History of the Games“As in the daytime there is no star in the sky warmer and brighter than the sun, likewise there is no competition greater than the Olympic Games.” Pindar, Greek lyric poet, 5th century BC. This view of the Olympic Games has its roots in ancient Greece. Early historic records date the first Ancient Olympic Games to 776 BC, when the core values of Olympism first began to develop into benchmarks of human creativity and excellence. Over the centuries, the Games would illuminate examples of extraordinary achievement. They would become the stage for the celebration of noble competition and the educational value of sport until 393 AD, when Emperor Theodosius abolished them for being "too pagan".In 1896, thanks to the great efforts of Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin, Dimitrios Vikelas, and other contributors, the first Modern Olympic Games were held in the country of their birth. The Greek nation and the whole world embraced their revival and once again turned them into the greatest celebration on earth. In the century to follow, the Games traveled to countries around the world, encountering a wide range of cultures and civilisations, facing new challenges, growing, and evolving.
