每四年举办一次的奥林匹克运动会是一场备受世人关注的国际性运动盛会。这个象征着和平、友谊与公平竞争的大会背后有一个充满神秘色彩的起源故事。

    The first Olympic Games can be traced to 776 BC. Staged on the ancient plains of Olympia in Greece, they were dedicated to the Olympian gods and consisted of a series of competitions held between representatives of several city-states from ancient Greece.

    The origin of these Olympics is shrouded in mystery and legend. One of the most popular myths identifies Heracles and his father Zeus as the progenitors of the Games. According to legend, it was Heracles who first called the Games “Olympic” and established the custom of    holding them every four years. 

    Although the Olympics were of fundamental religious importance, featuring sporting events alongside ritual sacrifices honoring Zeus and Pelops -- the divine hero and mythical king of Olympia -- they had a secular character and aimed to show the physical qualities and evolution of the performances accomplished by young people, as well as encouraging relations between the cities of Greece. 

    The Games continued for nearly 12 centuries and gradually declined in importance as the Romans gained power and influence in Greece. When Emperor Theodosius decreed in 393 A.D. that all such “pagan cults” be banned, the Olympics were forbidden and were not held     again until the late nineteenth century.