It's the event that people around the world watch, on television or in the arena, it's the place where the gold medals gold are won and lost. These are the Olympic Games. Did you know that single women could watch the ancient Olympics? Or did this person eat paper to keep warm? Although far-fetched, it is true, and there are many other reasons for it. Welcome to the Olympic Games. “May the odds always be in your favor!” » -Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games. Greece is the origin of the Olympic Games, pure and simple. The Olympic Games date back to 776 BC, the 8th century BC. They are said to have been created by Hercules. They initially lasted only one day, but were later extended in the 7th century BC to three days. In the 5th century BC the games were again extended to last five days. The Olympic Games continued for almost 12 centuries, until Emperor Theodosius exclaimed in the 4th century that all such "pagan cults" be banned. In the 8th century, the Olympic Games reappeared. I'm glad they did it. Although they were constantly changing, the (more recent) ancient Olympic Games still featured some of the same events. They took place for the first time in Olympia and consisted only of running races. More events have been added, starting with wrestling and pentathlon. (A pentathlon included discus, javelin, vault, running, and wrestling.) In discus, which is part of the pentathlon, the discs were different, depending on the age, weight, and personal preferences of the participants. athletes. When the winners won, they received their reward immediately after the competition. After the announcement of the winner's name by the herald, a Hellanodikai (Greek judge) placed a palm branch in the hands of the winner, while the spectators cheered and threw flowers. Red ribbons were tied on his head and hands as a sign of victory...... middle of paper ...... Retrieved November 26, 2013 from Olympic.org website: http://www.olympic. org /olympic-games (November 25, 2013). Olympic flame. Retrieved November 25, 2013 from the Olympic.org website: http://www.olympic.org/ (November 27, 2013). The London 2012 Olympic Games open in spectacular style. Retrieved November 27, 2013, from Olympic.org website: http://www.olympic.org/news/london-20123-kicks-off-with-spectacular-opening-ceremony/169583Penn Museum (nd). Women: were the Olympic Games reserved for men? Accessed November 18, 2013 from The Real Story Of the Olympic Games website: http://www.penn.museum/sites/olympics/olympicsexism.shtmlRoss, S. (2013). Timeline of the Olympic Games. Accessed November 19, 2013 from Infoplease website: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/olympicstimeline.html Wallechinsky, D. and Loucky, J. (2012). The Book of Olympic Lists. Great Britain: Aurum Press.