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First Ancient Olympic Games

Type Event Region Greece Time -776

According to traditional chronology, the first recorded Olympic Games were held at Olympia on the Peloponnese in 776 BCE, with Coroebus of Elis recor…

Timeline

  1. -776Olympia · PeloponneseLater chronographers such as Hippias of Elis fixed 776 BCE as the year of the first Olympic Games; thereafter the Greek world often dated years by "the Nth Olympiad," a tradition that became a key chronological marker of the classical era.
  2. -776Sanctuary and stadium of Olympia · PeloponneseThe first Games featured the stadion sprint (about 192 meters) as the sole event, won by Coroebus of Elis; the Games were closely bound to the religious rites of sacrificing to Zeus, embodying the fusion of athletics, faith, and civic honor.

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