GREECE:
In Greece they played sports NAKED. They played sports such as the discus toss, wrestling, boxing, triple-jump, and other sports we don't have now such as the 4-horse chariot race. These sports have rules and regulations similar to those we still have today.The biggest sporting event was Olympia -- seen as the ancient roots of the modern Olympic Games.
In Greece, spectators went to the games to see blood! Athletes dedicated themselves to Zeus and the purpose of the games were for religious reasons and entertainment. The winners were seen as son's of the God's and received an elevated status in society. Winning was everything. The winner in the 100m dash won millions of dollars in rewards and endorsements. All the runners knew that after the race there would only be wealth and glory for one of them, and similarly to today the loser would be forgotten.
Only white men participated. Women weren't even allowed in the games.
ROME:
In Rome, Gladiators were viewed as spectacle. Gladiators can be really anyone in society even prisoners of war. These people become a caged, performing animals. Every second of his day is spent preparing for this in barbaric-like special facilities. The training of Gladiators is similar to that of Roman soldiers. They both need to be conditioned to kill. They are fed high energy food and endure beatings.
When the crowd roars and one Gladiator wins, they have become a freed man. Similar to Greece, only men can compete.
No Gladiators are fully protected, so spectators cheer for one man to hit the other in the weak spot.The spectators at these events are the Roman people. They were obsessed with gladiator fights. Winning Gladiators are seen as a kind of celebrity.
I liked how you made connections between the past and present especially the example you gave of, "all the runners knew that after the race there would only be wealth and glory for one of them, and similarly to today the loser would be forgotten". I think it was a good connection you made. I also liked how you referred to Rome as a spectacle. If I had one question it would be if the sports of Ancient Rome have any similarities to modern sports?
ReplyDeleteAusten Mayemura
Excellent detail when describing the specifics of the games. You show how the winners of the Olympic games are much more celebrated than the gladiators who win in Rome. Pointing out that gladiators were never fully protected during their sword fights is important especially when comparing to the sport-like Olympics. I like how you also showed the relevance of religion with the Olympics and how winners were seen as favored by the Gods.
ReplyDeleteAustin Cannell