The Olympic Games

A brief history of the ancient games

Legendary Origin

• Origin is unknown

• Myth and legends

Hercules

• The oldest myth which concerns the beginning of the Olympic Games is that of Idaios Daktylos Herakles. (Hercules) He staged games in Olympia in honour of Zeus, because the latter had helped him conquer Elis when he went to war against Augeas.

The myth of Hercules

-Greek Hero

-won a race at Olympia

-decreed it should be re-enacted every four years

The myth of Zeus

-Greek God

-initiated games after

defeating the

Titan Cronus

-Titans-elder Gods defeated by younger Gods

The myth of Pelops

• Pelops- King of Olympia

-Hero -Murdered by his fatherand body parts servedto the Gods at abanquet-No more than funeralceremony to Pelops

The myth of King Iphitos

-King of Elis

-tries to save his people in 9th Century

-consults Pythia Oracle at Delphi

-instructs him to hold games in honor of the Gods

Why the name Olympics?

Regardless of the mythology all events take place on or at the foot of Mount Olympus

-mountain where Greek gods were said to have lived

Significance of the Olympic Games

• Whatever the origin, the games were held to be one of the two central rituals in Ancient Greece.

-Olympic games

-Eleusinian Mysteries

The “real” history of the Olympic Games

-First started in Olympia, Greece in 786BC

-Held in a sanctuary site for the Greek gods, near Elis and Pisa

Sanctuary of Zeus

• One of the Seven Wonders of the World

Olympics (cont.)

• Held every four years

• One race only- foot race of 190 meters

• Commemorates the feat of Hercules

• Known as the Stadion Race- term stadium is derived from this word

The Early Olympics

• Greek tradition of athletic nudity was practiced beginning in 720 BC

Panhellenic Games

• Olympics were the most important of the four separate games held every two or four years

• Organized so that one of the games was held every year

• Pythian games

• Nemean games

• Ithmian games

Importance of the Games

• Religious ceremonies to the Gods

• Created rivalry and pride among City/States

• Ekecheiria was observed– Truce among fighting cities

• Armies were forbidden in Olympia• Wars were suspended• Legal disputes and the death penalty forbidden

Events of the Ancient Olympics

• The stadion (foot race) 786 BC-190 M

• The diaulos (foot race) 724 BC- 400M

• The dlicos (foot race) 720 BC- 5KM

• The hopliodromos (foot race in armor) 520 BC- 400M-800M

New Events Added to the Olympics

• Boxing

• Wrestling

• Pankration

• Chariot racing

• Pentathlon- wrestling, stadion, long jump, javelin, and discus

*long jump, javelin, and discus originally were only in the pentathlon

Extended games

• Olympics were extended to a five day festival

• Day 1- sacrifices to Zeus• Day 2- chariot/horse racing, and the

pentathlon• Day 3- boys’ events• Day 4- classic field events• Day 5- more sacrifices and a banquet for

the victors

The Romans take over the Olympics

• Games are opened to foreigners

• Professionalism and corruption gradually enter games

• In 1 AD the Roman Emperor Nero competes in the games

What was won?

• A crown of olive branches

• Pride and Honor

• Celebrity

• Meat from sacrificed oxen or cow

The end of the Ancient Olympic Tradition

• Christian Emperor Theodosius abolishes the games- 393 BC

Heraea Games

• Games for Women

• Held in Honor of Goddess Hera

• First held in the 6th Century AD

The Myth of the “Sixteen Women”

• Games held in gratitude for her marriage to Pelops (Olympic Mythology)

• Perhaps held prior to Olympics

• Myth: Sixteen female peacemakers and athletes dressed like men, gathered to run a single race– 5/6 the length of their male counterparts

What do the Heraea Games tell us about the role of women?

• Women were second class citizens initially

• Not allowed to watch Olympic or any of the Hellenic Games

• Risked death of they were caught viewing the games– Thrown from the cliffs of Mt. Typaion

Heraea Games (Cont.)

• The mere fact that women are competing in athletics indicates that roles began to change around 6th Century BC.

Sparta

• Spartan Society was different

• Encouraged women to be athletes

• Felt female athletes mating with Spartan males would produce a better warrior

• Encouraged boys to watch women train and compete (even in the nude) thinking it might lead to marriage

The Modern Olympics

• Revived by Pierre de Coubertin in 1896• The Pierre de Coubertin medal (True Spirit of Sportsmanship medal)

– is a special medal given by the International Olympic Committee to those athletes who demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship in Olympic events.

Why were the Olympics revived?

