Although the topic has strayed quite far from the post mentioning Ancient Greece, I want to correct Nowizard. The Olympic Games were not invented as an alternative to war, but rather as a way to prepare Greeks for military action. Your opinion about the Games is simply based on a common misconception. In Ancient Greece, the Games were held during the harvest festival, a time when Greeks refrained from fighting each other to avoid destroying the fruits of their labor. Over time, this event became associated with the signing of peace treaties, the exchange of prisoners, and the payment of ransoms for leaders. But when the festivals ended, the Greeks happily resumed slaughtering each other. :)