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The Olympic Games were founded in Greece in Olympia. The ancient Greeks had chosen the most quiet, peaceful and as well as the beautiful landscape. The Olympic Games were the most important celebrations of all those celebrated by the Greeks.
In the plain of Olympia there is one of the most sacred places in the ancient times, the grove of Olympia, that was called Altis. In the enclosure of Altis were built temples and other buildings. The most important of all was the temple of Zeus.
Other buildings wre the sanctuary of Pelops, the temple of Hera, the Mitroon (temple of Mother of Gods), the parliament, the altar of Zeus, the twelve Treasuries.
There were much more edifices and a great number of statues that decorated Olympia, but many times had been pillaged and the temples had been burnt by barbarous nations. Then big and destructive earthquakes and floods, of the near rivers Alfeios and Kladeos, destroyed everything !!
The games started when Pelops won the chariot races from the king of Pisa, Oinomaus. So, he took for a prize his kingdom and got married to his daughter Hippodameia. The games were done every fourth year .The Spondophoroi (bearers of the sacred truce), that were always from a noble race, were starting with their followings to visit the Greek towns just to proclaim truce, and to invite the spectators, the athletes, and the officials that represented their towns to Olympia, for the games.
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