The Olympic games were held to honor the Gods. They started when five competitors raced to entertain baby Zeus. He rewarded the winner with Laurel leaves, which are now a symbol of peace. Without the games, war and sickness would plague the Greeks, the Oracle of Delphi foretold. Therefore, every five years, despite political complications (war) the citizens of Greece would gather at the city of Olympia to compete in the athletic competition.
When the first Olympic games surfaced in 776 BC, some of the events included: