As Roberto Bosi explains, there have been a lot of legends surrounding the origins of the Olympic games in ancient Greece, with the most popular explanation coming from the fifth-century poet Pindar and the second-century historian Pausanias who both claim the competition originated with Hercules. Some modern historians, on the other hand, contend the initial games developed more as a part of funeral rites rather than merely an entertaining showcase of athletic prowess. In their beginning stages, these events were held by soldiers during military campaigns as a way to honor the bravery of their fallen brethren. Likewise, they served to boost the morale of the grieving troops and provide them with a means to release the tensions of mourning before returning to conflict. By the eighth century B.C.E., these competitions shifted away from a memorial to a celebration of athleticism, occurring every four years from 776 B.C.E. until 393 C.E. when the Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned them.[1] Bosi, Roberto. The Life and Times of Alexander the Great. New York: The Danbury Press, 1972.
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[1] Bosi, 88.
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