 Panathenaic Stadium in 1870 | |
| First event | 1859 |
|---|---|
| Last event | 1875 |
| Headquarters | Athens, Greece |
| Sponsor | Evangelis Zappas |
The Zappas Olympics (Greek: Ζάππειες Ολυμπιάδες), simply called Olympics (Greek: Ολύμπια, Olympia) at the time, were a series of athletic events held in Athens, Greece, in 1859, 1870 and 1875, sponsored by Greek businessman Evangelis Zappas.[1] These games were one of the first revivals of the ancient Olympic Games in the modern era. Their success provided further inspiration[2] for William Penny Brookes in England, whose games had been running since 1850, and the International Olympic Committee series from 1896.
Zappas' contribution in this process was vital: not only were the games hosted at his own initiative, he also provided the funds for the staging of the games, as well as for the construction of much-needed infrastructure, including the refurbishment of the ancient Panathenaic Stadium, which hosted the Games of 1870 and 1875. The same stadium would also host the first IOC Games of 1896,[3] the 1906 Intercalated Games, and archery and the marathon finish at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.