The ancient Greeks were highly competitive and believed strongly in the concept of competition. The final Greek goal was to be the best. All aspects of life, especially athletics, were centered around this concept. It was therefore considered one of the greatest honours to win a victory at Olympia. The fact that the only prize given at Olympia was an olive wreath illustrates this point. The athletes competed for honour, not for material goods.
In ancient Greece, games were closely connected to the worship of the gods and heroes. Games were hold as part of religious ceremonies in honour of dead heroes. Games were also held in the circumstances of many harvest festivals. Later, the Olympic Games began to be taken over by the prominent worship of Zeus, and eventually lost much of their religious character.