The Olympic Games Epictetus on the Ancient Olympic Spectator Aren’t you devoured by the fierce heat? Aren’t you smashed in the crowd? Aren’t you.
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Transcript The Olympic Games Epictetus on the Ancient Olympic Spectator Aren’t you devoured by the fierce heat? Aren’t you smashed in the crowd? Aren’t you.
The Olympic Games
Epictetus on the Ancient
Olympic Spectator
Aren’t you devoured by the fierce heat?
Aren’t you smashed in the crowd?
Aren’t you upset by the noise, the roar of
the crowd and other disturbances?
But it appears to me that you are well
able to endure and indeed happily suffer
all of this, when you consider the exciting
spectacles you will see.
The First Games
Historical date is 776 BCE
Founder: Zeus, Hercules or Pelops
Held at Olympia, in Elis every 4 years
Where Is Olympia?
The Origin of the Games
Originally lasted only
one day
Contests confined to
running and wrestling
First winners were
usually Spartan
Held after the harvest
was over
Olympic Truce
No taking up of weapons or legal
disputes
Guarantee safe passage for athletes and
spectators to and from Olympia
Lasted up to 3 months
Ancient Events
Discus
Javelin
Long Jump
Footrace
Wrestling
Ancient Events
Boxing
Equestrian Events
Chariot Racing
Riding
Pankration
Famous Athletes
Milo of Kroton
Theagenes of Thasos
540 BCE
480 BCE
Warrior/Athlete
Statue of a god
Zeus, the Olympic God
Games were part of a
religious festival to
honor Zeus
Geographical
convenience of
Olympia
Competitors
Anyone who was free-born and spoke
Greek
Separate categories for men and boys
No female competitors
The Woman Who Dared . . .
Married females were banned from
watching the games (under penalty of
death).
Unmarried females were allowed to
watch
“A widowed woman dared to watch her son
compete . . . Disguised as a trainer, she
slipped into the training area, but she
revealed herself when leaping over a
barrier.”
(Pausanias 5.6.8)
Winner Takes All
Crown of olive leaves
Statue at Olympia
Increased glory for his community
Financial Benefits – but, remember the story of
the Persian king?
Cheater, Cheater
What happened if an athlete cheated?
How did atheletes cheat?
Did judges ever cheat?
Not Just Athletics
Time for Greeks to discuss political issues
Form military alliances
Celebrate military victories
Training Grounds
Palaistra
Strigil
The tale of Glaukos
“Glaukos was a farmer. One day the
ploughshare detached from the plough and his
father noticed him hammering it back in with
his fist . . . . The old father decided take his son
to the next Olympic Games . . . When he came
to face his last opponent he was so badly
wounded everyone thought he would have to
admit defeat, but his father cried out, “Son,
remember the ploughshare,” and Glaukos
bashed his opponent so hard the contest
ended.”
Pausanias 6.10.1-3
Pankration
Most violent of sports
“folk with the smashed
ears” Plato
Wrestling
Bending of fingers
allowed
Gouging and biting
forbidden
Wrestlers were
respected
Pankration
Wrestling,
kung fu
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
boxing
Important Dates in Olympic
History
1700-1200 BCE sports festivals on Crete
and Greece
776 BCE founding date of Olympic
Games
424 Spartan threat
Spartans fined and not allowed to
compete that year
End of the Ancient Games
Athletes begin to credit themselves and not
Zeus; religious and national unity breaks down
80 BCE Sulla transfers the games to Rome
Temples converted to honor humans
Augustus & Alexander the Great