Question: 1.Who can take part in the  ancient Greek Olympic Games?

2.What is the mainly difference between the ancient Greek Olympic Games and the modern Olympic Games?

The ancient Greek Olympic Games

    The ancient Greek Olympic Games were held every four years in Olympia, Greece. It was chosen because it was more or less in the centre of the Greek world. Only Greek free-born citizen could take part. Slaves were prevented from competing. The Games were held in a four-year cycle at Olympia. There were other Games held at two-year or four-year intervals: the Isthmean Games held at Corinth, the Nemean Games held at Nemea and the Pythian Games held at Delphi. Most athletes competed in several competitions but the Olympic Games remained the most important. In the same way today athletes take part in the Asia Games or the Commonwealth Games, but the Olympic Games remains the most important for all athletes.

    Only men and boys could compete in the athletics in the ancient Olympic Games. Women could only take part in chariot races with horses. Married women were not even allowed to watch the Games; only young girls, boys and men could watch. Married women who did try to watch could be put to death.

    Athletes trained hard. Many Greeks believed that developing the body was as important as educating the mind. So regular exercise was an important part of school life. Young boys practised in the palaestra（体育场） (or wrestling school) and this was a place where people met their friends.

    The winners got wreaths made of olive leaves. They did not receive money but they could get presents from their hometowns. Some towns fed their winners or gave them good seats at the theatre. One city even built a private gymnasium for their winner.

    The Olympic judges came from a special part of Greece called Elis. The Eleans were well-known for their fairness so everybody was happy about this. Cheating was seen as very bad and people were fined money or not allowed to take part in the future Games.

    Many of the events in the ancient Olympic Games are part of the modern events in the present-day Olympic Games: boxing, running, wrestling (or judo) and the pentathlon (or five events together) which included running, jumping, wrestling and throwing of javelin and discus. There were also separate running races which could be short and fast or long and slow. The marathon was not part of the ancient Olympic Games. There were two sets of events (the chariot races, and pankration（古希腊式搏击）) which are not part of the modern Olympic Games: the chariot races included races with two horses, and the pankration was a mixture of wrestling and boxing. You could punch and kick but not bite. It was described by a Greek writer as "the new and terrible contest."