•“To ennoble and strengthen sport.”- -Pierre de Coubertin

Where did the first modern Olympics take place?

• Athens, Greece

• In 1896

• To commemorate the first Olympics

What was the purpose of the modern games?

• “To improve the human race and strengthen understanding of all

people.”

Citius, altius, fortius!

• Olympic motto-

swifter, faster, stronger

Symbols of the games• The Olympic Oath

"In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these

  Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the

  true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."

Opening Ceremonies

• The parade of nations– Carrying the flag greatest honor for athlete

• The lighting of the Olympic flame– Officially begins the games

• The releasing of birds (Doves)– Symbolic of peace

The Winter Olympics

• The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924.

• The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating.

In 1992 the governing body for the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), decided to place the Summer and Winter Games on separate four-year cycles in alternating even-numbered years.

Winter Games (cont’d)

• The Winter Games have evolved since their inception. Sports have been added:

• luge, short track speed skating, and freestyle skiing (permanent

sports) • Others, such as, bandy, and skijoring,

were demonstration sports,

Sports and Diplomacy

•Diplomacy - chief instrument of foreign

policy

- the way in which nations

negotiate without using

force; military or otherwise

Sports and diplomacy

• Throughout history, sports have played an important role in social, political, and economic lives of people and nations

• Sports are more than just the social role we have been studying to this point

Sports as diplomatic tools

• Ancient Greece- Olympics• Declared truces during the games

Understanding between nations has occurred due to sport

• Ping Pong Diplomacy- China/USA

• Wrestling diplomacy- Iran/USA

• Harlem Globetrotters

• Baseball Diplomacy

Ping Pong Diplomacy

• 1949- China becomes The People’s

Republic of China- U.S. does not recognize the new

government

-U.S. and China fight against each

other in Korean War (1950’s)

-U.S. China fight against each

other in Vietnam War (1960’s-1970’s)

Ping Pong Diplomacy (Continued)

• 1971- China invites U.S. to play an

exhibition in table tennis

-President Nixon becomes first

U.S. president to visit Communist

China (1972)

Wrestling Diplomacy

1979- Iranian students take American

embassy in Tehran and hold 52

Americans hostage for nearly a year

1998- American wrestlers invited to Iran

- Not very successful

- Tension remains still today

Harlem Globetrotters

• 1951- Globe trotters travel to Berlin as

American ambassadors to curb

Cold War tensions

-despite efforts Cold War lingers on for 57 more years

-”Trotters” have travelled to every continent spreading goodwill.

Baseball Diplomacy

• 1934- Major league stars including

Babe Ruth travel to Japan

- U.S. uses Moe Berg to spy on

Japan while catching on the tour

Baseball Diplomacy (Continued)

• MLB has numerous Latin players

-often return home to promote baseball

and teach skills

Japanese Players in MLB

• More Japanese players as well as other Asian players from South Korea and Taiwan are playing baseball in America

Using sport to foster patriotism and national unity

• 1936- Hitler tries to prove to rest of the world that the Aryan race and Germany are the master race

(Aryan- blond haired, blue eyed master race)

Plan derailed by Jesse Owens and other African-American athletes

Patriotism & Unity (continued)

• 1980- Soviets refuse to boycott

Lake Placid Olympics in light of

American boycott of Moscow

Moscow Games

(Invasion of Afghanistan)

- felt they would show superiority of Communism through World Champion hockey team

(Continued)

• Once again Americans spoil plan of another adversary (Soviets)

Modern Olympics

• U.S. and Soviet boycotts emphasize that the Olympics has become an even greater diplomatic tool (Soviets 1984- L.A.)

• Bolstering an image, achieving national goals, and extending spheres of influence are often behind the reality of the modern era Olympic Games

International Relations

• Often took place via non-governmental organizations and activities

• Each had a special focus including sports

• 1985- “Sports America” sends coaches

and athletes to developing nations

-Muhammad Ali in Africa

U.S. foreign policy

• Message sent by many people – not just those in the diplomatic core

(Apartheid- white minority controlled the

black majority as a rule in

South Africa)

Arthur Ashe

• 1969- Ashe refused a visa by South Africa because he was black

-Appears before U.N. to ask nations to boycott tennis, and ultimately all

international competition, in and with South Africa, until apartheid ends - ends in 1992 with a South African Olympic team of mixed race

U.S. Policy (continued)

• For several decades the U.S. has actively sought to influence both its allies and its adversaries through:

– Cultural outreach

– Sports

Peaceful Contacts

• As a tool of diplomacy, sports can be used to create peaceful contacts between nations and exert influence

• 2005- NFL sends aid to Tsunami victims