Legend has it that Heracles (the Roman Hercules), son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, founded the Games, which by the end of the 6th century B.C had become the most famous of all Greek sporting festivals. However, it is generally believed that the Games had been going on for many years by that time. The first written records of the ancient Olympic Games date to 776 B.C., when a cook named Coroebus won the only event-a 192-meter footrace called the stade (the origin of the modern “stadium”)-to become the first Olympic champion.

WATCH: The First Olympics on HISTORY Vault The Olympics Begin in Ancient Greece The 2020 Summer Olympics, delayed one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be held from July 23 to Augin Tokyo, Japan. Since 1994, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games have been held separately and have alternated every two years. The first modern Olympics took place in 1896 in Athens, and featured 280 participants from 12 nations, competing in 43 events. to the 4th century A.D., the Games were held every four years in Olympia, located in the western Peloponnese peninsula, in honor of the god Zeus. The Olympic Games, which originated in ancient Greece as many as 3,000 years ago, were revived in the late 19th century and have become the world’s preeminent sporting competition.

Decline and Revival of the Olympic Tradition.

End of nations games