William Sterling

The Modern Olympics have been held every 4 years since 1896 except during war or delayed for the pandemic.  The Ancient Olympics were held for over a thousand years and were only once delayed through the whim of the Emperor Nero. Objects from the games at Athens illustrate these games and how they differed from the modern ones. Using the British Museum’s collection we trace the course of the Ancient Games which tell us about the Ancient World in terms of politics, religion, society and beliefs and throw a light on our attitudes to sport and its role in society.

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