The most popular story about the origin of the ancient Olympic Games is Pelops's marriage. In order to choose a husband who is both civil and military for his daughter, Elis, the king of ancient Greece, proposed that the candidate must compete with himself in the chariot. In the competition, 13 youths were killed by the king's spear, 14 youths were Pelops, the grandson of Zeus and the sweetheart of the princess. Encouraged by love, he bravely accepted the king's challenge and finally won with wisdom. To celebrate this victory, Pelops and the princess held a grand wedding in front of the temple of Zeus in Olympia. At the meeting, chariots, gladiators and other competitions were arranged. This was the original ancient Olympic Games, and Pelops became the legendary founder of the ancient Olympic Games.
In fact, the origin of the Olympic Games is closely related to the social situation in ancient Greece. In the 9th-8th century BC, the Greek clan society gradually disintegrated, the slave society of city-state system gradually formed, and more than 200 city-states were established. City-states are fragmented, there is no unified monarch, and wars between city-states continue. In order to cope with the war, every city-state actively trains its own soldiers. The children of the Spartan city-state were raised by the state from the age of seven, engaged in sports and military training, and lived a military life. War needs soldiers, soldiers need strong bodies, and sports is a powerful means to train soldiers who can fight. The war promoted the development of Greek sports, and the events of the ancient Olympic Games also had obvious military brand. The people are disgusted with the continuous war and generally long for a peaceful environment to recuperate. Later, the King of Sparta and the King of Elis signed the "Holy Truce Month" treaty. As a result, preparing for military training and sports competitions has gradually become a game of peace and friendship.
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