Theodosius I, Emperor of the Roman Empire, banned the Olympics in 393 AD. The next time the Olympics were held was in 1896.
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The Christian emperor Theodosius I ordered an end to the ancient Olympic games in 393.
They were held in honour of the god Zeus. Christian emperor Theodosius showed his Christian tolerance by banning them.
In 393 the Christian Theodosius I (or the Great) outlawed the Olympic games as part of his banning of pagan festivals. However, archaeological evidence indicates that some games were still held after this date.
The games were held in honour of the god Zeus, and emperor Theodosius, a committed Christian, banned them for religious reasons.
Olympic games were started sometime in 779 BC in Olympia, Greece. These were athletic competitions between Greek city states. The ancient Olympic games continued in some form till 394 AD, after which Theodosius I the Roman emperor suppressed them as a measure to curb pagan ritual and practices to promote Christianity.