Sport in the Ancient World

    The Olympics have been around longer than Jesus Christ, being held every hour years since 776 B.C. However, unlike the ceremonies, and traditions we are used to today, the Ancient Greeks and Romans treated the Olympics in a much different way. For starters, the only participants were males of Roman and Greek decent. In Ancient Greece, to compete men first had to swear an oath to Zeus that they had been training hard for at least ten months and were ready and willing to put in an extra month of work in order to compete. There were strict rules laid down, such as athletes had to compete in the outfit of God, naked covered in yellow powder to honor their bodies and the bodies of their Gods. Athletes were a serious business, and treated like Gods. Irregardless of one's background, anyone could be an athlete, in fact it could become a lucrative profession.

  During the Ancient Greek Olympics there was a strong sense of tradition, ritual and ceremony. The only woman allowed to enter the stadium was Zeus' sister, a gesture to assure they would not be offended, since the stadium was located right next to their house. Unlike the Olympics today, the Ancient Olympics only consisted of fighting and sprinting, sports that required speed, strength and skill. The Olympics held a lot of religious tensions, since it was believed that whoever won the competition was said to be favored by the Gods.

 Much like the Ancient Greek Olympics, Ancient Roman  gladiators were seen in a godly light as well. They were treated like caged performing animals, hundred of gladiators lived in barrocks and trained intensely every day. They received savaged beatings and were fed high energy food, the  gladiators would have to fight and win in order to free themselves from these barrocks. Much like athletes today,  gladiators wore unique uniforms when competing, however, no one was allowed to be fully protecting, always having to expose one weakness. It was the job of the other  gladiators to identify these weaknesses, and fight to the death. Each time a Gladiator entered the coliseum, he had a 1 in 6 chance of dying. Those who won lots of battles acclaimed celebrity status.

  Much like in the ancient times, athletes today are seen as celebrities, and in some cultures they are even viewed as godlike. They go off to training facilities, but in better condition, and participate in a handful of more events, with a lot more variety. However, the Olympics still puts a focus on speed, strength and skill. While the Olympics is now open to men and woman of all nationalities, and they no longer compete naked, the Olympics still serves as a source of entertainment for spectators. But, perhaps the biggest difference of all is that, no one is fighting to the death, just for honor and pride for themselves, and the country they represent.



References:
"Ancient Olympia Part 1. " Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Wed 26 Jan. 2015
"Ancient Olympia Part 2." Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Web. 26 Jan 2015
"Gladiator Training." Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Wed. 26 Jan 2015.