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Welcome to
<H1>Olympics Through Time</H1>
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We invite you to take a journey through time and learn about the history
of the Olympic Games from the time when athletic contests were held during
religious ceremonies until the First International Olympic Games in 1896.
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It has been one hundred years since the revival of the Olympic Games in March
of 1896. Undoubtedly the games that took place a century ago in Athens were a
milestone in the history of modern athletic competition. However the Olympic
Games and the athletic ideals were conceived many centuries ago in ancient
Greece.
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Here is a brief description of what you will soon see after Thursday 11/04/96
when these pages will be available to everyone on the Internet:
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<font color="#003800"><B>Prehistory of the Olympic Games</B></font>
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But before the Olympic games became a recurring Panhellenic festival, athletic
competitions had different meanings for various cultures of
the Mediterranean. Archaeological evidence proves that ancient Egyptians held
athletic competitions and in the Minoan and in the Mycenean cultures
athletic
competitions were an important component of religious and funerary ceremonies.
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<font color="#b37300"><B>The Olympic festival during Antiquity</B></font>
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Modern research focuses on understanding the origins of this great religious
celebration held at Olympia, that became a symbol of political and cultural
unity for all Greeks in Antiquity. The sanctuary of Olympia imposed its
authority
throughout the Greek world and the Olympic Games became the symbol of
Panhellenic
unity. In the Hellenistic and the Roman periods the athletic spirit changed and
the Olympic festival became an international institution.
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<font color="#0f1c4c"><B>Revival of the Ancient Olympics</B></font>
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The rebirth of the Olympic Games during the 19th century started long before
1896, when the modern Greek state was established. These first attempts by A.
Soutsos and E. Zappas and great efforts later on by other Greeks and Europeans
helped the revival of the Olympic Games become a reality in Athens of 1896.
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We hope you come again and we are eager to hear your
<B>comments</B>.
Thank you !
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<font size=2><B>Note</B>: Please click on the images to see a brief
description.
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