What was included in the pentathlon at the ancient Olympic Games. What sports were at the Olympics in Ancient Greece? Interesting facts in the history of the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece
She expressed the opinion that based on a single picture it is impossible to judge the prevalence of the game, whether it is played by trained athletes or dancers ("an atypical plot, rarely encountered").
That women in Rome probably did not play sports (" why there are practically no images of women playing sports (although there are thousands of men, from mosaics to statues) why all contemporaries describe virtuous matrons and no one ever mentions that they periodically went in for sports?). And, the strongest statement is that the differences between us and the ancient Romans are so great that intuition will not help us, it is better not to rely on it. ("... that is, you are engaged in history, relying not on facts, but on intuition?))) Without hesitation, believing that two thousand years is a short period, and cultural, aesthetic, religious and other differences between us, Russian speakers in The 21st century and the ancient Romans are so insignificant that one intuition is enough to draw conclusions?)
There is no particular doubt that it would be better to know more, but:
1. Facts are often not enough. And for Ancient Greece there are fewer of them than for Rome. Well, not to believe in single artifacts?
2. About women's sports in antiquity. It is hard to believe that in a society where Physical Culture the male body was at its best, women did not go in for sports. At least for Greece, the example of Sparta is immediately recalled, where women underwent solid sports training, which they needed to keep the helots in obedience during the campaigns of the Spartan men. And other facts about the participation of ancient Greek women in physical activity requiring preparation were collected, for example, by Brett Mills.
Mills, Brett D. Women of Ancient Greece: Participating in Sport?
As for Rome, let's remember at least about women gladiators. This is a species that requires outstanding physical qualities and training. These are not some virtuous matrons, of course. Lesser Roman women could also play sports, and this reduced their chance of getting on the mosaics.
3. I mainly rely not on intuition, but rather on the observation that there are certain connections between the level of technology, society, society, including sports. I see in the Greeks and Romans a serious rational basis, manifested in their technology, philosophy, and organization of society. A rational approach frees from prejudice. And I believe that the ancient woman was already emancipated enough for sports.
Let's try again to talk about ancient sports in an area where artifacts are almost always single.
These are sports that were non-systemic, were not included in the Olympics program, but they existed in society.
The range of sports and competitions in Ancient Greece was always wider than the program of the Olympic Games.
Suffice it to recall that the games themselves developed from a single stadia race (192.27 m) to a program that required 5 days (6-4 centuries BC) - by expanding the program, adding many sports and their varieties.
So, at the 14th Olympic Games (724 BC), the program included diaulos - a run for the 2nd stage, and 4 years later - a dolichodrome (run for endurance), the distance of which ranged from 7 to 24 stages; on the 18th (708 BC) wrestling and pentathlon (pentathlon) competitions were held for the first time, which included, in addition to wrestling and the stadium, jumping, as well as javelin and discus throwing; on the 23rd (688 BC) fisticuffs were included in the competition program, on the 25th games (680 BC) chariot races were added (drawn by four adult horses, over time this type of program expanded 5-4 centuries BC, chariot races began to be held, harnessed by a pair of adult horses, young horses or mules); at the 33rd Olympic Games (648 BC), horse racing appeared in the program of the Games (in the middle of the 3rd century BC horse racing began to be held) and pankration, a martial art that combined elements wrestling and fisticuffs with minimal restrictions on "forbidden tricks". Varieties were also introduced in running disciplines: running in full armor (i.e., with a helmet, with a shield and weapons), running of heralds and trumpeters, alternating running and chariot racing.
From the 37th Games (632 BC), young men under the age of 20 began to participate in competitions. At first, competitions in this age category included only running and wrestling, over time, pentathlon, fisticuffs and pankration were added to them. In addition to athletic competitions, an art competition was also held at the Olympic Games, which has become an official part of the program since the 84th Games (444 BC).
http://www.krugosvet.ru/enc/istoriya/OLIMPISKIE_IGRI_DREVNE_GRETSII.html
So, there was always a circle of physical activities and exercises, which replenished the program of games and existed in parallel with them. There were competitions that never made it to the Olympics, but were popular in some circles and places. Information about such competitions is scattered and random, but there are.
Let's list some.
Weight lifting competitions.
There are images of this sport on vases. Or weight training.
