How Did Panhelleniic Games Influence Greek Culture

In Ancient Greece, winning was the only option, and this idea was demonstrated not only in their art, theater, and literature, but in their war. The Greeks were ferocious warriors, so much so that their entire society can be considered a warrior society. In order to always come out on top, Ancient Greek city-states, called "polis,” linked together through alliances. If one city went to war, the other city state would join in, and if they didn't then they would suffer

According to the Olympics Game timeline, the first ever Olympic Games was held in 776 BCE, in Olympia which is in Athens, Greece. They were held there at olympia for 13 years. We don't know how the games began according to Robert Woff, some stories say the Zeus started the game. According to this story, it started out with Zeus and his father, Kronos were wrestling in olympia, who knew it would turn into what it has become. Wrestling wasn’t the only sport in the ancient greek olympics, there were many more that were involved. Some of the original events according to “Ancient sports” are boxing, equestrian events (chariot racing & riding), pankration, pentathlon (discus, javelin, jump, running, wrestling).

The Ancient Olympic Games took place during a time of prosperity for the nation of Greece. In fact, they contributed to the success of the Greek Empire. The Olympic Games reinforced the power of ancient rulers, brought peace with the surrounding nations, and created a reliable way to track time. These ancient games have had such an influence, that they are still continued in our modern society.

The olympic games were held every four years and lasted for five days. The first day was for sacrifices and the festivals, while the judges and competitors took oaths of fair dealing. The next three days were competition days, men competed in running, jumping, wrestling, horse and chariot, and pankration. The final day was for sacrifices, and a banquet was held for the winners. The winners received a crown of wild olive. Days before the Olympics people from all over Greece traveled to Olympia and camped on the plains. During this time wars were stopped or postponed three months in advance so everyone could travel to the games safely. The entertainment of the Olympics games brought Ancient Greek civilization together.

The Olympic games were an athletic competition help in Greece around every four years from 776 B.C.E. In 776 B.C.E, the first olympics were held in Athens where many competitors clashed during the sporting events. The olympics then stopped in 393 C.E. due to Theodosius I’s orders on stopping the olympic events. Later during 1896, the modern olympics began to take place. The olympics were different from the ancient olympics in that the competition was shaped due to social, political, and economic reasons.

The Greek city-states were often at war with one another. Throughout the course of the games the relationships between the states grew much stronger. But, if the games were scheduled during a time of war between some of the participating states a “Sacred Truce” was sent out to the states granting safe passage and one month of peace before the games began. This was always abided by and respected, because the Olympics had many religious ceremonies that were viewed as more important than war(The Olympic Games”).

The Greek games were very nationalistic and it is said that “states were said to have

While there are clear contrasts between the ancient and the modern Olympics there is still the respect for the athlete striving to perform at the highest level. Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest carnival of athletic skill and competitive spirit. They are displays of nationalism, commerce, and politics. These important elements of the Olympics are not a modern invention, as the first Olympics was in 776 BC in Ancient Greece. After 1503 years, in 1896 the Olympic Games were recreated as what we know today. The Ancient Games were once dedicated to the Olympian God, Zeus Olympios and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia, which is also how the word ‘Olympics’ originated from. The modern Olympics is the largest international sporting event, which feature both summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of respectable athletes from over 200 different nations compete against one another. There are clear contrast between the modern and ancient forms of the Olympic Games regarding uniforms, participants, religion, events, politics and the concept of amateurism. However both the Ancient Greeks and the people in the modern world still respect and admire the athletics achievements of the participants making the Olympics the most highly regarded contest in sport.

One exceptionally significant custom of the Greeks still observed today is the Olympics. These ancient games incorporated a concept of free athletic competition without bloodshed. If the Greeks

At regular intervals in antiquated Greece, rival city-states went into a formal cease-fire, putting aside political interest, lawful question and weapons of war to send their best competitors to the Olympic Games. Despite the fact that the first convention of the Olympics ceased to exist in the fifth century A.D., the perfect

This investigation will explore the question, what are the similarities and differences of the impact of sports in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome? The question is relevant because sports, much like today, were important pieces in society for Ancient Greeks and Romans. A major accomplishment for athletes today would be to be in the Olympics which originated in Greece showing there is an impact in modern time. The issue that will be addressed is how sports impacted the lives of Ancient Greeks and Romans. This investigation will focus on the time period of 900 BC to 300 CE to extend the analysis of sports in the locations of Greece and Rome.

In the monograph, The Ancient Olympics, Nigel Spivey examines how culture encourages and shapes the Olympic Games, as well as become a safe haven for ancient Greece during times of conflict. This multifaceted monograph demonstrates that the societal behavior of the Athenians shifted within prescribed roles regarding the use of violence, the imagery of true beauty, and the love for Greece’s youth during the games. In addition to shedding light on society’s enlightening interpretation of what occurs within the gymnasia, the Olympic Games redirect a whole new meaning to conflicts that arise on and off the Olympic stage. Although the concept of a multifaceted culture revolving around incessant conflict is not new to the study of ancient Greece, it is Spivey’s unique analysis of the impact of the Olympic Games that make his argument so compelling to his readers. Specifically, Spivey argues that the behaviors captured during the Olympic games in ancient Greece and Rome are synonymous with the shifts in cultural norms observed , as well as society’s reactions to incessant conflict surrounding ancient Greece, within and outside of the Olympic gymnasia.

The Olympic Games were held every four years at the same place, the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia, to honor Zeus. Most Greeks believed in the same group of Gods, though they did acknowledge that Zeus was the king of the Gods. That is why they worshiped him at the Games, by worshiping him at his holy city, they were honoring all of the Gods together. The competitors in the Games were either professional athletes or Aristocrats. There were no amateurs or women participating in the games. The spirit and the actual Games itself was good for the people. Most saw it good for the public’s spirit and a positive release of

The games were a very religious event but they also helped the Greeks in war. Boys would always grow up wanting to be like their dad in the Olympics. Because they wanted to be like their dad they would train all day. This helped in war because it would keep them very fit and able to march for a long time even with armour and swords.In the army, soldiers would have to march everywhere they went, becasue they didnt have cars and planes for transport. This took a lot of conditioning and they would have to do it in the hot sun. There was even and event in the Olympics where it was a race in in full military gear(Ross, 42). Athletes would dedicate their lives to the Olympics getting them strong an also ready for war. Athletes in wrestling and pankration were also trained for war because they knew how to fight in close quarter

The Olympic Games began around 776 BC. They were held at Olympia every four years, in honour of Zeus, who was the father and most powerful of all the gods ( Zeus is shown on the coin pictured opposite).