Ancient Olympic Games

It is amazing to think that a sporting event first held in Greece in 776 BC is still being competed in today. When I first began to research this event I thought there had to be huge changes between an event held over two thousand years ago to an event held in the modern World. There are obvious changes to the event but was surprised to find that so much of the original ideals behind the Olympics exist today. Such as customs, ceremonies, rules, events, participants and sponsors. Nowadays the Olympics are advertised worldwide, and sponsors like Gatorade and Wheaties thrive off of the games. But were there sponsors of the games back in 776 or would the best athletes compete for nothing but pride and glory, and not endorsements? Modern day olympians
The Ancient Games were held in Athens where as today's games are held world wide and a country can bid to host the games. The Ancient Games lasted only five days, whereas the games of today last seventeen. These differences are not really surprising as the size of the event has grown, so it takes longer to complete and it is only fair to change the location as so many countries are involved. On the first day of the Ancient Games, the athletes had to complete a number of tasks. Including sacrificing a pig to Zeus to ensure a good showing from all the athletes, a purification ceremony in which the athletes would enter Olympia wearing nothing but pristine white robes, a questioning of the athletes, and proving their greek birthright. In the Modern Olympics, the athletes must compete for weeks before, just to qualify for the games in something called the Olympic Trials. Then once all the athletes are selected, they are introduced in a huge opening ceremony in which there is the lighting of the torch and the raising of each participating countries flag. The athletes are then paraded through the main stadium in the groups of their country. Each country having their own team uniform so they are easily recognizable. I enjoy seeing how many countries have entered the games and how many athletes from each country are there to represent their nation. The opening and
The only advantage the wealthy had over the poor was access to better facilities and better trainers. The wealthy could not bribe the judges because they were forced to take oaths at the beginning of the games to ensure an equal opportunity for athletes. Because the winners of the Olympics were treated so well, this was a great incentive for people to compete in them. Poor people saw this as an opportunity to become wealthy, and to become famous. If children were seen to have athletic ability at a young age, they would be sponsored by people in the town or village they lived in. It was not uncommon for those who won to be seen as heroes in the towns they come from. Today Olympic athletes receive love and support from their hometowns throughout the games. They are also supported financially so that they can concentrate on training. Some countries train their athletes from a very young age to compete at the Olympics. I do not think this is fair but it appears that talent always manages to surface weather pampered or not. Great athletes from poor nations are still victorious over the athletes from richer