Friday 30 January 2015
A Video on the Ancient Games
This video gives a little more detail about the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MthUbt6p1cg
Thursday 29 January 2015
Sports in the Ancient Games
In the Ancient Greek Olympics there were only 10 sports; 4 running races, boxing, wrestling, horse riding, pancretium, pentathlon and of course chariot racing.
The sports such as running, wrestling and pentathalon are pretty well known and so is boxing, but boxing was played differently in Ancient Greece.
Ancient Boxing: The boxers didn't wear gloves, only strips of leather wrapped around there fists. They fought in an open area rather than in an arena. There was no rounds or breaks during the match, the game was only over if a man was knocked out or could not physically fight anymore. This was thought to have mimicked Zeus' fight with his father.
Pancretium: This was a sport that was a mix of boxing and wrestling. The only rules are you are not allowed to gouge your opponents eyes, your are not allowed to dislocate your opponents limbs and you are not allowed to bite. Due to the lack of rules some athletes died during these fights. It is thought that Hercules and Theseus fought their opponents with this method and that is how it came to be in the Ancients Games.
Chariot Racing: This sport consisted of a chariot pulled by four horses racing around two poles 24 times. There was no set direction so chariots regularly crashed. Unlike the other sports men didn't need to be fit and strong to compete. It is thought that this was put in to allow fat noblemen to compete in the games.
Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration
Information: http://period8dolzall.tripod.com/olympics.html
Picture: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jastrow
The sports such as running, wrestling and pentathalon are pretty well known and so is boxing, but boxing was played differently in Ancient Greece.
Ancient Boxing: The boxers didn't wear gloves, only strips of leather wrapped around there fists. They fought in an open area rather than in an arena. There was no rounds or breaks during the match, the game was only over if a man was knocked out or could not physically fight anymore. This was thought to have mimicked Zeus' fight with his father.
Pancretium: This was a sport that was a mix of boxing and wrestling. The only rules are you are not allowed to gouge your opponents eyes, your are not allowed to dislocate your opponents limbs and you are not allowed to bite. Due to the lack of rules some athletes died during these fights. It is thought that Hercules and Theseus fought their opponents with this method and that is how it came to be in the Ancients Games.
Chariot Racing: This sport consisted of a chariot pulled by four horses racing around two poles 24 times. There was no set direction so chariots regularly crashed. Unlike the other sports men didn't need to be fit and strong to compete. It is thought that this was put in to allow fat noblemen to compete in the games.
This is Hercules using pancretium to defeat his opponent
Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration
Information: http://period8dolzall.tripod.com/olympics.html
Picture: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jastrow
Friday 23 January 2015
How the Olympics Came About
The Olympics originated in Ancient Greece. It is unknown for certain how, when and why the Olympics were first created. Legend says Zeus had a huge fight with his father over who was to control the world. When Zeus defeated his father a great temple was built on the ground where it was thought Zeus beat his father, this was in Olympia.
Religious festivals were then held in and around the temple of Olympia. At these festivals people came to worship Zeus. Men tried to impress Zeus by trying to show him they had the physical strength closest to him by a human.
The Ancient Games became less and less important as time went on. It is unknown when exactly the Games stopped in Ancient Greece but it is thought to be around 393AD when Theodosius I ordered all pagan cults to be destroyed, or when Theodosius' successor ordered all the Greek temples to be destroyed
The Town of Olympia
Link for picture: wikipedia.org
Friday 16 January 2015
Introduction
Hi, I'm Maebh. I'm going to be writing a blog on the geography of the Olympics. I'll be researching where the Olympics originated and how it has evolved due to the change in culture of the world. :)
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