The real Olympics

[Promethean Fire]

Good short read. makes one wonder how far the escence of the Olympics has been left behind. Our people took oaths before the games, and it was an honor for there Gods rather than self pride and gold. They punished themselves for a olive branch,inspirational, to say the least.

http://www.olympics.org.uk/documents...ient_Games.pdf

[pankration]

Inspirational yes but let's not delude ourselves. Ancient Greece had many professional athletes who competed and won at the Olympics. Some events, like chariot-racing, were almost the sole domain of rich sponsors and kings. We may not have had the caricature of the Olympics that is present today, but they weren't squeaky clean either in the old days.

[Promethean Fire]

Originally Posted by pankration

Inspirational yes but let's not delude ourselves. Ancient Greece had many professional athletes who competed and won at the Olympics. Some events, like chariot-racing, were almost the sole domain of rich sponsors and kings. We may not have had the caricature of the Olympics that is present today, but they weren't squeaky clean either in the old days.

Exactly how does iwning a chariot and being supprted by the wealthy smears character and spirit?

Its the purity of the achievemnet and what the athletes go through to get nike (victory).

Todays Olympics carries no such notion. Its one big sponsor for hey look at me im hosting the Olympics this year, come spend money so that i may repay the debt for building these stadiums that have no comparison to the site of Zeus let alone the honor in him.

The thread is based on the meaning of the Olympics rather than scandals like the recent Greek weightlifting one.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by pankration

Inspirational yes but let's not delude ourselves. Ancient Greece had many professional athletes who competed and won at the Olympics. Some events, like chariot-racing, were almost the sole domain of rich sponsors and kings. We may not have had the caricature of the Olympics that is present today, but they weren't squeaky clean either in the old days.

Pankration is right ...Euripides when saw the Athenean Olympionikes eating freely on the prytaneum for the rest of their lives said: "μυρίων κακών χώρα η Ελλάς.Αθλητών ουδέν χείρον". Greece is land of 10000 bad thinga , but from the athlets there isn't worst !!!

[olvios]

Galen (AD 129–216) said that they were all "body" and generally criticized.

[nsminc]

I read somewhere that anyone caught cheating was not only disqualified but had a statue made of him in disgrace (with an inscription telling people that he is a cheater) and anyone from his village was banned from competing ever again.

[Promethean Fire]

Originally Posted by nsminc

I read somewhere that anyone caught cheating was not only disqualified but had a statue made of him in disgrace (with an inscription telling people that he is a cheater) and anyone from his village was banned from competing ever again.

Yep, thats in the PDF document. There was a sort of hall of shame where people would walk through and see the shamed ones.