Lifting weights - drawing on a vase 5 c. BC. IMAGE: The Art Archive/Corbis
Lifting weights - vase circa 450 BC Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images.
A wooden handle was sometimes inserted into such stones. Like the stone below
On the island of Thera, another stone was found, weighing 480 kg, with the inscription: "Eumast, the son of Critobol, tore me off the ground." Is this a joke? Did the Greeks joke like that? Or an amazing but real fact?
There are several more antique stones that were used for throwing, weighing 40-60 kg each.
Jumping into the water from the tower.
High jumper.c.480 BC Ceiling fresco in a Greek tomb in Paestum, Italy. Height 102 cm. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Paestum
Although the proof of the development of this sport is single, it is difficult to refuse the presence of such a sport, since the Greeks were excellent swimmers, this is known.
Ball games.
There were many of them, and there were team games. Among these games you can find similarities with rugby, football, volleyball, handball, even baseball and field hockey. It is surprising that none of them made it to the program of the ancient Olympics. The Olympics were fundamentally connected with individual species sports.
Something like football. National Museum of Archeology in Athens
Something like volleyball, judging by the way the ball is kicked.
Roman fresco, 1st c. with volleyball players.
An athlete with a ball on a mosaic from Ostia, another "volleyball player". It is interesting that the antique ball is sewn from hexagons (leather?), like its modern counterparts.
Ball dance? The prototype of an element of rhythmic gymnastics?
A game like handball or, in other words, cricket. It's a game ephedrasmos, but its rules are unknown. Metropolitan Museum of Art
Something like baseball? Drawing on a phase sherd from Corinth. Although the analogy may be wrong.
The Greek rugby-type game is a prototype of the Roman Harpastum. But the Roman word is a copy of the Greek.
National Museum of Archeology in Athens
Acrobatics.
The Greeks had well-developed acrobatics - walking on stilts, on a rope, exercises on a rope.
This is not quite a sport, rather, a type of performance, but acrobatics directly borders on sports, for women - on rhythmic gymnastics.
Acrobatic women.
Different types of acrobatics on a tightrope
Images of a tightrope walker.
Juggling.
Short review non-systemic sports allows, it seems to me, to find something in common. Namely, that they are on the border with the Olympic sports and the general tasks of physical training in Ancient Greece - readiness not only for war (where everything is useful), but also for peace, for the creation of a complete personality.
It can be assumed that new sports appeared in the training of athletes and spread into everyday life. That is, systemic and non-systemic sports make up physical culture as a whole. And it is impossible to neglect the evidence of non-systemic sports.
Let's compare this period of active institutionalization of sports in ancient Greece (6-5 centuries BC) with the spread of sports in the 19th century and early 20th century.
It was then that the rules of the competition were thought out, new sports were created, and women took part in sports.
Based on this systemic feature, it can be judged that single artifacts confirm the similarity of antiquity and recent history- in relation to society and its culture.
The content of the article about the ancient Olympic Games in Greece:
- Beginning of the Olympic Games
- Participants of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece
- Dawn of the Olympic Games
- sunset of the olympic games
- The tradition of holding the Olympic Games has been revived today. The first Olympic Games of our time took place in the 19th century, and today they are considered the most prestigious world sports competitions.
Beginning of the Olympic Games
The first Olympic Games in ancient Greece
The very first Olympic Games in ancient Greece were held in 776 BC. All subsequent games were held once every four years. From that moment, the records of the winners of the games began and the order of their conduct was established. The Olympics started every leap year, in the month of the ceremony corresponding to the modern period of time from the end of June to the middle of July.
History has kept a large number of versions that substantiate the origin of the tradition of holding these sports. Most of these versions have the appearance of legends, one way or another connected with the gods and heroes of Ancient Hellas. For example, the first place in the list is occupied by a legend according to which the king of Elis named Ifit went to Delphi, where he received a message from the priestess of Apollo. The people of Elis by this time were exhausted by the constant armed rivalry of the Greek policies, and therefore the gods ordered sports and athletic festivities to be arranged. 
The participants of the Olympic Games lived on the outskirts of Altis, where a month before the opening of the competition they trained in palestra and gymnastics. This tradition has become the prototype of the Olympic village, which has a place in modern games. The expenses for the accommodation of athletes in Olympia, the preparation of competitions and various religious ceremonies, were borne either by the athletes themselves - participants in the games, or by the city from which they performed.
