OLYMPIAD

, in Chronology, a revolution or period of four years, by which the Greeks reckoned their time: so called from the Olympic games, which were celebrated every fourth year, during 5 days, near the summer solstice, upon the banks of the river Alpheus, near Olympia, a town of Elis. As each Olympiad consisted of 4 years, these were called the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th year of each Olympiad; the first year commencing with the nearest new moon to the summer solstice.

The first Olympiad began the 3938 year of the Julian period, the 3208 of the creation, 776 years before the birth of Christ, and 24 years before the foundation of Rome. And the computation by these, ended with the 404th Olympiad, being the 440th year of the present vulgar Christian era.