Ancient Athletics Research Articles

Sport and Myth: Reviving Indian Ancient Athletes’ Self-Concept in Psychological and Spiritual Dimensions

Sport and Myth: Reviving Indian Ancient Athletes’ Self-Concept in Psychological and Spiritual Dimensions

Pseudo-Olympics in California: From Circus Shows and Local Sports Competitions to a Mass Statewide Event

Since Pierre de Coubertin’s revival of the modern Olympic games, the state of California has hosted the Olympics three times and is currently preparing for the games in Los Angeles in 2028. This paper attempts to add to the history of California’s Olympic legacy by examining the period prior to 1896 and demonstrating that the Olympic idea had been firmly rooted in California long before the revival of the modern Olympic games and the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Themes alluding to the Olympic idea had been exploited in California as early as the mid-nineteenth century, i.e. the time of the US annexation. In 1893 the Olympic Club in San Francisco organized the Ancient Greco-Roman Games with a statewide impact. The association of those spectacles with ancient Greek art or games attests to Californians’ awareness of ancient athletics and to the significant role of the San Francisco events in a historical perspective. As the years passed the knowledge about sports with Olympic associations increased among Californians, and the 1893 Ancient Greco-Roman Games in San Francisco can be successfully considered the largest pseudo-Olympic sports event before the 1896 Summer Olympics.

Juniors age categories of athletes at the Panathenaic Games

The article is devoted to some aspects of ancient athletics of the classical period. The author traces the history of the formation of the Olympic Games program and its influence on the programs of Pan-Hellenic and local Games. The popularity of the Pan-Hellenic Games led over time to the complication of the program and an increase in the number of athletes participating in the games, for whom different age classification systems were developed. At the Olympic and Pythian Games, all athletes were divided into two age groups: paides and andres, whereas at the Isthmian and Nemean Games there were three age groups of athletes: paides, ageneioi and andres. The author explores the history of the Panathenaic Games in Athens, which are often called the “fifth” Panhellenic Games. The article shows that the program of the Panathenaic Games, on the one hand, was created on the basis of the programs of the Olympic and Pythian Games, on the other hand, it differed from it in that it included a number of competitions in which only Athenians could take part. The author shows that both the competitions “only for Athenians” and the introduction of younger age groups of athletes created more opportunities for local athletes to succeed at the Panathenaic Games and thus contributed to the development of athletics in Athens.

Didactische rubriek

Abstract General introductions to the ancient Olympic Games often paint an idealized picture of intrinsically motivated and fair athletes, competing purely for the honour of the victory. From a scholarly point of view, this image has been adjusted in recent years: also among the ancient athletes there were certainly some who cheated. As the topic of fairness and cheating is very accessible to younger students, this theme is well-suited for classes on ancient culture: it invites them to think about idealizations of the past, and about their own ideas on fair sport. A passage on Olympic cheaters from the travel guide of Pausanias (5.21.2-18) offers a convenient entry point to the topic. As this author is not part of standard school curricula, working with a modern translation would be a logical choice. This article consists of two parts: a historical introduction to the reality of cheating at ancient Olympia, discussing the rules, types of offenses and the most common punishments, and a didactic part, which offers examples of the kind of questions that can be raised in class around this topic, and suggestions how to employ translated sources in your classes.

Future Anxiety and its Relationship to the Level of Adaptation to Social Life Among Ancient Athletes

Future Anxiety and its Relationship to the Level of Adaptation to Social Life Among Ancient Athletes

Cheating and gaming the system in ancient athletics

ABSTRACT The contradictions and ambiguities in, admiration for, and potential benefits derived from cheating in modern athletics have numerous parallels in ancient Greek culture. Because both ancient and modern competitive sports share common structures and behavioral patterns that enable cheating, viewing attitudes of the ancients provides a useful lens through which to assess our own ambivalent responses to rule-breaking today. This paper traces the growth of ancient sports and the financial and personal rewards that motivated many athletes to game the system. Numerous examples of athletes and the parents of athletes who sought success at all costs indicate that ancient sports cheating was not so distant from cheating in modern sports.

