Q 01/05

The ancient Olympic Games were held in honour of which god?

A) Zeus

B) Heracles

C) Apollo

D) Poseidon

Answer · why

A) Zeus

On the middle day of the festival 100 oxen were sacrificed to him.

Q 02/05

What is the traditional date of the first ancient Olympic Games?

A) 776 BC

B) 700 BC

C) 594 BC

D) 490 BC

Answer · why

A) 776 BC

One ancient philosopher reckoned the date; archaeology suggests major games at Olympia began around 700 BC.

Q 03/05

The four-year interval between games became a unit of time called what?

A) A saeculum

B) A lustrum

C) An Olympiad

D) An indiction

Answer · why

C) An Olympiad

Historians dated events by the sprint winner: 'the third year of the eighteenth Olympiad when Ladas of Argos won'.

Q 04/05

What was the prize for an ancient Olympic victor?

A) A gold medal

B) A bag of drachmas

C) An olive wreath

D) A silver cup

Answer · why

C) An olive wreath

The kotinos was cut from the sacred wild olive near the temple of Zeus by a boy whose parents were both alive, using golden scissors.

Q 05/05

What was the Greek name for the Olympic truce announced before each games?

A) Hieromenia

B) Xenia pact

C) Agonothesia

D) Ekecheiria

Answer · why

D) Ekecheiria

Three runners called spondophoroi carried news of it; it guaranteed safe passage but did not stop wars.