Mastering any form of art or athletic event requires years of devoted training and practice. To the Greeks, all acts of mastery were worthy of offering to the gods, because there is virtue in struggle, in striving for better. All acts of mastery, those that require careful training and practice to perfect, therefore, are sacred. It was not to prove who was greatest among them in their chosen fields that drove the Greeks to compete, or to win prizes the only prize was a wreath of leaves : it was to offer in tribute the effort, struggle, and the sacrifice that is required of mastery.
Etymology, the study of the origin of words, has a lot to tell us about the original intention of competition. The word compete is derived from two Latin words: com and petere. It is competition that drives the physical, artistic, exploratory, and innovative endeavors that define the greatest in humanity. Examine the history of many inventions the sewing machine, the lightbulb, and the personal computer and we find that it was competition with their contemporaries that drove inventors to perfect their designs.
Return again to ancient Greece and we find that some of the greatest plays ever written were created for competition: at the Dionysia, Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles presented their greatest tragic works. Without competition, some of the tales that have shaped human understanding would never have been created: The Oresteia , The Bacchae , and Oedipus Rex to name a few. It may be difficult to see the connection between competing as a scaled CrossFitter in the CrossFit Games Open and the race for flight.
Competition fuels the elite and the driven, but how does participating in competition impact those of us who have no aspirations to come in on top? Competition is low-stakes practice at four vital character skills. These skills transfer to the whole of our lives our careers, relationships, and goals and are fundamental to achieving any desire. Grit is the skill of following through. Competitors use competition to create a plan for the following week, season, or year to improve their performance in the future.
But creating the plan is only the first step. Grit is a combination of discipline and focus. It is doing what needs to be done when motivation has long left the building. Composure is non-negotiable for performing well in any arena. We are at our best when we are thoughtful, when we behave with intention, and when we are focused on the task at hand. Think of how valuable it will have been to have practiced remaining composed while we are nervous, upset, or angry going into a work meeting or a difficult conversation with a loved one.
Think of how building the skills of mental fortitude and equanimity will benefit our friends and family when they need to lean on us in times of trouble.
The rules were lax, and competitors played dirty. The ancient Greek games became a way of spreading the Hellenistic culture over the Mediterranean region.
Listed below are nine sports that brought out the athletic spirit in ancient Greece:. Ancient Greek boxing dates back to the eighth century when it was considered an important part of Greek athletic culture.
There are numerous legends related to the birth of boxing as a sport in ancient Greece. The earliest legend holds that the heroic ruler Theseus invented boxing.
In his version of the sport, two men sat facing each other and beat each other to death with their fists. As time passed, the sitting positions changed into standing, and the boxers started to wear gloves with spikes. They fought completely naked. Another legend is told through the work of Homer.
In his Iliad, Mycenaean warriors included boxing as a way of honoring the fallen. Boxing was listed among the contests that were held in memory of Achilles who died in the Trojan War.
Unlike modern-day boxing, there was no distinction between weights and ages. The competition was not divided into rounds but it ended when one of the competitors gave up or was killed, or both were exhausted and finished by mutual consent. Moreover, any blow with the hand was allowed apart from to gouge out the eyeballs. Holding or wrestling each other was prohibited. If the fight went on for too long, competitors were allowed to exchange undefended blows to speed up the process. We know that chariot racing began during the Mycenaean period from artistic evidence on pottery, and the chariot race is believed to be the event that started the Olympic Games.
Pelops won the race and the Olympic Games were born in honor of his victory. In the ancient Olympic Games, as well as the Panhellenic Games, there were both four-horse and two-horse chariot races. Apart from the number of horses used, the rules were the same for both. The sport was first added to the Olympics in BC.
Initially, the event took place on one day and was later extended to a two-day event. Chariot racing was the most important event out of all other equestrian events such as racing on horseback, and traditionally took place on festival days. The races were held on a wide, flat, open space called a hippodrome. It was launched back in the second millennium BC and was undoubtedly considered to be one of the toughest and most dangerous games: from gouging out the eyes to strangling, everything was permitted.
It is believed that Theseus, the founder and king of Athens, invented pankration. He allegedly used this unique combination to defeat the half-human, half-bull creature, the minotaur, which was locked in the Labyrinth of Minos.
Also from mythology, Hercules is said to have won a pankration contest in Olympia. Many Greek vases depict the hero conquering the Nemean lion using a strong lock which is a method used during pankration fighting.
The sport had two main phases. The aim was to use punches, kicks, and lethal blows to knock down the opponent. Pankration gave its players the freedom to develop their own style. The first ancient Olympic Games were held in the summer of BC.
The Pythian Games — were held at Delphi, in honor of the god Apollo. Initially held every 8, and then every 4 years. It was emphasized competition in music and singing. The Nemean games — Were held every 2 years , and competitors compete in hoplites uniform.
The Isthmian Games. Conventions were held every two years. On games could compete free Greeks, who were not convicted of murder.
Could competed only single women. Athletes were mostly wealthy people. Before the tournament, the athletes swore that they would practice hard, and the judges would be fair in the trial. In games there was only victory. Sign in.
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