In ancient Greece athletic festivals were very important and had strong religious association. The Olympian athletic festival held every four years in honor of Zeus, king of the Olympian Gods, eventually lost its local character, became first a national event and then, after the rules against foreign competitors had been abolished, international. No one knows exactly how far back the Olympic Games go, but some official records dated from 776 B. C.
The games took place in August on the plain by Mount Olympus. Many thousands of spectators gathered from all parts of Greece, but no married woman was admitted even as a spectator. Slaves, women and dishonored persons were not allowed to compete. The exact sequence of events is uncertain, but events included boy’s gymnastics, boxing, wrestling, horse racing and field events, though there were fewer sports involved than in the modem Olympic Games.
On the last day of the Games, all the winners were honored by having
A. by contributions
B. by the athletes themselves
C. out of the prize money of the winners
D. out of the funds raised by the competing nations
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