Dawn of the Olympic Games
There is a reliable historical fact that during the Olympic Games ceased any hostilities. This tradition was called ekeheria, according to which the warring parties were obliged to lay down their arms. It was also forbidden to carry out court cases, the execution of executions was postponed until later. Violators of the rule of ekeheria were punished with a fine.
Types of Olympic Games in Ancient Greece
Paramount, and apparently the most popular sport included in the program of the ancient Olympic Games, was running. There is even evidence that an ancient king named Endymion arranged a running competition among his sons, and as a reward the winner received a kingdom.
There were several types of running competitions. First of all, it was an analogue of the modern sprint, sprinting - in fact, from one end of the stadium to the other. The distance was 192 meters and was called the "Olympic stage". Athletes performed in these competitions completely naked. Distance running was the very first and only competition in the history of the Olympic Games and remained so until the thirteenth Olympiad. Starting from the fourteenth, the so-called "double run" was added to the competition. Athletes had to run from one end of the stadium to the other, then run around the post and return to the starting point. A long run was added to the program of the fifteenth Olympic Games in addition to the above running competitions. Initially, it included seven stages, but in subsequent years, the length of the distances changed. The runners ran the stage, ran around the pole, returned to the start, and turned back around the other pole.
In 520 BC, during the 65th Olympiad, another type of running competition appeared - “hoplite running”. Athletes ran two distances in full armor - they had a helmet, greaves and a shield. In later Olympics, only the shield was left among the weapons.
Also among the types of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece were martial arts. It should be noted that the death of an athlete during the fights was not something special, and even a dead fighter could be appointed the winner.
Starting from the 18th Olympiad, wrestling was included in the program of the games. It was forbidden to strike, it was possible to fight only with the help of pushes. There were two main positions - standing and on the ground. In Greek, there were many names for various techniques. 
Five Olympics later, fisticuffs appeared among martial arts. It was impossible to kick the enemy, to make grabs and trips. Hands were wrapped with special straps, making this type of competition one of the most dangerous. Sources that have survived to this day vividly describe the damage caused by such blows. The fighter who won without receiving a single blow from the enemy deserved special respect. If the wrestlers got tired, they were given a rest break. If there was no way to identify the winner, then a certain number of blows were assigned, which the opponents inflicted on each other in turn, while it was impossible to defend themselves. The one who voluntarily surrendered by raising his hand was considered the loser.
In 648 BC, during the 33rd Olympiad, the so-called "pankration" appeared. This type of martial arts included kicks and punches. It was allowed to use choking techniques, but it was impossible to gouge out the eyes and bite. At first it was a competition only for adult men, and then, starting from the 145th Olympiad, pankration was also introduced for young men.
Later, the pentathlon was added to the program of the games. In ancient Greece, this sport was called "pentathlon". From the name, you can guess that this type of sports consisted of five different sports - they began with a long jump, then there were one-distance running, discus throwing, and javelin throwing. The fifth sport was wrestling. To date, there is no exact information about how the winner was determined. It is believed that all participants were divided into pairs and competed with each other. As a result, there was one, the last pair. The long jump was distinguished by a special technique. Athletes jumped straight from the spot, without running up, and dumbbells were used to increase the distance of the jump.
Horse racing also took place among the Olympic competitions. It is noteworthy that women participate in them, since not riders were announced as the winner, but the owners of animals and chariots. Over the years of the existence of the Olympic Games, horse racing has changed. At first, these were quadriga races, then, starting from the 33rd Olympiad, horse racing was added to them. On the 93rd, chariot racing appeared, in which two horses were harnessed. Competitions were divided into two categories - young stallions competed in one, and adult horses competed in the other.
How the Olympic Games were held in ancient Greece
The start date of the event was set by a commission specially created for this, about which then special people, called spondophores, informed residents of other Greek states. Athletes came to Olympia a month before the start of the games, during which time they had to train under the guidance of experienced coaches.
The course of the competition was watched by judges - elladoniki. In addition to the judicial function, the duties of the Helladonics included the organization of the entire Olympic holiday. 
Each athlete, before speaking to the people, had to prove to the judges that during the ten months before the start of the games, he was intensively preparing for the competition. The oath was taken near the statue of Zeus.
