古希腊是一个尚武的民族,在当时古希腊民族是以城邦为单位的分散小国。他们各自为政,城邦间常有并吞和争夺,没有统一的君主。连年的战争需要体格健壮、行动敏捷的士兵。所以集会比武是当时君主所发明的一项培养合格士兵的手段。伊利斯城邦人占据着奥林匹亚,而斯巴达人一直想并吞这块圣地。伊利斯城邦人顽强抵抗,而斯巴达人久攻不破,人民渴望和平,怀念祭祀和庆典活动。
于是，伊利斯王和斯巴达王在公元前884年达成了一项定期在奥林匹亚举行集会(即奥林匹克运动会)的协议，并签定了《神圣休战条约》。条约规定在举行奥林匹克运动会期间，凡是携带武器进入奥林匹亚的人，也被认为是背叛了神的人，当受到惩罚；有力量而不惩罚这种背叛神的行为的人，也被认为是对神的背叛。
《神圣休战条约》还规定希腊各城邦不管任何时候进行战争，不允许侵入奥林匹亚圣区。即使是战争发生在奥运会举行期间，交战双方都必须宣布停战，准备参加奥林匹克运动会。停战时间开始规定１个月，后延至3个月。停战期间，凡是参加奥运会的人，都将受到神的保护，是神圣不可侵犯的。
《神圣休战条约》在当时起到了熄灭战火的保障作用，奠定了把奥运会作为和平、友谊象征的基础。它保证了古奥运会如期举行，不因战争而中断，这对维护促进各民族之间的团结友谊起到了积极作用，也推动了古希腊文化的发展。可以说古代奥运会是地理、政治、经济、宗教、战争相互作用的共同产物，而促进和平友好，反对侵略战争、庆贺丰收和祭祀神灵等则是它的宗旨。
The tradition of the "Truce" or "Ekecheiria" was established in ancient GREece in the 9th century BC by the signature of a treaty between three kings. During the Truce period, the athletes, artists and their families, as well as ordinary pilgrims, could travel in total safety to participate in or attend the Olympic Games and return afterwards to their respective countries.
In the past, Olympic Truce helped people and countries avoid wars and conflicts, and helped people develop exchanges and build friendship.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to revive this ancient concept in order to protect the interests of the athletes and sport in general, for it can still play an important role in today's volatile world.
1992年，国际奥委会和联合国根据奥林匹克休战原则联合提出一项倡议，允许前南斯拉夫的运动员参加巴塞罗那奥运会。在2000年悉尼奥运会的开幕式上，韩国和朝鲜的的代表团共同在朝鲜半岛旗下入场。
In 1992, the first initiatives were launched by the IOC, in collaboration with the United Nations, allowing athletes of the former Republic of Yugoslavia to participate in the Barcelona Games. In 2000, during the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Games, the South and North Korean delegations paraded in the stadium together under the flag of the Korean peninsula.
In July 2000, the International Olympic Truce Foundation (IOTF) was created with a view to promoting peace through sport and the Olympic ideal.
The Olympic Truce is symbolised by the dove of peace with the traditional Olympic flame in the background. In a world that is plagued by wars and animosity, the peace-dove symbol represents one of the IOC's ideals to build a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal.
The Olympic flame has brought warm friendship to all the people of the world through sharing and global togetherness. In the symbol, the flame is made up of colourful effervescent elements - reminiscent of festivities experienced in the celebration of the human spirit. These elements represent people of all races coming together for the observance of the Truce.
