The Olympic Games were an event widely celebrated within the ancient world of Greece. They provided a sense of competition and pride for the winners, but they also had a profound impact on the civilization of Greece at the time. It is evident that the Olympics had an effect on Ancient Greece, but historians still argue regarding the extent to which they impacted the country. Religion was a large part of Ancient Greek life and this was showcased within the games. The games themselves were mostly a religious festival, focusing more on rituals then the sporting events themselves. The Greeks also placed a great deal of importance on politics. Many political discussions took place and many decisions were made at the event, influencing countless …show more content…
aspects of Greek society. The Olympics Games even affected the economy of Greece, stimulating its growth and prosperity.
All of these facets were influenced by the games and helped to shape Ancient Greece.
Religion was an essential part of Ancient Greek society. The Olympic Games were significant in this pursuit, as they “brought the Greek world together in devotion to one deity” (Lisee “Religion has played role”). It is thus easy to see that the Olympic Games were closely connected to religion within Greece, therefore strengthening the ties between society and the Divine. The Olympic Games were originally a religious festival dedicated to Zeus and contained many sacred events. For example, on the fourth day of the festival, one hundred oxen were sacrificed to Zeus as a sign of adoration and respect to the Gods (Sacks “Olympic Games”). This again demonstrates the great link and importance the Greeks placed on religion and showcased the lengths to which they went to please their Gods, thus shaping society
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into one where religion is of the utmost importance. Winners of the games would receive nothing more than a garland of olives; their true prize was honour and respect (Williams “The Olympic Games”). This is what they competed for, so that “the experience of winning was closely connected to the ideas of the divine,”(Nelson and Allard-Nelson 159). Therefore, they trained so as to honor the Gods and “victory was a sign of favor from a deity” (Lisee “Religion has played role”). All of this illustrates that the Gods were placed on a pedestal as an important part of society. This is reflected in the Olympic Games, as the winners were placed next to the Gods in being divine, and since they were then treated better than the rest of the population, it further demonstrates the importance that religion had within Ancient Greece. Religion was a large part of Ancient Greek Society, and this was reflected and strengthened with the presence of the Olympic Games. Politics were largely involved in shaping Ancient Greece. The Olympic Games were connected to the politics of Greece at the time, and served to benefit society altogether (Nelson and Allard-Nelson 169). The games brought with it immense political power to Greek leaders highly involved in staging the event. The Greeks were mostly in control of the games, which meant that they were in turn a powerful political body. This served to further establish and strengthen the government within Ancient Greece. Due to the political influence that coincided with the games, many political decisions were made and alliances were announced (“The Politics of the Olympics”). For example, in the year 324 BCE Alexander the Great issued an edict permitting exiled citizens to return to their country of origin (Claryess “Political Propaganda”). With important decisions being made at the games, it helped to give credibility to the Greek government and thus strengthen it. Once the Olympics gained more popularity, rules and regulations had to be enacted in order to protect the citizens wanting to compete. Thus, the Olympic Truce was created in the early 9th century BCE, which prevented any attacks during the Olympic Games, and allowed safe travel for participants (“Olympic Truce”). The introduction of the truce thus showed the great extent to which the Olympic Games impacted society and politics at the time. The Olympics helped increase the integrity and the power of the democratic system within Ancient Greece by being a platform for political decisions and the formation of new alliances. During the dark ages, the Greek economy was struggling.
This placed a strain on their society that was attempting to remain strong and powerful. The appearance of the Olympic Games helped lift Greece out of this period, as the games brought the Greeks together into one culture and fully functioning society.(McIntosh “Rebuilding Ancient Greece”) Thus, the economy began to improve, resulting in a more stable and interconnected system. That, however, is not the only impact the Olympics had on the Ancient Greek economy at the time. The games brought with it economic advantages and exchanges (Nelson and Allard-Nelson 169). This provided the leader of Greece and the country itself with opportunities of great wealth that would not be possible without the prestigious games. During the Olympic Games, there was a huge influx of people into Greece, both competitors and spectators. It also attracted the attention of very influential and wealthy people (Sacks “Olympic Games”). This would have increased sales within local shops at Olympia, creating more wealth for the city. This impacted society as more revenue was available for the citizens, thus improving the standard of living. The Games would have helped to revive the trade industry, due to the amount of importing and exporting that would occur during this short period of time. This stimulated the economy and opened new markets to the Ancient Greeks, thus enabling the continued enrichment of their culture and knowledge of the world
surrounding them. As a result, Greece’s reputation as a powerful and cultured country was bolstered. However, this led to some negative impact on the city as well. Many resources and individuals’ fortunes were spent on the games. Statemen created chariot teams and invested in the best equipment, horses,and riders in order to benefit the chances of their sponsored team being victorious (Sacks “Olympic Games”). Also, as the result of the arrival of some forty-thousand people, preparations had to be undertaken to accommodate them, meaning the creation of housing and official buildings (Nelson and Allard-Nelson 159). This would have been no simple task, costing the country much of their resources and wealth. This drained Olympia’s coffers, thus becoming a detriment to the economy and the growth of the city-state, as less money was available to finance important projects outside the Games. The Greeks would have also had to import many goods in order to sustain the overwhelming amount of people, therefore making Olympia a major center for trade (“Ancient Olympic Games”). This would have cost the country, as money would have had to been invested in order to ensure the Games were successful and the spectators provided for, thus limiting the contribution of the Games on Ancient Greek society. In this manner, the Olympics had a negative impact on the growth and economic conditions of Ancient Greece at the time. In conclusion, it can be seen that the Olympic Games largely impacted the religion, politics, and economy of Ancient Greece. Religion was the foundation of the Olympic Games, as they were the celebration and gathering of Greek society to honour Zeus. Therefore uniting the country to worship one God.Leaders and influential people collaborated at the games and made important political decisions that strengthened Greek society. As well, the Olympics had both a positive and negative impact on the economy of Greece. In a positive way, the games attracted many citizens that simulated the economy. Conversely, the money spent on the games detracted from societal needs, thus harming the overall economy. Therefore, it can be seen that the Olympic Games impacted the religion, politics, and economy of Ancient Greece to a significant, positive extent.
