Athletic
Contributions of
Ancient Greece
Ancient Olympic Race
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Origins○
○
The Ancient Greek Olympics
most of our knowledge from the early games is from
the greek historians Strabo(64 BC - 24 AD) and
Pausanias(110 - 180 AD)
dedicated to the gods
■ specifically to Zeus
■ there were many rituals and times of sacrifice during the
games
■ the dominant competitors gained possession of the
sanctuary which was a political asset
○
Accounts of the first games
■ took place in Olympia in 776 BC
■ was thought that a breed of human like creatures raced in order
to entertain Zeus
● Zeus awarded them metals based on their performance
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The Ancient Greek Olympics
Origins Continued ■
other sources claim that the dactyls never raced but instead a
cook from Elis named Koroibos was the first champion of the
games
○ it is assumed that many greeks put this event in
higher regard than other religious ones
■ The other main festival being the Eleusinian Mysteries
○
the games settle disputes between city-states
○ games demonstrated a balance between spirituality
and physical strength
○ the ancient olympic games slowly died out due to
the influence of Roman culture and religion
The Ancient Greek Olympics
Main Events● the stadion was the main event until 724 BC
- it was a race that lasted for the length of a stadium (192 m)
- typically lasted for around a day
● Chariot racing(Equestrian) was first introduced in 680 BC
- the games were extended by a day to accommodate for the duration of
the new event
- a chariot team was said to have cost 5 talents
● Eventually other events such as Javelin, discus and wrestling were
officially added
Equestrian
http://schoolworkhelper.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/greek-chariot-race.jpg
The Ancient Greek Olympics
Impact on Modern Society● The first modern Olympics was held in 1896 in Athens,
Greece
● Many attributes of the new games differ from the original
○ religion is less emphasized
○ many new games were added
○ the games now focus on humanity and our collective
achievements rather than the earlier competition
The Greek Gymnasium
Origins● The Greek Gymnasium was a place that young men
came to study many things.
● It was a training facility.
● Inside the Gymnasium the young men were usually
naked while wrestling.
● Most important cities in Greece had one.
● Olympians would usually travel in xystos.
● At the gym the boys trained and the men relaxed.
● The competitions that occurred were usually for a
person like the gods.
The Greek Gymnasium
Impact on the world● They didn’t become popular.
● In the middle ages a revival of sorts came by
again.
● The gym is no longer for one purpose.
● Several cultures did eventually use it.
● It started in the US around the 1820s.
● Around 1900 the gyms became the modern
day ones we know now.
Famous Greek Athletes
● Astylos of Croton from southern Italy.
- 6 victory olive wreaths in 3 Olympiad.
-In his first 2 he took part as a member of Syracuse.
-The people of Croton did not like this.
● Milon of Croton.
-6 time olympic champ.
-Wrestler
-He was the best wrestler until his 7th try.
● Kyniska of Sparta
-Daughter of King Archidamus.
-First woman in the Olympics.
-She participated in the chariot races and equestrian
events.
BibliographyAndronicos, Manolis. "The Games Of The Gods." Humanities 17.3 (1996): 27-29. ERIC.
Web. 25 Aug. 2013.
Shelden, Miriam F. Greek Athletics In The Writings Of The Greek Historians. n.p.: 1975.
ERIC. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.
Gribble, David. "Gold, Silver And Bronze." History Today 62.8 (2012): 18. MAS Ultra - School
Edition. Web. 29 Aug. 2013.
Baker, Rosalie F. "5 Days At Olympia." Calliope 18.2 (2007): 10. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web.
29 Aug. 2013.
Yalouris, Nicolaos. "A Brief History." Humanities 17.3 (1996): 30. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web.
29 Aug. 2013.
Picture Ciations
Tomkin, Dave, Mr. Pompei Gymnasium. N.d. Photograph. Grecce. Flickr.com. Dave Tomkin.
Web. 25 Aug.
2013.
<http://www.flickr.com/groups/pompeii/pool/with/7442651186/lightbox/>.
Planet Fitness Opens 500th Location. N.d. Photograph. Illinois. Clubsolutionsmagazine. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.
<http://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/2012/01/planet-fitness-opens-500th-location/>.
N.d. Photograph. Hubpages. Hubpages Inc(R), 2010. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.
<http://epsilon5.hubpages.com/hub/A-Chronology-ofGames-2>.
Greek Chariot Race. N.d. Photograph. School Work Helper. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.
<http://schoolworkhelper.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/greek-chariot-race.jpg>.
Ancient Greek Race. N.d. Photograph. Static Guim. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.
<http://static.guim.co.uk/sysimages/Admin/BkFill/Default_image_group/2012/6/21/1340291467431/Ancient-Greecerace-illus-008.jpg>.