter Olympics).
Competitors must now adhere to a strict dress code, and participants must be amateurs. Professional athletes are not allowed to compete in the Olympics.
The ancient Olympic games were religious in nature, dedicated to Zeus; the modern Olympics have no such religious affiliation.
There was only one event in the ancient stadium – a foot race of approximately 192 meters. Now, there are many different events held in numerous different venues.
The primary difference between the two types of Olympics is that the ancient Games were primarily for entertainment and religious purposes, while the modern Olympics are more focused on international competition and sportsmanship.
The ancient Olympics were founded in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, and they were held every four years until AD393. The Games were dedicated to Zeus, and the first competition was a footrace of about 192 metres. The only event at the first Olympics was a stade – a sprint of approximately 200 yards.
There were no gold medals; the winners were awarded an olive wreath. By the fifth century BC, the Games had grown to include wrestling, boxing, pankration (a combination of boxing and wrestling), chariot racing, and equestrian events. In AD 393, Emperor Theodosius I decreed that all pagan festivals, including the Olympic Games, be banned.
Since their revival in 1896, the Olympic Games have been held every four years, with a few exceptions. They were not held in 1916, 1940 or 1944 due to the First and Second World Wars. The modern Games have strict requirements about being an amateur. Both men and women compete, though separately. In 1980 (Moscow) and 1984 (Los Angeles), a substantial number of countries boycotted the Games due to political tensions at the time.
