the Playing Fields of Hellenes

Perhaps, civilization in the world began with organized athletic competitions. Formal sporting events are considered to have originated with the ancient Olympics, which took place at a place called Olympia from 776 BC to AD 393. (The modern Olympic Games began in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and have continued throughout the world every four years to the present.) Before they were Greeks, they called themselves Hellenes. Ancient Greece was comprised of many city-states that were typically at war. The Hellenes agreed to a truce called Ekecheiria, which allowed free passage to and from Olympia for participants and representatives for the games. This story begins with main characters traveling the Greek isles recruiting participants for the next games at Olympia; it concludes with sporting battles for victory on the sacred grounds of Olympia.