Initially, the duration of the Olympic Games was 5 days, but later it reached a month. The first and last day of the Games was devoted to religious rituals and ceremonies.
The public learned about the sequence of holding a certain type of competition with the help of a special sign. Those wishing to take part in it had to determine their order by drawing lots.
Olympic Games Winners in Ancient Greece
The winners of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece were called Olympionists. They became famous throughout Greece, they were met with honor in their homeland, as athletes represented at the games not only themselves, but also the city-state from where they arrived. In the event of a three-time victory in the games, a bust was erected in Olympia in honor of such an athlete. The winner was rewarded with an olive wreath, and he also stood on a pedestal, the function of which was performed by a bronze tripod and took palm branches in his hands. Also, a small cash bonus was given as a reward, but he received the real benefits already upon returning home. At home, he received many different privileges.
One of the most famous Olympionists is Milo of Croton. He won his very first victory in wrestling in 540 BC, during the 60th Olympiad. Later, between 532 and 516, he won five times, and only at the age of 40 lost to a younger athlete, failing to receive Olympian status for the seventh time.
A wrestler named Sostratus, originally from Sicyon, won the pankration three times. His secret was that he broke the fingers of opponents, for which he received the nickname Finger.
There are cases when the winners were the dead participants. For example, Arichion from Philagea was strangled during a duel, but his opponent declared his defeat, as he could not endure the pain of a broken toe. To the applause of the audience, the corpse of Arichion was awarded the victor's olive wreath.
Artemidorus, who arrived from Thrall, is famous for having to compete in youth group competitions, but could not stand the insult of an adult pankration wrestler. After that, Artemidor moved to the adult group and became the champion.
Among the famous runners, the Rhodes athlete Leonid can be noted. Over the course of four Olympics, he became a leader in various running competitions.
Astil from Croton became the six-time Olympic champion. He is also famous for the fact that, in the first competitions, he represented Croton, and in the next two, another city - Syracuse. In retaliation, the inhabitants of Croton made a prison room out of his dwelling and destroyed the memorial statue.
There have been whole dynasties of winners in the history of the Olympic Games. For example, Poseidor's grandfather named Diagoras and his uncles also became champions - Olympians.
In addition, many well-known thinkers of antiquity in our time did not interfere with their mental activity from participating in various sports competitions. For example, the famous Pythagoras was not only strong in mathematics, but at one time was better known as a boxing champion, that is, fisticuffs, and the thinker Plato broke the foundations not only in philosophy, but also in the arena, becoming a champion in pankration.
sunset of the olympic games
In the second century BC. The Olympic Games began to lose their great significance, turning into local competitions. This is due to the conquest of ancient Greece by the Romans. The reasons for the loss of former popularity are considered by several factors. One of them is the professionalism of athletes, when the games became in fact a collection of victories from the Olympians. The Romans, under whose rule Greece was, perceived sports only as a spectacle, they were not interested in the competitive spirit of the Olympics.
Who Banned the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece
The end of the thousand-year history of the Olympic Games was the result of a change in religion. They were closely intertwined with the Greek pagan gods, so their holding became impossible after the adoption of the Christian faith. 
Researchers associate the ban on the Olympic Games with a certain Roman emperor, Theodosius. It is he who publishes in 393 AD. a code of laws prohibiting paganism, and the Olympic Games, in accordance with these new legislative acts, become completely prohibited. Only centuries later, in 1896, the tradition of holding the sports Olympic Games was revived.
Ancient Olympic Games the dawn of modern sports. The history of sports has more than one millennium. Various sports competitions, such as archery, fisticuffs, horseback riding, belt wrestling, javelin throwing, were already held in early states in the 4th-3rd millennium BC. e. IN ancient india polo, chess, field hockey, popular to this day, were born. In Persia, schools were created in which children were taught horse riding and throwing darts.
In Egypt, thousands of years ago, more than 400 types of physical exercises and games were widespread, including competitions in running, jumping, weight lifting, and fencing.
