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. The Olympics have evolved substantially over the centuries by the adjustment of sports, adjustment of rules and requirements in the Olympics. The Olympics have evolved substantially over …show more content…
In the Ancient Greek Olympics there were only ten sports while in modern day Olympics there are at least 40 summer sports and 16 winter sports. Still, as in the modern games, they slowly added more. In the ancient games they had 4 running races, equestrian racing, wrestling, boxing, pancration, pentathlon, and chariot races. In Modern Day Olympics they have gymnastics, triathlon, cycling, fencing, and volleyball to name a few, and of course there are all the winter sports. However, the sports of chariot races and pancratium have been discontinued. A way that the Olympics have evolved is the ancient sport of boxing was added to the ancient games in the 23rd Olympiad during the year 688 B.C. E. It was very different from what we see today. First the competitors wore strips of leather tied about their palms and had no gloves. Also, boxing took place in open space, not in a ring, and they did not break the fighters into different categories by weight. Punches …show more content…
The opening ceremonies in Ancient Greece were nothing like they are today. Athletes trained for ten months and they were examined by a ten member panel assessed them. Today athletes trained their whole lives and go through a series of drug tests before they can compete. In the Ancient Greek games as well as today athletes have swear in oath to play fairly. In Ancient Greece, Greek male citizens competed against each other in the ten sports. They competed nude and put olive oil on themselves. The competitors would pray to Hermes (a god) for speed. Today, people from all nations come to compete in various sports. Countries wear different types of uniform depending on the sport which show the athlete's flag colors. Women were not allowed to compete in the Ancient Olympics games and were forbidden to watch. If I woman was caught watching the Olympic games, she would be killed. In modern Olympics, women are allowed to watch and/or compete Between 1940 and 1948, there was a large increase of women competitors in the Olympic games. There are many famous women athletes today such as Cathy Freeman, Marion Jones, Olga Korbut, and Mary Lou Retton to name a few. Today athletes are awarded gold for first, silver for second, and bronze for a third place finish. They also receive flowers and fame. Many Olympic medallists go on to be in commercials, magazines, write books, and even act
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.
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.
In Ancient Greece they formed the Greek Olympics in the year 776 B.C in which participants participate to honor the gods and demonstrate their physical abilities. What was amazing was that those who participated were only participating in honor and not prizes. Something that they would win was the olive wreath which was basically winning the honor and recognition of the people and the gods. Comparing to the ancient time and now is that there are now commercialized, endorsements, and sponsorships for athletes to represent companies in the Olympics. However, the Olympics still hold true to the idea that it is still a place for participants compete with the best in the world for the honor (gold,silver, and bronze medal). Also, if we look at the sculpture of the Diskobolos made by Myron of Eleutherae it represented the general athlete in motion and would symbolize the ancient times athlete. But something that is different about now and the Greek ...
Competitors participated in games that were extremely violent, from chariot races that usually one person finished in tackles to extreme versions of wrestling that caused great bodily harm. Kagen says that team sports were not a part of the ancient games. The Olympics even allowed for participants to be deified. Athletes became heroes and celebrities even when the games were not in session. The first professional athletes came from the ancient Greek Olympics.
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.
When we think of an Olympic athlete it is one who has proven himself not only to be a champion in his own country, but one of world-class skill. This idea contrasts with the Ancient Olympic athlete who could only be a free man that spoke Greek. Furthermore, there were fewer events in the games of old. There wasn't any water polo, ping pong, or any other games that strayed from the basic contests. Another way the games of Ancient Greece differ from the modern games is that the ancient games were always held in the same city of Olympia. That is much different from today, as the games are held in a different country every time and nations compete for the honor of holding the games in their country years in advance. Two things do remain constant though, the games are still held every four years and winning athletes are treated like gods. (Perseus)
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 first Olympic games started in 776 B.C, beginning with the Isthmos games, which were held every two years in Corinth (Cartledge 3). The four-year Olympics were in Delphi. The Olympics in Greece was only to worship Zeus, a Greek god. This started off as a five-day event in which the first day was a day for sacrifices to honor the different gods. At this time, there were only 3 sports that took place; running, boxing, and horse racing, although there were four types of racing on foot (Grolier 3). The only differences were the length in which athletes ran and what they wore to race. Boxing was a very violent sport that took place. Boxers usually fought until one of the participants had to admit that he was weak and could not fight any longer. Another type of boxing was with armor, usually more violent, and ended up with a bruised athlete (Lassila 4). Out of all sports, horse racing was the most watched and attracted sport to many viewers. Participants usually had two or four horses on chariots, depending how many laps they did (Lassila 2). The games went over 11 centuries until a roman emperor named Theodosius banned the Olympics (Cartledge 1).
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.
Athletic competition is a very popular form of entertainment. People from around the world enjoy watching many different types of sporting events. Today, talented athletes are celebrated and compensated very well. Athletes in ancient Greece were also valued, appreciated, and made famous by their athletic feats. Sports in ancient Greece were of a different nature than sports today. There were few team sports and the glory of a victory was focused on a single athlete. Today, there are many team sports that have become extremely popular. This is the major difference between sporting events in modern time and in ancient Greece. However, athletes in both time periods have made lasting impressions society.
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,
Most at times do not really realize how important history and its events greatly influence the way we live and what we do today! Every four years we celebrate the beginning of something that was brought up long ago, the Olympics! This great event in which, now the whole world participates in started way back in the year 776 BC. It started from people playing for the God Zeus to people playing for their country and a medal, the Olympic Games sure did evolve as the time and beliefs changed.
I am not a During the actual events of the Olympics in Ancient times. athletes were wearing naked clothes. Today athletes wear the latest state of the art. aerodynamic clothing to make them streamlined to give them the best performance in the competitions.
Ancient Olympics The ancient Olympics had some differences from the modern Games. There were fewer events, and only free men who spoke Greek could compete, instead of athletes from any country. Women where not allowed to even watch the games on penalty of death let alone play in them.. Also, the games were always held at Olympia in Greece instead of being moved around to different sites every time. But also they had some similarities to our modern Olympics, winning athletes were heroes who put their home towns on the map, and became financially sound for life. The conflict between the Olympic's ideals of sportsmanship and unity and the commercialism and political acts which accompany the Games where also present in ancient times. "Sotades at the ninety-ninth Festival was victorious in the long race and proclaimed a Cretan, as in fact he was. But at the next Festival he made himself an Ephesian, being bribed to do so by the Ephesian people. For this act he was banished by the Cretans."
The Olympic Games were a vital part of Greek culture which was heavily influenced by athletics. Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest presentation of athletic skill and competitive spirit. Thousands of athletes and spectators participate in this universal event. Revived in 1896, the Olympic Games had their beginnings in ancient Greece, and since then the event is very much comparable to modern Olympic events.