The Olympic Games
The Olympic Games have been a respected and beloved quadrennial tradition.
The Original Olympics
The original Olympics games were created in order to prepare men for war. Because of this fact the games were catered to skills used in battle- the running, throwing the javelin for accuracy, throwing the discus for distance, jumping, and wrestling.
Loss and Revival of the Olympics
In 393 CE, the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the Games because of their pagan influences. The games were not played for approximately 1500 years afterwards. Coubertin, the young French gentleman who’s credited with the game’s revival, purportedly had the idea because he felt that the French army lacked vigor.
Today's Games vs Ancient Games
In Ancient Greece, men competed in the nude. Women were not allowed to participate in or few the games. If they were caught doing so they were severely punished.
Olympic Poetry
Mark O'Connor wrote about how the Olympic games have changed in the following poem:
We've ripped the sweat out of the Games.
Look, it's done by computer
and the results arrive by mail. Hush! Can you hear?
---All over the suburbs, the roar
of envelopes tearing? And Yes!, at Number 10
It's Gold! Gold! Gold! for the Protheros!
They've lit a fire. They're dancing on the lawn.
---Not so good at Number 15.
The Grampolis are bit bronzed off.
They thrill to the shrill of the soccer ref's whistle.
Hard luck! It's the Lady's Nude Luge for them!
And Rhea Yemenis at no. 1, well she really loves
those elegant gymnasts. She's got the Clean and Jerk.
Welcome back to the world, Australia.
When was it ever all winners?
When was there ever splendiferous gold
without a pining bronze and a whole heap of losers
under the winner's chariot wheels?
But be grateful too, to have bumped the ground hard,
and be up and running.
We've ripped the sweat out of the Games.
Look, it's done by computer
and the results arrive by mail. Hush! Can you hear?
---All over the suburbs, the roar
of envelopes tearing? And Yes!, at Number 10
It's Gold! Gold! Gold! for the Protheros!
They've lit a fire. They're dancing on the lawn.
---Not so good at Number 15.
The Grampolis are bit bronzed off.
They thrill to the shrill of the soccer ref's whistle.
Hard luck! It's the Lady's Nude Luge for them!
And Rhea Yemenis at no. 1, well she really loves
those elegant gymnasts. She's got the Clean and Jerk.
Welcome back to the world, Australia.
When was it ever all winners?
When was there ever splendiferous gold
without a pining bronze and a whole heap of losers
under the winner's chariot wheels?
But be grateful too, to have bumped the ground hard,
and be up and running.