Civic implications were also apparent in ancient Greek athletics. The ancient world was one of constant conflict and political turmoil, and it was necessary for each city-state to possess a strong military in order to preserve their autonomy.
Since 776 BCE, the Olympics have been a way for people of different cultures to come together and compete in friendly competition. In 1892 the first modern Olympics were held in Athens, although it had been over a thousand years since the last game it still had brought together an assortment of different religions and ethnic groups together. Many factors shaping the Olympic Games reflect the changes that have taken place in our world since the last game in 393 CE in Greece such changes include woman’s suffrage, global economy, world wars, and proving competency.
In ancient times, the Greeks had absolute and undeniable respect for their gods. They demonstrated their admiration by putting in place many rituals and celebrations to reverence the gods that they loved and feared in order to ensure harmony with them. In particular, the focus will be on the religious beliefs of the Greeks, including prayer and sacrifice, as well as on festivals and the arts, such as the ancient Olympic games and theatre. These aspects of their culture made a significant contribution to their quality of life. Moreover, these topics will be examined in relation to the twelve Olympian gods and their associates.
“It is universally accepted that 776 B.C. was the year the festival at Olympia, in honor of Zeus, became known as the Olympics, and the period of four years between celebrations became an Olympiad (Zimmerman 1984).” Yet the precise circumstances surrounding the creation of the ancient Olympics are still shrouded in mystery. Several myths encompassin...
the matter of Odysseus with Zeus, the head god and god of sky (Homer 10). Of
Professor Chris Pelling of UCL wrote The Ancient Olympics. In addition, the author is a member of the UCL Department of Greek and Latin. In this article, the author describe and explain how sports were more than a competition in the ancient Greece. His hypothesis was that sports were a way to get honor and power instead of just competing. It represents more than a simple crown of leaves and olive-branch at the Olympics. It gave power, fame and honor to the athlete and their home city. In addition, they were awarded with many material rewards such as money, and women. For instance, the primary method employed in this research consisted
In the past the Olympic games were used as a way for the Greeks to honor their gods. Today the games are not an honoring but more of a social gathering. What’s great about the games today is that everyone has equal opportunity to compete. No matter your gender, size, ethnicity, or wealth, all you have to do is work hard and
The Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece explains a variety of ways in which the Greeks were influenced by their religion. The Greeks expressed their respect for their gods through sacred acts, primarily festivals and rituals. The festivals were held to honor certain deities such as the Olympic Games, an event held for athletes meant to honor
time to time the Greeks held ceremonies of Games in honor of their god Zeus.
The Ancient Greek Olympics were not only sporting events, it was a celebration to honor the great and powerful Zeus. The Ancient Olympics were held every four years at the famous Olympia, a district of Elis, here all free Greek men were allowed to compete. The first record of the Olympic Games was held in 776 B.C. The main sports were the Pentathlon, the Equestrian Events, Pankration, and Boxing.
The Olympic Games are the leading worldwide sport event that held every 4 years, featuring thousands of international athletes from more than 200 nations participating in a variety of sports competitions. Although the Games are about winning the sports competitions, they also provide a platform for the nations throughout the world to learn different cultures and share uniqueness. The Games are important, and have to be held because they transmit a message of friendship and peaceful between nations.
...eir lives. Not only did the Greek gods and goddesses hold a major impact on the lives of the Greek people, but so did the spreading of the religion through architecture, poets and writings. Greek philosophers also comprised many ideologies that helped shape Greek thinking and the way people throughout ancient Greece would treat each other and their situations in life. All these religious beliefs and ideologies helped form the culture of the Greek people and explain things that wouldn't be able to be explained. The religion brought people together and helped spread tradition throughout the world. In ancient Greece, religion and ideologies were everything. They shaped culture, tradition, lifestyles, behavior, and decisions that people made in their daily lives. The religions helped for Greece to become unified and prosper throught their age of civilization.
Modern Day Olympics are a huge tradition that sweeps the screens of televisions across the world. Competitors take the arena with uniforms that dawn their countries colors and designs that are meant to resemble their designated flag. For months the news is centered around the games; the preparation, the athletes, and of course the competition. Countries aren 't obsessed, they are inspired and full of pride seeing athletes from their country compete and show their incredible skill. This tradition dates back to ancient Greece where the games began. Tony Perrottet writes about the traditions of the ancient game in his book The Naked Olympics.
The Ancient Olympics were huge in introducing sports and events that we now play. The sports that were played in the Ancient Olympics consisted of boxing, chariot racing, riding, pentathlon, discus, javelin, jump, running, and wrestling. All those sport would have never been played without the Greeks introducing them. These sports have become very popular and a lot of people play them. For example wrestling can be played at very young ages and all the way through high school. Another example is running, jumping, javelin, and discus which are all played in high school and some even in elementary.
Introduction Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest pageant of athletic skill and competitive spirit. They are also displays of nationalism, commerce and politics. Well-known throughout the world the games have been used to promote understanding and friendship among nations, but have also been a hotbed of political disputes and boycotts. The Olympic games started thousands of years ago and lasted over a millennium.. The symbolic power of the Games lived on after their demise, and came to life again as the modern Olympic Games being revived in the last century. Both the modern and Ancient Olympics have close similarities in there purpose and in there problems.