<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <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>

When were the first ancient olympic games held