Breeding Success: The Creation of the Racehorse in Antiquity

The social significance of equestrian competition in antiquity is well documented. Likewise, we know the chronological history of the various events, and a variety of sources—such as the epigraphic record, Pindar, Posidippus, and victory lists—give us a reasonably good idea of who won, when, and where. When it comes to logistics, however, we know very little; this becomes even more apparent when we compare horse sports with other athletic events. In terms of the practicalities of breeding equine athletes in the ancient world, we have relatively little specialized primary material to work with. This article seeks to fill the gaps in our knowledge by taking a comparative approach to the topic. From a physiological standpoint, the horse has changed little since its domestication. The basic nutritional requirements, husbandry methods, and training approaches have remained quite static. This is particularly true in the breeding and training of racehorses, where tradition runs deep, even in the world of Thoroughbred racing. By comparing several aspects of modern racehorse breeding with the evidence from antiquity, we can begin to build a more comprehensive picture of the logistics of equestrian competition, adding not only to our understanding of equines in the ancient world, but also to the field of ancient athletics.

“Olympism“ and Olympic Education in Greek Antiquity

This paper deals with basic points which comprise Olympic and “sport“ education in the Greek antiquity. Until the emergence of professionalism in ancient athletics was the essence of "sport" education and Olympism the areas known as free “sport“, nudity, construction of “sports“ buildings, organizing of many games and relation of society to the Olympic winners as well as leading the citizens to cultural and philosophical ideals. The education itself to the Olympic Games and “sport“ had an important role in ancient Greece. Victory in the Panhellenic Games was very important not only for the victors as individuals, but also for their lineage and the city-state. Each victor entered the next level, which was close to the heroes and gods. They acquired semi-divine status and the homages for them by all society and mainly by the city-states were greatly important for cultural outputs and conception of all society. The influence of victors on youth was huge and this influence was one of the most important educational parts of all ancient Greek culture. The winners of great Panhellenic Games, especially the winners of the Olympic Games or περιοδονῑκοι (periodonikoi), were the best role models with big cultural power and the best examples for youth. Successes of ancient athletes supported sport education of young Greek boys, thus also the military training and this conception created better warriors and defenders of the city-states.

Fellow Athletes or Fellow Soldiers? συναθλέω in Philippians 1.27 and 4.3

There is no agreement between interpreters as to whether the verb συναθλέω in Phil. 1.27 and 4.3 presupposes an athletic or a military metaphor. Given that first-century athletes were unlikely to compete as a team, the prefix συν- often puzzles those who interpret συναθλέω as an athletic term, and it is also one of the reasons why others opt for a military background. While the use of the verb alone does not provide any certainty as to the presupposed imagery, in this article I argue that the presence of the prefix συν- does not preclude athletics as a plausible option. Even though team sports were not part of official athletic contests, based on epigraphic evidence I suggest that, in spite of fierce competition, there may have existed a sense of fellowship between ancient athletes in the Roman period. In addition, it is likely that it was enhanced by the existence of a ‘worldwide’ athletic association.

Athletes as heroes and role models: an ancient model

A common argument for the social value of sport is that athletes serve as heroes who inspire people – especially young people – to strive for excellence. This argument has been questioned by sport philosophers at a variety of levels. Not only do athletes seem unsuited to be heroes or role models in the conventional sense, it is unclear more generally what the social and educational value of athletic excellence could be. In this essay, I construct an argument for the social and educational value of sport built upon the relationship between athletes, heroes, and the song culture that celebrated them in ancient Greece. On this model, athletes are neither heroes nor role models in the conventional sense. Rather, athletes, athletics, and the poets who extolled them were part of a cultural conspiracy to celebrate and inspire virtue (aretē) by connecting a community with its heroic past. Festivals such as the Olympic Games, but also local events such as funeral games, educated and unified communities by cultivating an aesthetic appreciation for virtue and by inspiring youth to strive for it. Ancient athletes were not heroes, rather they re-enacted heroic struggles, thereby experiencing heroic virtues, and inspiring both artists and spectators to bond with the higher ideals implied by their shared belief in divine ancestry. In this way, athletes, athletics, and the media that celebrated them played important social and educational roles. Insofar as modern sport performs a similar service, its association with heroism and with moral education may ultimately be justified.

