Unit1OlympicHistory心灵鸡汤心灵鸡汤Accordingtohistoricrecords,thefirstancientOlympicGamescanbetracedbackto776BC.TheywerededicatedtotheOlympianGodsandwerestagedontheancientplainsofOlympia.Initiallytheyhadareligiouscharacterandcombinedanumberofancientsportingevents,manyofwhichwerebasedonancientGreekmyths.TheancientGamesactuallyoccupiedanimportantpositioninthelifeoftheGreekancestors.AnOlympiadwasatimeunit,measuringthefouryearintervalbetweentwoGames.ParticipantscametocompetefromeverycorneroftheGreekworldaimingattheultimateprize:anolivewreathanda“heroic”returntotheircitystates.Butapartfromthegloriousvictory,itwastheOlympicvaluesthemselveswhichaccordedspecialmeaningtotheGames:noblecompetitionandtheefforttocombinebody,will,andmindinabalancedwhole.AstheGamesdeveloped,sodidasetofproceduressuchasastandardizedscheduleofeventsandthepracticeoftheOlympicTruce.Theycontinuedfornearly12centuries,untilEmperorTheodosiusdecreed,in393AD,thatallsuch‘pagancults’bebanned.However,itwasFrenchBaronPierredeCoubertinwhoorchestratedthere-establishmentoftheGames,leadingthewaytothefirstModernOlympicGamesin1896.WiththerevivaloftheOlympicGames,anumberofsymbolicOlympicTraditionswerealsodevelopedandestablished(i.e.theOlympicAnthem,theOlympicCreed,theOlympicFlag,theOlympicFlameandTorch).