Question

Full of blood, passion and extraordinary feats of athletic endeavour, the Olympic Games were the sporting, social and cultural highlight of the Ancient Greek calendar for almost 12 centuries. "It is hard for us to exaggerate how important the Olympics were for the Greeks," Paul Christesen, Professor of Ancient Greek History at Dartmouth College, USA, said. "The classic example is that when the Persians invaded Greece in the summer of 480 (BC), a lot of the Greek city states agreed that they would put together an allied army, but they had a very hard time getting one together because so many people wanted to go to the Olympics. So, they actually had to delay putting the army together to defend the country against the Persians. The threat of invasion or not, the Games took place every four years from 776 BC to at least 393 AD. All Greek males were allowed to take part, from farmhands to royal heirs, although the majority of Olympians were soldiers. Women could not compete or even attend. There was, however, a loophole to this misogynistic rule - chariot owners, not riders, were declared Olympic champions and anyone could own a chariot. Kyniska, daughter of a Spartan king, took advantage of this, claiming victory wreaths in 396 BC and 392 BC. At their heart, the Games were a religious festival and a good excuse for Greeks from all over the Mediterranean basin to gather for a riotous barbeque. In the middle day of the festival, a vast number of cows were slaughtered in honour of Zeus, King of° the Greek Gods - once he had been given a small taste, the rest was for the people. For the first 250-plus years, all the action took place in the sanctuary of Olympia, situated in the north-western Peloponnese. Pock-marked by olive trees, from which the victory wreaths were cut, and featuring an altar to Zeus, it was a hugely sacred spot. The Games lasted a full five days by the fifth century BC and saw running, jumping and throwing events plus boxing, wrestling, pankration and chariot racing. At least 40,000 spectators would have packed the stadium each day at the height of the Games' popularity, in the second century AD, with many more selling their wares outside.

How long the games lasted during the fifth century?

Options

• 5 days 

• 7 days 

• 10 days 

• None of the above

Answer 1

5 days

Explanation:

The Games lasted a full five days by the fifth century BC, and included sprinting, jumping, and throwing activities, as well as boxing, wrestling, pankration, and chariot racing.