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Ancient Greece
Olympics
 The Ancient Olympics

The Ancient Olympics
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 6 to 8
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   6.64

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    footrace, palestra, pankration, re-enacted, naked, military, nude, pentathlon, society, emphasis, supplied, amuse, attend, boxing, especially, hero
     content words:    Olympic Games, Ancient Greeks, Many Romans, Caesar Augustus, In A. D., Roman Emperor Theodosius

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The Ancient Olympics
By Mary L. Bushong 		  
1     Do you like watching events like the Olympics? You have probably seen it on T.V. Perhaps you have even been able to see some of it in person!
 
2     The Olympics we see now are called the modern Olympics. No one knows the exact date of the first ancient Olympic Games. Some people think they might have started as early as the thirteenth century B.C., but the first recorded games were in 776 B.C.
 
3     There are many legends about why the games were started. Some think they were started by the god Zeus. Others think that the Greek hero Pelops won an important chariot race. Still others say that they are in honor of a foot race won by Hercules, and re-enacted every four years. However it began, it continued every four years after that.
 
4     Ancient Greeks measured time in four year intervals called Olympiads. The start of each new Olympiad was celebrated with a festival of games.

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