In ancient Greece, which became the birthplace Olympic Games, physical culture and sports have reached the highest development. For the ancient Hellenes, sport was inextricably linked with mental, aesthetic and moral development, it was the basis for the harmonious development of the individual. "He can't read or swim," - that's what they said in ancient Greece about an uncultured person. Acquaintance with the elements of sports among the citizens of Ancient Greece began from childhood. In gymnasiums and palestras, they not only studied literacy, poetry, music and drawing, but also studied exercise participated in gymnastic competitions. Competitiveness is the main principle public life Ancient Greece. For the Greeks, the goal of such competitive education was the good of the state society. Each Athenian had to develop his "I" by competition so that he could bring the greatest benefit to society and the least harm to society.
It was in ancient Greece that sports and sports games arose and gained great popularity. There were many sports games then - Nemean, Pythian, Isthmian, but the most popular were Olympic Games which have become a cultural phenomenon. They have become the quintessence and practical embodiment of the unity of body, will and mind. Next in importance are the Pythian Games. They were held in Delphi and were dedicated to Apollo, the patron saint of Delphi. The third most popular games were the Isthmian, held on the Isthmian Isthmus near Corinth and dedicated to Poseidon. The Nemean games in honor of Zeus in the northeast of the Peloponnese closed the "prestigious four". The Olympic and Pythian games took place every four years, like the modern winter and summer Olympics, and the Isthmian and Nemean games - once every two years. The awards to the winners were wreaths from the branches and leaves of various symbolic plants, since in Hellas wreaths were considered a particularly honorable award: at the Olympic Games - from the leaves of the olive tree, at the Pythian - from laurel, at the Isthmian - from pine, and at the Nemean - from ... celery .
Olympic Games Ancient Greece was a religious and sports festival held in the city of Olympia (Alpheus River Valley, Elis region), in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese. Olympia is often confused with Olympus, the mountain where the gods of ancient Greece lived. But near Olympus antique Olympic Games
, despite the obvious consonance, have never been performed. Information about the origin of the Games is lost, but several myths and legends describing this event have survived. According to one of the legends, the famous Hercules, the son of Zeus, invented and organized the first Games - the one who performed his 12 legendary feats. In honor of one of them, they began to hold Olympic Games. It is believed that Hercules measured the distance for running with his own feet - 600 feet. This is how one of the most common measures of length appeared in ancient Greece, it was called the "stage". It is believed that the word stadium originated from here. Some sources claim that the Greek stadium is the length of the stadium at Olympia, 192.27 m. The physical definition of this unit of length is intricate: a stadion equals the distance that a person walks at a calm pace during the time from the appearance of the first ray of the sun at sunrise to the moment when the disk the sun will be entirely above the horizon. This time is approximately equal to two minutes. The first in the history of sports Olympic Games took place in 776 BC. e. Participation in the Games was considered an honor and required great responsibility.
During antique Olympic Games
not only sports competitions were held. Poets read poetry, musicians performed their best works, orators competed in eloquence. Such titans of thought as Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, Herodotus considered it an honor to visit these significant events that take place every four years.
Antique Olympic The games included the following competitions:
running (running per stage - 192 m, double run - two stages, long run - seven stages, running in full armor (hoplite run) - running in two stages in a helmet, leggings and with a shield);
Martial arts:
- fist fight. The fighters who managed to win without getting hit by an opponent were especially respected. The rules in fisticuffs prohibited grabbing an opponent, tripping and kicking. The fighters wrapped their hands with leather belts, however, this type of competition was considered the most dangerous. Ancient authors depict broken noses, broken teeth and crumpled ears in athletes. The death of an athlete in a duel was not something exceptional;
- pankration - hand-to-hand combat, in which punches and kicks and wrestling techniques were combined. Choking was allowed, biting and eye gouging were prohibited. This type of competition was introduced in antique Olympic Games in honor of the mythical founder of the games, Hercules, who managed to defeat a huge lion only by strangling him, because the lion's skin was invulnerable to weapons;
- struggle. The rules forbade strikes, but pushes were allowed;
Pentathlon - pentathlon, which included running on the stage, discus throwing, javelin throwing, long jump and wrestling. All events were held on the same day in a certain order, starting with jumps. It is not known exactly how the winner in the pentathlon was determined. According to one of the historians, the athletes were divided into pairs and competed with each other. The winner was considered to have won three types of competitions from the opponent. Then the winners competed among themselves until the final pair remained. Aristotle believed that the pentathlon most harmoniously develops the athlete's body. The jumping technique was distinguished by its originality: the athlete used dumbbells in his hands to increase the distance of the jump. Max jump distance antique the authors reached 15 m. It is not known whether this was an exaggeration of the authors or the jump consisted of several stages, like a modern triple jump. According to modern researchers based on images on ancient Greek vases, the athlete jumped without a run, from a place;
horse races (chariot races, horse races). This is the only type of competition in which women could participate, because the owners of horses and chariots, and not jockeys, were declared champions. Unlike running and martial arts, only rich Greeks and royalty could take part in the races, who could afford to keep horses. It was the owners of the horses, and not the drivers, who were considered the winners.
