2 GREEK ROOTS Ancient Greeks would probably not recognize their sport today Still the roots of modern gymnastics are unmistakably Greek Gymnastics was born in Greece more than 2,000 years ago Physical fitness was important to the ancient Greeks Their culture valued warriors and athletes The Greeks devoted a lot of time to athletic feats such as running tumbling and vaulting They trained in gymnasiums to make their bodies strong In the beginning gymnastics meant all the activities practiced in the gymnasium The first modern Olympics were held at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens Greece 8 8
Olive wreaths were made from branches cut from trees that grew near the Temple of Zeus in Olympia These activities were fun They also prepared men for physical trials they might face later in life As far back as 3,000 years ago a festival was held in the Greek city of Olympia Today we know this sporting festival as 10
the Olympic Games The best athletes from all over Greece participated They traveled to Olympia every four years for the Games Germany won five of the eight gold medals in gymnastics at the first modern Olympic Games The prize for winning an Olympic event wasn’t a gold medal Champions donned an olive wreath or kotinos But Olympic heroes earned something even better To be an Olympic champion meant eternal fame Your name would live on forever The ancient Olympic Games took place for more than 1,000 years But in the year 393 CE the Roman Emperor Theodosius I stopped the Olympic Games It would be another 1,500 years before the world heard of them again Greece wasn’t the only place where gymnastics exercises flourished Moves such as handstands and backflips were practiced from the Middle East to Asia in ancient times 11
