Athletic festivals were being held in ancient Greece almost 3,000 years ago. The Olympic Games, held at Olympia, had achieved major importance in Greece by the end of the 6th century BCE. They began to lose popularity when Greece was conquered by Rome in the 2nd century BCE, and the Games were officially abolished about 400 CE because of their pagan associations. The Olympics were revived in the late 19th century, with the first modern Games being held in Athens in 1896.