What is the main purpose of ancient Olympic Games? [br] [originaltext] To tr

To trace the origins of the modern Olympic Games we must travel back nearly 3,000 years in time to Ancient Greece, when young men proved their physical prowess and fighting skills by competing in sporting activities. But the ancient Olympic Games were not solely about sporting endeavour; they were also used as an opportunity for the Greeks to honour their gods, particularly Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, whose massive statue stood in the Valley of Olympia.
    Many of the sports practised by the Ancient Greeks still exist in an adapted form today, including wrestling, boxing, running, jumping and throwing contests. But there are important differences. Modern day spectators would be astonished if the athletes competed naked like the Ancient Greeks did.
    Although the Olympic Games fell into decline after Greece was conquered by the Roman Empire in 146 B.C., the spirit of the games did not die away altogether. International interest grew, and in 1894 a French aristocrat called Pierre de Coubertin hosted a congress at the Sor-bonne University in Paris in order to suggest a new modern Olympic Games. De Coubertin’s ideas were met with international approval and the first Olympic Games of the modern age took place in Athens in 1896.
    Since then the Olympics have gone from strength to strength, with competitors from all over the world taking part, and billions more watching on television.