The Olympic games of ancient Greece was considered the "ultimate athletic event". They fought naked because their bodies were considered to be glorified and perfect. Religion was considered a big part of the Olympics. Those who earned the championship title were considered to be favored by gods. The Olympics were a form of entertainment for all the citizens. Some of the events were boxing, wrestling, sprinting etc.
In Rome Gladiators fought until death. I kind of knew this based on watching the movie gladiator. They would participate in these games in order to regain their freedom that was once taken away from them. These games were a form of entertainment which audiences admired.
It's interesting to me that those who won battles or the championship title were considered to be favored by the gods. Often times in today's sports society we see athletes praying (Tim Tebow) in order to presumably gain a competitive advantage. Similarly, their is something of a hero worship of athletes in the U.S. today in which athletes themselves are treated like Gods. It's amazing how the ancient roots in sports culture are still resonant today.
ReplyDelete-Reid Chaloupka
In a way, Gladiators fought because they were forced to, or had no other option. Do you think that there are athletes today that practice their sport as a form as "survival" or because they need to? -Rosy
ReplyDelete