Greece is the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games, which were held at Olympia.
The ancient Games were a religious festival dedicated to Zeus at Olympia in the western Peloponnese. The earliest recorded edition took place in 776 BC, although athletic and religious activity at the sanctuary may have begun earlier. Competitors came from Greek communities across the Mediterranean world.
Events included foot races, wrestling, boxing, pankration, chariot racing, and the pentathlon. The Games were held every four years, and the resulting Olympiad became an important method of dating events in ancient Greek history.
The ancient festival was abolished in the late 4th century AD during the Christianization of the Roman Empire. The modern Olympic Games were revived in Athens in 1896, but they are not a continuous sporting event from antiquity. Olympia itself is an archaeological site in modern Greece and is separate from Athens, the host city of the first modern Games.