Competitions of trumpeters and heralds were introduced to the program of the Games in order to show that in a healthy body the spirit is healthy, capable of perceiving beauty. All Greeks knew how to swim, and perhaps because it was an ordinary skill (the same as literacy), swimming was not included in the program of the Games. Only pure-blooded Greeks (Greeks) could take part in the competitions, while the rest, who were considered barbarians, could only watch. It may seem surprising, but the ancient games are no longer like the first Olympics, resumed in late XIX century, but the Olympic Games of our time. They showed early professionalism. Judge for yourself: when the athletes arrived at Olympia, they had to swear that they had been training for a year before. And then they were given another month of training - for the final preparation for the competition. It was quite expensive to be such a professional. Athletes during the preparation for the games
included in their diet a large amount of meat, which was not cheap and was a luxury (mostly the Greeks ate fish, vegetables and grains).
Already in ancient Greece, people appeared who sponsored and outbid athletes. Cases of bribing rivals have been witnessed.
It is curious that the ancient Greeks had no football, no field hockey, and even less volleyball with basketball - no team sports at all. The team spirit of the Hellenes was not developed at all. There were serious injuries and deaths of athletes in competitions, especially in sports such as chariot riding (the turns on the track were very steep), pankration and fisticuffs. There was only one winner in the competition. No second, third, or any consolation places were awarded. The winner, who was called an Olympionist, got glory and honor. Olympionik could, at his own expense or with someone else's money, erect a monument to himself in Olympia. And in his native policy, a monument was erected at the expense of the city. Usually, outstanding Olympionists had a lifelong right to occupy honorary positions, eat free of charge, etc. If during the war the enemies captured them, they did not execute them, so as not to incur the wrath of the gods. In Sparta, they were given the right to fight alongside the king during battles. It was especially prestigious to become a periodonist - an athlete who won all four major tournaments - the Olympic, Pythian, Isthmian and Nemean games. When a periodonist returned home, part of the city wall was dismantled in his policy: if such a person is in the city, then the walls are not needed.
It is believed that in the entire history of the games of antiquity periodonics managed to become
athletes, some - several times.
And yet, in spite of the fact that ancient olympic games participants could be seriously injured or even die, and in case of a loss, they could be subjected to a humiliating stigmatization procedure, Olympics of antiquity were quite humane. For comparison: the morals of the ancient Romans were much more cruel - they loved gladiator fights and baiting animals.
Ancient Olympic Games lasted from one to five days and were a significant event in the life of the Greek policies. One part of these days was devoted to competitions, the other to religious rites and feasts in honor of the winners. The Games combined sports, religion and trade, gathering 40-60 thousand people each - a colossal figure for those times! People talked, argued, poets read their poems. At the time of the Olympics, the Greek policies, which were often at war, concluded a truce, however, they also violated it quite often. By the way (and this makes the competitions of antiquity and modernity related), spectators were forbidden to bring wine to the stadium. On the wall of a sports facility in Delphi, there is still an inscription about a fine of 10 drachmas for bringing wine. To the beginning of the 5th century BC. e. - the amount is large.
The Olympic Games essentially lost their importance with the advent of the Romans. After Christianity became the official religion, the games began to be seen as a manifestation of paganism, and in 394 A.D. e. they were banned by Emperor Theodosius I. They first brought together athletes and spectators in the eighth century BC - in 776 and lasted almost 1200 years. Many documents, buildings and sculptures of that period have come down to us from history. If you look closely, we will notice that all the sculptures show the bodies of people - and not just any bodies, but beautiful ones. At that period of history, the cult of beautiful forms for buildings and the cult of beautiful bodies were widespread. “A healthy mind in a healthy body” - this is how one of the ideas and reasons for the appearance of such beautiful sculptures can be described.
