<P> The ancient Olympic Games were originally a festival, or celebration of and for Zeus; later, events such as a footrace, a javelin contest, and wrestling matches were added . The Olympic Games (Ancient Greek: Ὀλύμπια, Olympia, "the Olympics"; also Ὀλυμπιάς, Olympias, "the Olympiad") were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city - states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece . They were held in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin . The first Olympics is traditionally dated to 776 BC . They continued to be celebrated when Greece came under Roman rule, until the emperor Theodosius I suppressed them in AD 393 as part of the campaign to impose Christianity as the State religion of Rome . The games were held every four years, or olympiad, which became a unit of time in historical chronologies . </P> <P> During the celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their cities to the games in safety . The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns . The games became a political tool used by city - states to assert dominance over their rivals . Politicians would announce political alliances at the games, and in times of war, priests would offer sacrifices to the gods for victory . The games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean . The Olympics also featured religious celebrations . The statue of Zeus at Olympia was counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world . Sculptors and poets would congregate each olympiad to display their works of art to would - be patrons . </P> <P> The ancient Olympics had fewer events than the modern games, and only freeborn Greek men were allowed to participate, although there were victorious women chariot owners . As long as they met the entrance criteria, athletes from any Greek city - state and kingdom were allowed to participate, although the Hellanodikai, the officials in charge, allowed king Alexander I of Macedon to participate in the games only after he had proven his Greek ancestry . The games were always held at Olympia rather than moving between different locations as is the practice with the modern Olympic Games . Victors at the Olympics were honored, and their feats chronicled for future generations . </P> <P> To the Greeks, it was important to root the Olympic Games in mythology . During the time of the ancient games their origins were attributed to the gods, and competing legends persisted as to who actually was responsible for the genesis of the games . </P>

Who was allowed to compete in the ancient olympic games
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