

In truth, there were separate games for women in Olympia dedicated to the goddess Herea which consisted of wrestling, foot, and chariot races. Only men were allowed to compete in the ancient Greek games. The Emperor Nero arranged a special Olympiad and not surprisingly triumphed in a musical event that he himself had designed.Ģ. The Roman emperor Tiberius not only participated as a youth in the Olympic games but won the four-horse chariot race. By the Roman era, other nationalities had sullied the ethnic purity of the Greek games. The other points in her brief article are less clear or clearly off target.ġ) The Olympic games only open to people of Greek descent. The Winter Olympics are, as she puts it,"a modern invention." Duddleson's characterization of the winter games. On the other hand, no one would disagree with Ms. They were closed to women though it's said that a mother who wanted to see her son disguised herself as a male trainer (after this, all trainers and athletes had to enter the stadia in the buff). They were dedicated to the Greek God Zeus, and the games were held in Olympia. Initially the Ancient Olympics which date at least from 776 BC were pretty much as Ms. Duddleson's six points need to be corrected or placed in broader context. Certainly the Ancient Olympics and early Modern Olympics need far more attention than they receive. I was pleased to see that George Mason University student Kelley Duddleson had called our attention to differences between the modern and ancient Olympics. Watterson is the author of College Football: History, Spectacle, Controversy (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000).

Only the first modern Olympics has been held in Greece, though the next games will be as well.īy John Sayle Watterson. The ancient games were always held in Olympia. Two hundred and fifty-eight athletes participated from seventeen countries. The first winter Olympics was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. The ancient Greeks never thought of featuring skiing or other cold-weather events (for obvious reasons). The current Salt Lake City Olympics feature 15 types of events, each with a Gold, Bronze, and Silver medalist (except when a game is rigged by the French, in which case two gold medals are given).

A crown of olive leaves was placed on his head and a statue in his image was erected in Olympia. The ancient Olympics yielded only one winner. Frenchman Pierre baron De Coubertin, who helped revive the Olympic games in the nineteenth century, insisted that they feature the international competition of athletes. A hundred oxen were typically given as a sacrifice. The ancient Olympic games were held as a religious event to honor the Greek God, Zeus. They participated in croquet games in the 1900 Olympics. The first women to compete in the Olympics were Marie Ohnier and Mme.
#CHARIOT RACES OLYMPIC GAMES FREE#
Athletic training in ancient Greece was part of every free male citizen's education. Only a few hundred athletes participated in the ancient games. The Salt Lake City Olympics featured 2600 athletes from 77 countries. The ancient Olympic games only allowed people of Greek descent to participate.