However, then the entire sports culture that the Greeks created and developed for many centuries was forgotten. Something inexplicable happened: a person lost the sport in the form in which it existed in the structure of ancient culture. Only folk holidays have survived, in which games with elements of sports competitions were, as it were, a detail, an addition to the holiday. The element of competition has disappeared from sport: sport has become a pleasant leisure, fun, pleasure. Before late XVIII For centuries, sport has been considered mainly as a pastime, entertainment.
Feb 11 2014
I have already written about the history and traditions of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece. Today I would like to tell you about the sports in which ancient Greek athletes competed, as well as to tell some interesting stories about the failures and achievements of athletes of the distant past.
Run
From the 1st to the 13th Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, there was only one type of competition: running 192 meters, that is, from one end of the stadium to the other. A distance of 192 meters was considered one Olympic stage. Then they introduced running competitions to the double Olympic stage. One of the greatest runners of antiquity, whose name has been preserved by history, was Leonidas of Rhodes. In the II century BC, he took part in 4 Olympiads and came to the finish line first 12 times.
Running on a double stage, that is, 384 meters, was introduced in 724 BC and ran like this. Athletes had to run to the opposite end of the stadium, go around the pole and return to the starting line
In 720 BC, the so-called long run was introduced. The distance was 7 stages, 1344 meters. Sometimes it was further increased, bringing it up to 24 stages (4608 meters).
Another running discipline is hoplite running. In other sports (except for this and horse racing), including running, athletes competed completely naked. In the hoplite run, the athlete had to overcome 384 meters as quickly as possible in a helmet, greaves and with a shield in hand. Later, only the shield was left. This species was added in 520 BC at the 65th Olympic Games of Ancient Greece. Usually the hoplite run was the final part of the entire Olympics.
martial arts
Starting from 688 BC (the 23rd ancient Olympic Games), fisticuffs were introduced into the Olympics program. Most often, the victory was won by those fighters who managed to defeat the enemy without receiving a single blow. According to the rules, it was impossible to trip up an opponent, kick him, bite him, scratch out his eyes. The fighters put on protective leather straps on their hands. Athletes came out of the fight with broken teeth, broken noses, numerous bruises and fractures. Death from injuries was quite rare, although it did happen. However, a dead athlete could still be named the winner.
Important!
Doctors believed that fisticuffs were an excellent remedy for chronic headaches.
At the 72nd Olympiad in Ancient Greece, which was held in 492 BC, Cleomedes of Astypalea killed Ikkas of Epidaurus in a fistfight. The fighter was stripped of the title of winner. One of the first boxers whose name is remembered in the history of sports was Tisander from Naxos, who defeated all opponents during 4 Olympiads.
The second type of martial arts was introduced in 648 BC for men and in 200 BC for boys - pankration. In this type of hand-to-hand combat, not only punches, but also kicks, as well as all kinds of grabs, were allowed. The name "pankration" consists of two words: "pan" and "kratos", which means "with all my strength." It was impossible to bite an opponent, but it was possible to choke. Participating in the third battle of the pankration, Arichion from Figalea was strangled by the enemy and died. The judges still recognized him as the winner, because the opponent agreed to defeat, because the pain from Arichion's broken toe was unbearable. A laurel wreath was put on the lifeless body in honor of the victory. Sostratus from Sicyon became famous for holding the opponent's hands in battle and breaking the phalanxes of his fingers. At the 212th Olympiad, a certain Artemidorus of Thrall, who was supposed to fight alongside the youths, was insulted by an older participant. The guy could not bear it and went out to fight in pankration against the offender. He not only took revenge, but also became the strongest fighter among men.
In 708 BC wrestling appeared among the competitions. In it, only pushes were allowed, but any blows were forbidden. They fought both on earthen and sandy surfaces. Milon from Croton became the winner among the youths at one of the Olympics. It is curious that the wrestler was only 14, and some other opponents in his age category were 18-19 years old. The guy was so strong that he could break the rope tied around his head, bringing himself to the point where his veins bulged.
Pentathlon
Pentathlon is the first pentathlon in the program of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece. Athletes competed in wrestling, stage running, long jump, discus throw and javelin throw. This type of competition was added in 708 BC.
