|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
The Olympic Games
The origin of the Olympic Games is linked with many myths referred to in ancient sources, but in the historic years their founder is said to be Oxylos whose descendant Ifitos later rejuvenated the games.
According to tradition, the Olympic Games began in 776 B. ... That is to say the ceasing of fighting in the entire Greek world for as long as the Olympic Games were on. ... The time in between two Olympic Games was called an Olympiad. In the beginning the games lasted only one day and comprised of only one event, the running of one Stadion, but gradually more events were added resulting, towards the 5th century B. ... , in the games lasting for 5 days.
In total the Olympic Games consisted of 10 events: running, the pentathlon, jumping, discus, "ekebolon" javelin, wrestling, boxing, the pancration, chariot racing, and horse racing.
All Greeks who were free citizens and had not committed murder or heresy, had the right to take part in the Olympic Games. Women were not entitled to take part, except as owners in the horse races, while being strictly prohibited from watching the games.
The athletes presented themselves one month before the games began at Elis, the organising town, but the organisation and supervision for the upholding of the rules was carried out by the Hellanodikes, who were chosen by lot from the citizens of Elis.
Two days after the beginning of the games, the procession of the athletes and the judges started from Elis to arrive in Olympia where it was received by the crowds who had come to watch the games. ...
The great historical events that took place in the passing of centuries within the Hellenic lands, took their toll even on the athletic ideals of the Olympic Games, resulting in the gradual fall of the moral values, that was especially felt from 146 A. ...
The institution of the Olympic Games lasted for twelve continuous centuries and was abolished in 393 A. ...
The national, racial and spiritual unity of the Greeks was forged thanks to the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games combined the deep religious spirit along with the heroic past of the Greeks thus unifying to the highest degree body, mind and soul according to universal and philosophical values, and so projecting the individual as well as the cities, through the highest ideal of freedom.
Revival Of The Olympic Games
Efforts for the revival of the Olympic Games in modern times reached a peak at the end of the 19th century with the instrumental contribution of the French Baron Pierre De Coubertin and the Greek Dimitrios Vikelas. The first contemporary Olympic Games took place with great glamour in 1896 in Athens, in the Panathenaic Stadium. The head quarters of the International Olympic Academy are in Olympia now.
Also in Olympia is the altar of the Olympic flame, which is transferred every four years to the city that hosts the Olympic Games. ...
Collection for the Olympic Games
The many visitors to the sanctuary, during the Olympic Games gave a variety of offerings to the gods, many of which related to the Games and their victors.
A few of these offerings are exhibited in a separate room for the Olympic Games, in the museum. ... ) when the games lasted for only one day, it was the only event at the sanctuary. ... Only men were allowed to watch the games with the exception of the high priestess of Demeter Chamyne. ... The rules were clear for all the events and for the duration of the games there were specific bodies, the Alytai, who kept the order in all the areas of performance. The judges and those in charge of the games were the Hellondikai, who at first were life members but then appointed by lot from the Elean citizens. ...
Also taking place in Olympia was the Heraia, athletic games for women in which young girls from Elis partook. These games were held every four years independently of the Olympic games. ... In the Olympic Games running and wrestling were conducted separately, while the other three events were independent. ... It was one of the pentathlon events but also independent in the Panhellenic games. ...
Pancration
A combination of wrestling and boxing, it is praised by Philostratos as the best and the most worthy event for men in the Olympic games. ... Olympia is the birth-place of the Olympic Games and also where they were held. ...
The games began in 776 B. ... The games, that, from beginning to end were dominated by religious character and austere ritual, were taking place in the area in front of the temples to start with, but later as the athletes taking part in the games, as well as the spectators increased, in well-organised installations. ... The most important of the offerings were bronze tripods and cauldrons of excellent quality, war loot (hanging on poles) and other art objects and instruments for the games. ...
Olympia was always functioning as a place of political projection and the games often fell, especially during late antiquity, victim to political exploitation from important personalities like Philip II, Alexander the Great and his successors. Romans, proving their authentic Greek origin, also took part in the games, after the total submission of Greece to Rome, but by then the glamour and idealistic spirit of the games was considerably weakened.
Directly depending on the games and the sanctuary of Olympia was the town of Elis, whose sole interest was the preparation and performance of the games. ... Between the two buildings stood the altar of Horkios Zeus, where the athletes were sworn in before the games. ...
THE PARALYMPIC GAMES
In 1948, Sir Ludwig Guttmann organised a sports competition involving World War II veterans with a spinal cord-related injury in Stoke Mandeville, England. Four years later, competitors from Holland joined the Games, and the international movement, now known as the Paralympics, was born.
Approximate Word count = 4846
Approximate Pages = 19.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|