Figures never lie, but liars often figure (Olympic edition )

The Ancient Olympic Games began officially in Greece in 776 BC or BCE (choose one) although it is generally agreed that earlier games did occur even though no on seems to know how many there were or how often they were held. Beginning in 776 BC/BCE the games were held every four years (which period is called an Olympiad) until, it is believed, 393 AD or CE (choose one). If you do the math (776 + 393) you cannot help but see that the Ancient Olympics lasted for a period of 1,169 years. That number is obviously (obviously, I tell you) not divisible by 4, but since the year in which the games are played is the first year of a four-year Olympiad, using 396 (that is, adding three years to 393 AD/CE) we find that the Ancient Olympics lasted 1,172 years, or 293 Olympiads (that is, 1,172 divided by 4 equals 293).

Olympic Games were then not held for 1500 years until the Modern Olympic Games began in 1896 (proof: 1896 minus 396 equals 1500). The Olympiad count started over fresh and the Athens Olympics kicked off Modern Olympiad I (aren't Roman numerals just precious?). The current Paris Olympics mark the first year of Olympiad XXXII (that is, 32). That works out nicely because the year 2024 minus the year 1896 is a period of 128 years and, as we all know, 128 divided by 4 equals 32.

It should be noted here in the interest of accuracy that the 1916 Olympic Games during Olympiad VI were not held because of World War I, and the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games during Olympiads XII and XIII, respectively, were not held because of World War II.

It should be further noted that if we count Olympiads from the very first one in 776 BC/BCE -- and I think we should, based on the fact that the four-year Olympiads in modern times continue even when the games are not held, as noted in the preceding paragraph -- then the current Olympics in Paris, which are occurring exactly 2,800 years since the Ancient Games began (2024 AD/CE years plus 776 BC/BCE years equals 2800 years altogether), are actually occurring during the 700th Olympiad (proof: 2800 divided by 4 equals 700).

No matter how you slice it, that is a lot of Olympiads.

I enjoy coming up with posts like this one. I hope your head is not spinning, but if it is, it simply cannot be helped, It goes with the territory.

Perhaps I should add a warning in the blog's header. Should it say:

a. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK
b. ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE
c. FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS, IT'S GOING TO BE A BUMPY NIGHT

or something else that you tell me in a comment?