U.S. & World History – The Ancient Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, Greece from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Competition was among representatives of several city-states and kingdoms of Ancient Greece and these games featured mainly athletic but also combat sports such as wrestling and the pankration, horse and chariot racing events. It has been widely written that during the Games, all conflicts among the participating city-states were postponed until the Games were finished. A little known fact is, the person who initially organized the very first event was arrested and hauled before a judge, because people competing in “sports” was illegal. Per the advice of the defendant’s attorney, he plead “no contest”.
