Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
essay on ancient olympic games
essay on ancient olympic games
the influence of ancient olympic games
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: essay on ancient olympic games
On your mark, get set, run. For centuries man has been running competitively. The sport has been around as long as any other, and has evolved over time. Since the first Olympic games in 776 B.C. running has been the center of major competitions (“Ancient Olympic Games”). From the Olympics to high school track meets, from trails to treadmills, and from a mile to 26.2 miles, running is a part of competition everywhere. The benefits of running are endless, and continue to prove that those who run are in the best state of health. Running has evolved in many variations, and each variation remains one of the best ways to remain in optimum health.
Running competitively dates back to Ancient Greece. The first Olympic games were located at Olympia, which was originally created as a place of worship (“Ancient Olympic Games”). Different from today, religion played a large role in the games. At its center, Olympia housed Zeus’s Temple. Ceremonies were held for both Zeus and Pelops, the founder of the games (“Ancient Olympic Games”). The Olympic games have now evolved and strayed from the original ties to religion. However, the events themselves are still linked to these first games. Running was the center of these games, as it is now of today’s Summer Olympics. The original games included a stade race, which is equivalent to today’s 200 meter race. Another race dating back to Olympia is the Diaulos, the equivalent of a 400 meter race (“Ancient Olympic Games”). While the Olympic Games have evolved, running competitively, and some specific events can be traced back to the original games.
Since those first games, the Olympics have grown immensely. The first games were just one day of competition (“Ancient Olympic Games”). Now the Summer ...
... middle of paper ...
...sue. These many variations and the benefits of competitive running bring new meaning to the saying “run for your life”.
Works Cited
"Ancient Olympic Games." First Olympics in Olympia. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2013.
"Athletics." Olympics. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2013.
Burfoot, Amby. Runner's World Complete Book of Running: Everything You Need to
Know to Run for Fun, Fitness, and Competition. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1997. Print.
"By The Numbers." By The Numbers. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2013.
"The Color Run™ – About Us." The Color Run About Us Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 09
Nov. 2013.
Liberman, Art, Randy Brown, and Eileen Myers. The Everything Running Book: The
Ultimate Guide to Injury-free Running for Fitness and Competition. Avon, MA:
Adams Meda, 2012. Print.
"London 2012 27th July - 12th August." London 2012 Summer Olympics. N.p., n.d. Web.
09 Nov. 2013.
A sprinter runs for the finish line, a basketball player dashes toward the hoop, a baseball player sprints for home plate, and a soccer player dashes toward the goal. All of these sports have one thing in common: the players are all running towards a goal. Everyone is running at one point or another in his or her lifetime. Whether someone is running toward a specific dream or away from a horrific nightmare, running is a part of life. Profuse amounts effort must be put in the run to get to the finish line.
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 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 ...
Endurance running is a rewarding experience that puts to test an athlete’s courage, perseverance and determination. It is a marvelous wonder how the human body, with the proper conditioning and mental focus, could achieve such tasking running distance. Elite runners complete the marathon course in just over 2 hours, while the average runner completes it in about 4.5 hours. It’s difficult to comprehend how someone could run, consistently, for 4.5 hours.The actual marathon is simply a formality as the journey starts the day training begins. The outcome, the day of the marathon, is dependent on how successful the training program was executed. Long distance runners are the biggest advocates of the sport, always convincing others to jump on the training wagon. However, some runners, while they refuse to admit it, ponder if the effects of long distance running could be doing more damage than good. It is true that long distance running is potentially dangerous to the heart; however, research suggests that physician examination, as well as proper mechanics and posture during the training phase would ensure an enjoyable journey towards reaching an endurance goal injury free and would even benefit the heart in the long run.
The ancient Olympic Games originated in Greece in 776 BC and were started as a mark of respect to the Greek gods. But the ancient Olympic Games ceased in 393 AD, because the roman emperor Theodosius decreed that the ancient Olympic Games were a pagan cult. The modern Olympic Games started again in 1894 and continue to this day.
...t running as a legitimate activity for citizens to part take and enjoy as a part of an active healthy lifestyle.
Running may have a heavier toll on the body than any other sport, literally. With each stride, force of two to three times the bodies weight is hammered on the joint, muscles, and tendons.
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.
Back in ancient Greece is where the ancient Olympics originated. It was primarily a part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus the father of Greek Gods and Goddesses. The Olympics where held at the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia, which is in Western Peloponnesos. From 776 BC, the games took place at Olympia every 4 years for almost 12 centuries. In 776 BC the only event was the Stadion Race that was a foot race 600 feet long, Koroibos, a cook from Elis, won it. Additional athletic events were gradually added until; by the 5th century BC it was a 5-day program that consisted of three foot races, the pentathlon, boxing, wrestling, pankration, and the hoplitodromos.
Of the more than twenty million Americans who are running today, most who start do so for the wrong reasons, with the wrong attitude, and tend to lose interest after a few weeks or months. Many quit. This is usually because they become concerned with superficial goals such as time and distance and never discover the more profound mental benefits that running offers. (Lilliefors 15)
... further distances. Runners are entitled to their own opinion, because everybody’s bodies are different and are more fit for running different levels of mileage. While those runners are training with low mileage, others who are against running low mileage because they believe that getting the body used to running further distances will improve their running. The above research gave plenty of examples of how there is a rebuttal going on where some runners believe that less training means more output, as well as how some believe that more training means more output. Examples are given throughout the paper to support both ideas.
Running is a natural form of human locomotion. To many, running is an essential aspect of most sports and is also a simple way that requires little to get exercise anywhere. But because many people have adapted to improper forms of running over time, numerous physical injuries are the results. With the help of understanding the physics behind running, people can learn to run in such a way that expends less energy from the body. Keeping physics in mind may also lead to less injuries and effortless running. Remember, physics can be very helpful when running!
Running may be one of the oldest and most developed sports out there. According to legend, the first marathon was run unintentionally in 490 B.C. by a Greek Soldier(James). The soldier ran twenty-five miles to Athens to announce battleground victory over the persians then dropped dead(James). In 1896 the marathon was included in the Olympic games, in Greece, for the first time(James). It was there that the first gold was won by a Greek runner with a time of two hours fifty-eight minutes and fifty seconds(James). The current world record for the fastest finish is two hours three minutes and fifty-nine seconds(James). Marathoning has turned into a world wide activity and every person who participates must endure intense training.
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."
Athletics were of immense importance to the Greeks. The first Olympic Games were made up of only foot races and later through the centuries expanded to include wrestling, javelin hurling, discus throwing, boxing, jumping, chariot racing, horse riding, the pankration and the pentathlon. The period of competition gradually expanded to five days and the festivals to one month. The foot races included four types of racing. The stadion was the oldest event in which runners sprinted for 192 meters or 1 strade. The 2-strade race was 384 meters and long distance running ranged from 1,344 to 4,608 meters (7-24 strades). Ancient Greece also had a 2-4 strade race by athletes in 50-60 pound...