The Concept of ‘MiOra’ in the Ancient Iranian Mythology

MiOra (male) is the name of one of the Ancient Iran’s gods. MiOra, meaning ‘contract’ and keeping it within measure, is the gist of Manichaean ethics and has mighty and theurgic forces. The myth prevalent in Mihr-Yašt is that MiOra observes all the contracts agreed upon in the society, sets people free of troubles, and brings peace and security. The myth has had important consequences for beliefs and behaviors of the people of the time. However, even though MiOra was dignified in Zoroastrianism, Ohrmazd was regarded as God of gods in this religion. Yet, MiOra is close to Soroush and Sun and has a lot in common with them. He was also highly dignified in the eras of Achaemenian, Parthian Empire, and Sasanian and could find its way to Europe in the era of Parthian Empire. The remnants and remainings of the Mithraic religion and temples can also be observed in Iran’s ancient athletics and Zurkhaneh. The purpose of the present paper is to give the readership a review of the concept of MiOra, as it was conceived in the ancient Iran and the relationship the concept has with some other significant concepts that were contemporary to MiOra.

Contemporary sport sociology and ancient Greek athletics

Situated at a point of critical intersection between leisure and labour, ancient athletics was in the most essential respects just as complex and ‘modern’ as its contemporary counterpart and can thus benefit from the methods of contemporary sport sociology, which can in turn find in ancient Greece a useful comparandum. As with contemporary sport, athletic pursuits must be situated within the broader economy of leisure in ancient Greece. However, a process of professionalisation gradually developed during the fifth century bce, turning athletics into what was arguably a form of labour. While many continued to derive their pedigree from the elite ‘leisure class’ that almost exclusively dominated the sixth century athletics, a growing number came from less‐distinguished families, their inclusion rendered possible by the construction of public gymnasia, private patronage, cash prizes for victory and other forms of social advancement. Some scholars have pointed to this development as an index of democratisation, but I will argue that it was actually a continuation of elite hegemony by appropriation of the commercial and artisanal classes, parallel to what can be observed in the expansion of athletic participation in the late nineteenth century. Along with expanding the talent pool, the pressure to produce the best athletes for inter‐state competition led to a professionalisation and broadening of athletic training: originally informal and paederastic, it eventually became institutionalised and regulated by the state. Extension of elite privilege to a few successful athletes ultimately served to confirm the Panhellenic prestige and thus also the domestic power of each city’s hegemonic class.

Ancient Greek athletics

The earliest Olympic games began more than twenty-five-hundred years ago. What were they like, how were they organised, who participated? Were ancient sports a means of preparing youth for warfare? In this lavishly illustrated book, a world expert on ancient Greek athletics provides the first comprehensive introduction to the subject, vividly describing ancient sporting events and games and exploring their impact on art, literature, and politics. Using a wide array of ancient sources, written and visual, and including recent archaeological discoveries, Stephen Miller reconstructs ancient Greek athletic festivals and the details of specific athletic events. He also explores broader themes, including the role of women in ancient athletics, the place of amateurism, and the relationship between athletic events and social and political life. Published in the year the modern Olympic Games return to Athens, this book will be a source of information and enjoyment for anyone interested in the history of athletics and the origins of the world's most famous sporting event.

History, Antiquarianism, and Medicine: The Case of Girolamo Mercuriale

Girolamo Mercuriale (1530-1606) presents an especially striking example of the participation of physicians in the broader culture of late humanism. Throughout a long and successful career as a practitioner and, subsequently, professor of medicine, Mercuriale combined medicine with antiquarian and historical interests. In particular, his De arte gymnastica, a work that combines an account of ancient athletics with health advice, shows that he had many contacts among antiquarians in Rome. This article explores the relation and intersection of medicine, history, and antiquarianism in Mercuriale's writings, successful search for patronage, and rise to fame as an eminent professor of medicine.

Philostratos and the Pentathlon

One of the most vexing problems facing students of ancient athletics has been the method by which overall victory in the pentathlon was determined. Testimony from ancient sources assures us that the overall victor won three events of the five contested, but that a man of lesser talent could very well emerge victorious. Because one athlete in a large field of competitors could not be expected to outclass his opponents in three of five events, two interpretations of what occurred in the pentathlon have arisen. One theory suggests a progressive elimination of competitors so as to reduce the field and facilitate the emergence of one champion. Another theory allots points to contestants for higher and lower finishes and sometimes allows elimination of athletes who consistently finish behind others.

The Olympic Myth of Greek Amateur Athletics. Library of Ancient Athletics

The Olympic Myth of Greek Amateur Athletics. Library of Ancient Athletics

(D. C.) Young The Olympic myth of Greek amateur athletics. (Library of ancient athletics.) Chicago: Ares. 1984. Pp. xii + 202, [2] maps. $10.00.

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