The Greeks themselves had tried to revive the Olympics by holding local athletic games in Athens during the 1800s, but without lasting success. Pierre de Coubertin (1863–1937), a young French nobleman, felt that he could institute an educational program in France that approximated the ancient Greek notion of a balanced development of mind and body. The revival of the Olympic Games in 1896, unlike the original Games, has a clear, concise history. 394 the Games were officially ended by the Roman emperor Theodosius I, who felt that they had pagan connotations. Human beings were being glorified as well as the gods many winners erected statues to deify themselves. The growth of the Games fostered "professionalism" among the competitors, and the Olympic ideals waned as royalty began to compete for personal gain, particularly in the chariot events. In the 37th Olympiad (632 B.C.) the format was extended to five days of competition.
Boxing was added at the 23rd Olympiad, and the Games continued to expand, with the addition of chariot racing and other sports. The 18th Olympiad included wrestling and a pentathlon consisting of running, jumping, spear throwing (the javelin), discus throwing, and wrestling. When the powerful, warlike Spartans began to compete, they influenced the agenda. A second race - twice the length of the stadium - was added in the 14th Olympics, and a still longer race was added to the next competition, four years later. The first few Olympics had only local appeal and were limited to one race on one day only men were allowed to compete or attend. A cook, Coroibus of Elis, was the first recorded winner. According to the earliest records, only one athletic event was held in the ancient Olympics - a footrace of about 183 m (200 yd), or the length of the stadium. As a testimony to the religious nature of the Games (which were held in honor of Zeus, the most important god in the ancient Greek pantheon), all wars would cease during the contests.
That festival remained a regularly scheduled event, taking place during the pre-Christian golden age of Greece. a festival was held at Olympia on the highly civilized eastern coast of the Peloponnesian peninsula. It is certain that during the midsummer of 776 B.C. The earliest reliable date that recorded history gives for the first Olympics is 776 B.C., although virtually all historians presume that the Games began well before then. In recent times, however, that lofty ideal has not always been attained. The modern Games have a more expansive athletic agenda, and for 2 and a half weeks they are supposed to replace the rancor of international conflict with friendly competition. The original Olympics featured competition in music, oratory, and theater performances as well. Perhaps the basic difference between the ancient and modern Olympics is that the former was the ancient Greeks' way of saluting their gods, whereas the modern Games are a manner of saluting the athletic talents of citizens of all nations. The revival of the Olympic Games took place in 1896, and since then they have been staged every fourth year, except during World War I and World War II (1916, 1940, 1944). The original Greek games were staged every fourth year for several hundred years, until they were abolished in the early Christian era.
The Olympic Games are an international sports festival that began in ancient Greece.