All disciplines of the pentathlon were held on the same day. Athletes were divided into pairs and competed with each other. If someone defeated an opponent in 3 out of 5 disciplines, he was considered the winner. The winners competed among themselves until the final winner was determined. Aristotle believed that pentathlon is the best sport for the harmonious development of the body.
During long jump competitions, athletes held dumbbells in their hands to jump further.
horse racing
Horse racing is the only sport where a woman could be declared the winner. No, they themselves did not ride or ride in a chariot. It was just that the owner of the horse and chariot was recognized as the champion, and not the one who controlled them.
Warning!
The first female Olympic champion is the sister of the King of Sparta Kiniska
In 680 BC, races called "quadrig" were introduced into the program of the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece, in 648 BC. horse racing was added, in 408 BC. - racing chariots drawn by two horses. There were two age categories among the athletes: boys and men. Among the horses there are also two: horses and stallions.
The quadriga consisted of overcoming 12 laps on the hippodrome. Very often the chariots turned over, and the drivers remained crippled. Not everyone could take part in the races, but only royalty and very rich citizens. At the 68th Olympiad, which took place in 508 BC, at the very beginning of the race, one of the horses threw off the rider. Nevertheless, she ran the whole distance, turned where she was supposed to and crossed the finish line first. The victory was awarded to the owner of the horse, and the jockey was sent in disgrace to heal his wounds.
Creative competitions
In 396 BC, special disciplines were introduced: competitions of trumpeters and heralds. The Greeks and Romans were sure that for harmony a person must be developed not only physically, but spiritually. The Hellenes received great aesthetic pleasure from music. During the Olympic Games, poets read their poems, artists organized exhibitions of their paintings. At the end of the games, sculptors were asked to make statues of the winners, and poets were asked to compose songs of praise.
In ancient Greece in the period from 776 BC. e. until the end of the 4th century AD. e. competitions called Antique Olympias were held at regular intervals some games.
The Greeks themselves trace the history of athletic competitions to the 13th century. BC e. - the era of the life of a mythical hero who performed feats in wrestling and pankration. There is also mention of athletic competitions in the immortal Iliad: during the siege of Troy, in memory of the murdered Patroclus and under the leadership of Achilles, competitions were arranged. Male participants competed in running, full-armed fist fighting, wrestling, discus throwing, and archery.
Most common disciplines
The most popular and main types of competitions were varieties of running: long run - from seven stages to twenty-four stages (from 1344 m to 4608 m); double run - distances in two stages (up to 384 m); stage run (distance 192 m). The Olympiads were distinguished by the names of the winners (from 1 to 13 competitions), the greatest of which was Leonidas of Rhodes, who won twelve victories in four Olympiads in the 2nd century. BC e. He was most adept at running hoplites (in full combat armor) for two stages in full hoplite combat gear, and later in the nude with a shield.
For the first time, wrestling, standing and on soft ground, was introduced into athletic competitions at the 18th Olympiad and represented pushes, various techniques and positions of wrestling equipment.
A fistfight follows at the 23rd Olympiad. Fisticuffs were considered the most dangerous type of competition (deaths were not ruled out) despite the fact that the fighters wrapped their hands with leather belts, they were forbidden to use footboards, gripping an opponent or kicking.
At the 33rd Olympiad, pankration (fist fight) is included in athletic competitions. This discipline included punches, kicks, strangulation, finger fractures and elements of wrestling techniques, while biting or eye gouging was prohibited.
At the 18th Olympiad, the pentathlon (pentathlon) was added, consisting of a long jump, stadion running, javelin and discus throwing, and wrestling.
The first chariot race was the sister of the king of Sparta, Kiniska, in such a form of Olympic competition as horse racing, because the owners of the chariots, not the riders, became champions. The history of the development of horse racing at the Olympic Games consisted of several stages: starting from 680 BC. e. (25th Olympiad) quadriga races appeared, then in 648 BC. e. - horse racing, and from 408 BC. e. (93rd Olympiad) - chariot races.
A natural combination of sport and aesthetic pleasure was the competition of heralds and trumpeters (in 396 BC at the 96th Olympiad).
All types of competitions at the Olympic Games in Antiquity were divided into competitions according to age categories - between men and boys.
