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Gary Steele
April 9, 2012
KINS 275
Professor Lucas
Greek and Roman Sports: Similarities and Differences
Background
The origins of sports are rooted deep within the rich history of Ancient
Greece and its future conqueror, Rome. The Olympic games of the Greeks bring to
mind some of the oldest documented forms of competition between people and
show some of the most foundational forms of sports today. The most well known
battle court is the Colosseum. This Roman Amphitheater has hosted many gruesome
battles of gladiators as well as suspenseful chariot races. Both the athletic Greek
culture and the war-driven Roman culture set the bar for future games and
competitions and although they are similar in multiple ways, they still contrast in
many other ways. Romans view of sports in general differed from that of the Greeks.
Greeks were also slightly less violent in the fact that their competitions did not call
for death.
Greece
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The Greek civilization began approximately around 1200 B.C. (Mechikoff,
2010) The most influential event that this culture brought about is the Olympic
games. The Greek Olympic games took place every four years beginning in 776 B.C.
and ending around 395 A.D. (Swaddling, 1999) The people were so passionate about
their competitions that they would even halt wars for the duration of the Olympic
games. Even though the Olympic games had a high importance they were not the
only outlets of competition. The Olympics were also well organized and not just a
group of random events.
The games lasted approximately five days and a possible program was laid
out as follows:
 Day Oneo Swearing in ceremony
o Boys running
o Wrestling
o Boxing contests
o Orations by well known philosophers and recitals by poets;
 Day Twoo Chariot and horse races
o The pentathlon (discus, javelin, jumping, running, and
wrestling),
o The parade of victors around the Altis
o Communal singing of victory hymns and feasting,
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 Day Threeo Sacrificing of the hundred oxen
o The foot races
o A banquet in the Prytaneion.
 Day Fouro Wrestling
o Boxing
o Pankration, which is a type of all or nothing wrestling
o Race-in-armor.
 The fifth day is simply the procession of victors to the Temple of Zeus
along with feastings and celebrations.” (Swaddling, 1999)
The pentathlon was perhaps the most rounded event in the Olympics. There
was a category for just about every type of person. For the throwing of the discus
and the hurling of the javelin, one either had to have incredible shoulder strength or
incredible form in which they threw. Some javelins even had a leather strap-like
contraption near the center of the shaft in which the thrower could wrap around
one or two fingers to add more power to the throw in order to maximize distance.
However, not every contest was considered brawn over brain. Surprisingly, there
was more brainpower behind jumping than one would think. Jumpers not only had
to have a good form but they would also use halteres, which are weights that would
be swung backwards as they were about to land in order to provide an extra thrust
in order to gain a few extra inches of distance.
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Rome
The largest difference between the two civilizations was their view on
athletics itself. According to Gardiner, “Romans of the Republic despised athletics;
however, they were fond of strenuous exercise.” (Gardiner, 1930) Romans had no
liking for competition, and there was no place in Roman education for athletics.
(Mechikoff, 2010) They determined that exercise was important for health and
recreation was necessary as well; however, they felt that devoting long periods of
time to enhance athletic success and bending to the will of a trainer was a disgrace
to the dignity of a Roman. (Gardiner, 1930) Unlike the Greeks, Romans described
their physical actions as ‘games’ while their counterpart describes them as contests.
As such entertainment and amusement, performers were usually slaves and
hirelings, who existed only for the spectators. (Gardiner, 1930) Another difference
between the two societies was that the thought of nudity of its athletes was
revolting to the Romans. (Gardiner, 1930)
The most iconic symbol of Roman Sports, which was used for gladiatorial
contests and other competitions, is the Colosseum, “also know as the Flavian
Amphitheater.” This arena was built under Vespasian’s command, on top of an
artificial lake constructed by Nero, his predecessor. (Mechikoff, 2010) Games that
probably took place within this work of art include chariot-races, horse races,
sometimes fights between boxers, and dramatic performances, in 361 B.C. There
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were also battles of three main categories: human versus human, human versus
animal, and animal versus animal. Gladiatorial shows were first exhibited in 264 B.C.
by Marcus and Decimus Brutus at the funeral games of their father. (Gardiner, 1930)
According to Gardiner the gladiatorial shows originated in Etruria. The gladiators
themselves were comprised of slaves and other people of servile origin. (1930)
These events of the amphitheater took place mostly to pacify the people. It was
idealized that if you keep the people entertained, then there would be less chances
for a rebellion to break out.
Similarities
Some reasons as to why these two societies hold similarities could be
attributed to the Greek culture’s profound influence on Nero, the emperor of Rome,
from 54 A.D. to 68 A.D. (Mechikoff, 2010) Similar between the two was the
implication of religion in their physical activities. In Roman culture “gladiatorial
combat, when taken place at the tomb of the dead, was used to pacify the spirits
through entertainment, to flatter them with special attention, and to fortify the
living in the face of their own danger from death.” (Plass, 1995) Games were
frequently vowed to the gods in time of war, civil strife, and pestilence. (Gardiner,
1930)
Athletic contests of Romans, as similar to the Greek style, were first exhibited
at Rome in 186 B.C. It was also during this time that the actors and athletes were
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brought from Greece. Pankration, as played in Greece was similar in brutality to the
human versus human competitions held in the Colosseum. It is a sport similar to our
modern day Ultimate Fighting Challenge but with far fewer rules. In this Greek
contest the objective was simple; beat your opponent into submission or knock
them out. The two main rules, or fouls, were no biting or eye gouging. However,
sometimes these rules were broken yet no one would intervene or other enjoyed
the added violence.
Conclusion
It can be said that no two cultures are the same. But in retrospect Greece and
Rome had a noticeable amount of similarities. Even though Romans viewed sports
and competitions with distaste, their view of physical activity was comparable to
that of the Greeks. Both cultures knew that such exercise was important for its
people and even women could participate in some events. Both cultures have an
iconic symbol in which we can associate these activities with. For Greece, it is the
Olympic games and for Rome, it is the Colosseum/”Flavian Amphitheater”. In both
their similarities and differences we can still learn from their cultures and
acknowledge the influence they have in our sports today.
Sources
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Mechikoff, R. (2010). A history and philosophy of sport and physical education.
Madison, Wisconsin: Brown & Benchmark.
Swaddling, J. (1999). The ancient olympic games. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Plass, P. (1995). The game of death in ancient rome. Madison, Wisconsin: University
of Wisconsin Press.
Gardiner, E. (1930). Athletics of the ancient world. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.