The ancient Olympic Games were held every four years for over a thousand years.

The longer version

The festival at Olympia ran on a four-year cycle, and Greek writers used those cycles as a dating system because it was more reliable than local civic calendars. Lists of victors survive in fragments, and the traditional starting date places the first festival in the eighth century before the common era.

Counting forward from that date to the suppression of the festival in the late fourth century gives more than a thousand years of continuous, if evolving, competition. The programme grew from a single footrace to chariot events and combat sports. Ending it was part of a wider campaign against non-Christian cults, and the site was eventually buried by flood deposits and landslide.

Where this entry sits

Facts here look at the rules, equipment and odd histories behind familiar sports and games, from balls and rackets to cards, boards and playing fields. Expect small details about scoring quirks, stadium design and the long story of the Olympic Games. The full list sits on the Sports and Games page, where every entry is listed in order.