At the Olympic Games, athletes from all over the world compete in weightlifting, shooting, tennis, swimming and many other sports. The list of Olympic sports is constantly changing – some disciplines disappear, while others appear. For example, during the ancient Olympic Games, athletes held chariot races, but no one did swimming. Today, there are no chariot races, but athletes participate in swims of different distances. The absence of swimming in the ancient list of Olympic Games seems strange to many scientists, because in Ancient Greece, the ability to swim fast over long distances was respected. Researchers have several possible explanations for why the ancient Greeks did not hold Olympic swimming competitions.
The ancient Olympic Games were significantly different from the modern ones. Source: kulturologia.ru
Contents
- 1 What were the ancient Olympic Games
- 2 Swimming in Ancient Greece
- 3 Who participated in the ancient Olympic Games
- 4 What were the Olympic Games created for?
What were the ancient Olympic Games?
The ancient Olympic Games were held between the 8th and 4th centuries BC. They included such sports that are foreign to modern people as fistfights, running with full armor, and chariot racing. Swimming was not on this list, although in ancient Greek society swimming was considered a very respected activity.
Fist fights at the ancient Olympic Games. Source: kartinki.pics
For many people, this will be a big discovery, but in ancient times, the Olympic Games had a strong erotic component. Olympians always competed in revealing clothing that did not hide their muscles and other indicators of good health and physical development.
Chariot racing. Source: goldmustang.ru
The authors of the scientific publication IFL Science explained why swimmers were not allowed to participate in the ancient Olympic Games.
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Swimming in Ancient Greece
Many historians are inclined to believe that there were no swimming competitions at the ancient Olympic Games because this activity was not related to military affairs. It is believed that the Olympians demonstrated their power on the battlefield during trials, so they ran with weapons, raced in chariots, and so on. And the ability to swim in the military sphere did not play a big role.
The skills demonstrated at the Olympic Games were previously supposed to be useful on the battlefield. Source: author.today
However, this version has its opponents. According to them, every soldier was obliged to be able to swim well, because it could save their lives or even help in defeating the enemy. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote that during the Greco-Persian Wars, soldiers managed to avoid slaughter by swimming to safe places. There is also evidence that swimmers delivered weapons to the besieged Spartans.
Despite its absence from the Olympic Games, swimming was highly valued in Ancient Greece. Source: straniciistorii.ru
In addition, other sports that had little to do with military affairs were included in the Olympic Games. For example, Olympians competed in high jump.
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Who participated in the ancient Olympic Games
If swimming was so respected and valued in military affairs, why was this discipline not included in the ancient Olympic Games? There is another explanation for this.
The second version says that there was no swimming at the Olympic Games because the winners were fishermen, oyster divers and other professionals who could earn money from swimming.
Ancient Greek fishermen had a great chance of becoming Olympic champions. Source: russian7.ru
According to researcher Edward Clayton, the ancient Olympics were about much more than athletic prowess. Olympians were given the opportunity to display to the public “the beauty and perfection of their souls,” a characteristic the ancient Greeks called arete.
The common working class belonged to the banausos class. They were by definition not qualified to be considered athletes, and so any event they could win would not be considered an Olympic sport.
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What are the Olympic Games for?
There is also a suggestion that swimming was not considered an Olympic sport because the athletes' bodies were not visible in the water. As noted above, ancient competitions had a large erotic component, and swimmers could not show their bodies while underwater. Of all the other sports, swimming would have been the least spectacular, and the public would certainly have been dissatisfied.
So, the ancient Olympic Games may not have included swimming for three probable reasons. First, swimming was only indirectly related to military affairs. Second, swimming could be won by representatives of the lower classes, which was best avoided. Third, in swimming competitions, the bodies of the participants were poorly visible, and this factor was very important for the spectacle.
Only men with beautiful bodies usually took part in the ancient Olympic Games. Source: iflscience.com
There are many versions, and it is unknown which one is closest to the truth. Scientists do not even know under what circumstances the Olympic Games were invented. According to one version, they were invented by the demigod Hercules – after the battle with the troops of King Augeas, he planted an olive grove on the site of the battle and ordered that sports competitions be held there every four years.
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According to another version, the Olympic Games were invented by King Oenomaus. He held competitions, the winner of which received his daughter Hippodamia as a wife. You can read more about this in our article “The History of the Olympic Games: How Did They Originate and Survive to Our Days?” Everyone should know about this!