The peak of athleticism and sportsmanship could be no other than the verdant Olympia. A harmonious and sunbathed region which could be the one that could inspire such kind of ideals. The Olympic Games were established in an ever green valley surrounded by two rivers, Alfeios and Kladeos. The sacred hill of Saturn was standing inside the sanctuary of Olympia. Saturn, father of Zeus, was already being honored there from the Neolithic era. In the centre of Olympia,there was a radiant for estnamed “Altis”which enclosed the most imperative edifices of the sanctuary, the templesand the athletes' offerings in honor of the gods. There stood the sacred olive tree, the silver leaves of which were adorning the heads of the winners.

The Olympic Games were held every 4 years and the first recorded took place in 776 B.C., whereas the archaeological findings indicate that before 776 B.C the games were already a well-established event. The period of 4 years between the Olympiads was called “penthetiris”. During this interval, local noblemen from Olympia and other nearby cities, named “spondofori”, visited all the greek cities and imposed the “Olympian Truce”. The truce lasted 3 months and during this period of time every war or dispute was suspended so as the athletes could freely participate in the festive event. The first and only sport of the Olympic Games was the “'stadium”; a 192 metre race equal to the length of the Olympic stadium. Gradually, the sports multiplied and “diavlos” (400m race), “dolihos” (4.800m race), “pentathlon”, “wrestling”, “pugilism”, “pankration”, “chariot races” and “horseracing” were added in the sports' programme. The Olympic Games became popular amongst the greek cities and all the greek athletes arrived in Olympia to compete and to win the most glorious competition of the antiquity. The spectators were not less than the athletes. Crowds of people congregated at the sanctuary of Olympia not only to celebrate the youth but also to meet magnates of that time: famous statesmen, orators, generals, artists, who, also, visited Olympia. 

 The games lasted 5 days. In the first day of the event, the organizing comitee gathered the athletes and the visitors in the altar of Zeus in“Altis” to honour the protector of Olympia, Zeus. They made sacrifices and offered religious artefacts both to the altar and the temple of Zeus nearby. This temple was a real jewel of architecture and the most impressive sample of doric style. It was constructed in 470 B.C. by Libon, a local architect. But the most exciting thing about this temple was the statue inside. The temple housed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the ivory and gold statue of Zeus. This 13m high oeuvre of Pheidias had a wooden understructure that was covered with gold and ivory panels. A trough rounded the base of the statue where olive oil was poured in order to reflect the golden pieces of the statue and make it even more impressive. Unfortunately, the fury of the byzantine emperor Theodosius A' destroyed this magnificent artwork as well as the whole sanctuary of Olympia. In 393 A.D. the last Olympic Games are held and shortly afterwards Theodosius A' declared the suspension of the Games as they were considered pagan and idolatrous acts. 1.503 years will be needed until the French baron, Pierre de Coubertin, would revive the ideals and the glory of the Olympic Games and would bring together all the athletes of the world.