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The modern olympic movement
The history of olympic games essay
The history of olympic games essay
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Recommended: The modern olympic movement
On April 6, 1891 fourteen countries gathered in Athens, Greece to participate in the first modern Olympic Games. In June of 1984, the International Olympic Committee met for the first time in Paris to chose the site of the inaugural modern Olympiad. The committee chose Greece. These ancient games are believed to have originated in 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece.
Athletes only competed in one event: a foot race. Other events were added over the years such as, chariot racing, boxing, wrestling, and the the pentathlon. All participants were young men from Greek city-states and colonies. These young men often battled it out in the buff as a way to celebrate the human body, and winners received olive branches. In 393 A.D. the last ancient Olympics
Dr. Donald Kyle, in his book Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient world, makes the argument that ancient Greek athletic participation was technically open to all male Greek citizens, but not all male Greeks could or did participate. Dr. Kyle asserts that because all male Greeks had access to athletics from youth that sport in ancient Greece was democratic. But, when it comes to spectacle or what would more modernly be seen as professional sport, it was often aristocratic athletes performing in front of a crowd of lower-class people. The way lower-class people would have perceived sport is much different than how an aristocratic athlete would have viewed sport. Sport in ancient Greece was not democratic; every male Greek citizen had the opportunity
Athletic events at this time were also closely related to the religious beliefs and practices of the Greek citizens. Each competition was devoted to a specific pagan god. For example, the patron of the Olympics was Zeus. The Greeks believed that the physical strength and ability of athletes was a direct gift from the gods (http://www.meiaconcerto.com/olympic/olympia/ideal_o.php, September 27, 2004). Therefore, each athlete competed not only in honor of his city-state, but also in honor of the gods.
“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...
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
Today we owe one of the largest global social gatherings to the Greeks, the Olympic games. The Olympic games were held every four years in Olympia, Greece. Today “the Olympic games are held every four years, with the summer and the Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart.” Just like the Ancient Olympic games, today’s Olympics are designed to be a time of peace in which all nations can come together to compete in different sports.
...played and it's job was to keep rhythm while the competitors were running towards the pit.
The feeling is all too familiar, from the front row to the last seats in the bleachers; a
Historians. In 300 BC all time was dated by Olympiads, a time span of four years
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 ancient pentathlon was composed of two types of events. The light events, which were jumping, running, and the javelin, were the first type. The second type of events were the heavy events, which werethe diskos and wrestling. There is a controversy surrounding the order of events in the ancient pentathlon, but from ancient texts, it is known that wrestling was last.
Running events were a major part of the Ancient Olympic games. The running events were said to have held the greatest ritualistic importance at the Ancient Olympics. The runners raced nude because they thought that they could run faster without the weight of their clothes. The competition started the shortest races first and worked up to the longest races. The shortest race was called a “stade” or one length of the stadium, where the first Olympic games were held. It is believed that the length of the stadium track was about 200 yards long and about 30 yards wide. The next race was a “double flute”, or twice the length of the stadium. Intermediate races of no more than 1500 meters fol...
The Olympic Games were started by the Greeks a long time ago. It was in the honor of Zeus, the kings of the gods and were part of a religious festivals. They started in 776 B.C. The games were held every four years in Olympia, which is located in southeast Greece. People came from all around Greece to take part or just watch the games. Events in the Ancient Olympic Games were boxing, chariot racing, riding, pentathlon, discus, javelin, jump, running, and wrestling. Events in modern Olympic Games are swimming, diving,
Modern Olympics vs. Ancient Olympics In Ancient Greek times, the Olympics was a yearly event, which took place. the whole preceding year to prepare for. Today the Olympics take place every four years and we spend the 4 or 5 years leading up to it to prepare. Then, the sand is ready. The ancient Olympics lasted for 5 days but today the Olympics last 3 - 4 weeks.
The first Olympic games at Olympia were held in 776 BC. According to Hippias of Elis, who compiled a list of Olympic victors c.400 BC, the only event held at the first Olympics was the stadion footrace. Scholars have speculated that the games in 776 BC were not the first games, but rather the first games held after they were organized into festivals held every four years as a result of a peace agreement between the city-states Greece.
In a city in southwestern Greece, called Olympia, is the birthplace of the Olympic games. Created to offer thanksgiving and honor to Zeus, chief god, the first record of the Olympics dates back to 776 bc and the event occurs every four years thereafter. The first day of the festival was devoted to non-human sacrifices as praise to the gods. Speeches from famous philosophers , poetry readings parades, and banquets were also held before the games begun.