ete finished the journey to Olympia, where they undertook an oath, agreeing to participate honorably and to abide by the rules of the competition (IOC).
The ancient Olympics were founded as a religious festival, and religion pervaded every aspect of the competition. The ancient Greeks believed that Zeus was looking down on the events, casting his favor on the winners and denying victory to those who failed. The ancient Greek poet Pindar noted that "you could spur on a man with natural talent to strive towards great glory with the help of the gods. If athletes were caught cheating or bribing their way
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