A、They were offered free dinners for life. B、They were recruited as guards of honor. C、They traveled freely inside the state. D、

The first ancient Olympics were held in ancient Greece at least as long ago as 776 B. C. That’s about 2 700 years ago! The games were held in Olympia, to honor Zeus, the ruler of heavens. Like the Summer Olympics of today, the ancient Olympics were also held every four years. (26)One of the main features of the ancient Olympics was that all wars were stopped for the games, so that the athletes and the audience could compete and travel in peace. Thousands of people from all over the Greek world came to watch. The main stadium might hold about 45 000 people. There are thousands of visitors setting up their tents all around the stadium. (27)During the first Olympics. there was only one competition—a 200-meter race. (28)But over time the games grew to include wrestling, boxing, and other sports. Women were not allowed to compete, but they had their own, separate games. The ancient athletes became famous, just like today. (29)They often lived the rest of their lives being treated to free dinners. City states even tried to steal away each other’s athletes by offering them various awards.
    Though the ancient Olympics existed until A. D. 393, the modern Olympics are still going strong. The Olympics gather athletes from all over the world. However, when you watch the Olympics, you should pay attention not just to the winners, but also to the people who don’t win the gold medal. Think about what took them to get there, the dedication to the games.