Roger Spoor, aged 11, of Seattle, Wash., for his question:
Who started the Olympic Games?
A sound mind in a sound body. That was one of the noble ideals of ancient Greece. These healthy Greeks exercised their sound minds in the pursuit of philosophy ‑ a study which means love of wisdom. They exercised their sound bodies in games and contests of athletic skill. The Olympic Games grew from this Greek ideal of harmony between mind and body.
The first recorded Olympic Games dates back to 776 B.C. From thereafter, the famous event was held every four years. So important was the contest that the Greeks based their calendar on the four year cycle which they called the olympiad. People from all over Greece gathered to watch the contests. If wars between the city states were, in progress they were halted while all sides gathered to see and take part in the Games
The meeting place was a wooded grove of idylic beauty ‑ the valley of Olympia in the Greek Peloponnesus. In the early days, the single. contest was a 200 yard race, Later, a five‑fold contest, the pentathon, was added. This included contests in running, leaping, wrestling, throwing the javelin and the discus. Still later, chariot racing and boxing were added to the Games.
Through the years, the beautiful grove was made even more beautiful. The greatest artists added their statuary to the scene, In the fifth century B.C. the artist Phideas created a work of art for the grove which was to 'rate as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was a forty foot statue of Zeus, in whose honor the Games were held. The great masterpiece was made entirely of gold and ivory,
And there was an olive tree which was even more sacred than the marble shrines and temples. The legends surrounding the Games credited the strong man Hercules with originating them. This sacred olive tree was said to have been planted by the mighty hero himself. Its branches were used to crown the victors of the Games.
The victors, crowned with their olive branches, paraded to the sweet music of flutes. They were acclaimed as heroes. More honors awaited them when they returned to their home towns and villages, Many had statues erected to their honor by their neighbors, All were forgiven their taxes, Some of them even lived the rest of their lives at public expense.
The ancient Games were held on schedule for close on a thousand years. Finally, under Roman rule, the rivalry between Greece and Rome became too bitter for the true spirit of the Games. They were abolished by the emperor Theodosius in the year 394.
For over 500 years, the famous Games were part of past history. But nothing so fine could be forgotten. They were revived by the modern world in 1896 Since that time, the Games have been cancelled three times. In 1915, 1940 and 1944, the nations of the world were too busy at war to participate in the Olympic Games,