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Throughout the history of the development of civilization, people had to fight for survival. During a hunt, distribution of prey or in war, a person should have had a good physical strength and agility to survive. For example, local tribes living in Australia now use the ancient method of hunting, which involves chasing an animal until it is weakened.
People have always been forced to maintain and improve their physical fitness and besides that, improve the skills of archery, sword fighting, etc. Each nation had its own favorite games. For example, the American Indians held in high esteem the competitions of lifting weights, throwing a ball at a target and running.
The Aztecs, Mayans and some other tribes played a game somewhat reminiscent of modern basketball. Many African tribes held competitions in fencing on sticks, running, etc. Thus, we can safely say that the history of the development of sports has as ancient roots as our entire civilization.
The history of the development of sports in the ancient world
We have already found out that the history of the development of sports has more than one millennium, and now we will tell you about this in a little more detail. Archaeologists managed to find traces of sports on the territory of states that existed in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Today we can safely say that the first large-scale sports competitions were not the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, but the competitions in honor of the Babylonian deity Marduk.
The athletes who participated in them competed in several disciplines: belt wrestling, sword fencing, spear throwing, hunting, archery and chariot racing. In ancient India and Persia, fencing, horse riding, ball and stick games, and chariot races were held in high esteem.
Note that India became the progenitor of such modern species sports like polo, field hockey, chess and some others.
For the first time, schools were created on the territory of Persia, in which children were taught horse riding, archery, etc. What are not the ancestors of our modern sports schools? Scientists have found clay tablets, as well as paintings on the walls of the ancient Egyptian pyramids, which depict more than four hundred different types sports that people were involved in in those days. Of course, the peak of the history of the development of sports falls on Ancient Greece, which hosted the first Olympic Games.
The history of the development of sports in Russia
For several centuries, the foundation of the history of the development of sports has been laid on the territory of Russia. It is difficult to say exactly which year can be considered the beginning of the development of sports, because people have been engaged in it since ancient times. The annals often mention people with tremendous physical strength, and this is a reason to demonstrate it. According to documents found by archaeologists, in Ancient Russia, practically no holiday was complete without competitions. If we talk about the history of the development of sports on the territory of Russia, then we can distinguish three main stages:
- From ancient times to the October Revolution (1917).
- Soviet period.
- Since 1991.
Until the 18th century, due to frequent wars, namely military physical training was a top priority. We learned about this from various chronicles and epics that were discovered in the territories of ancient settlements and have come down to us. Scientists date the first image of a fight between Russian wrestlers in 1197.
On the territory of feudal Russia there was no state program for the development of physical culture, and here everything predetermined folk amusements, for example, fist fights, various types of national martial arts, etc.
Starting from the second half of the 19th century until 1917, a very active stage in the development of physical culture can be distinguished. At this time, not only modern sports disciplines began to develop. But the foundation of the practice was also laid physical education... It was then that a very progressive system of P. Lesgaft was created. This man was the first in our country who was able to formulate and provide a scientific substantiation of the main components of human physical education.
He also created the first institution whose task was to train physical education teachers. In fact, it was the first university in our country in sports and physical culture... Also the beginning of the history of the development of sports, it comes about professional competitions, it can be considered 1889. At this time, the first speed skating championship was held.
Two years later, the first competitions among cyclists took place. All these events were reflected in official documents. In the same years, private educational institutions for children began to be created, and also appeared sports organizations.
Since 1911, the Russian Olympic Committee... A year earlier, the capital's football, ski and other sports leagues were organized. As a result, domestic athletes began to attend international competitions... Domestic athletes did not participate in the first three Olympic Games due to lack of funds.
The first Olympics visited Russian athletes, there were games in London held in 1908. In total, five athletes took part in them, and three of them managed to become Olympic medalists. Four years later, at 5 Olympic Games, the delegation of domestic athletes was already 178 people. However, due to low readiness, Russian team could not rise above 15th place in the overall standings. This is largely due to the notorious lack of finance.
After 1917, the Soviet government undertook to actively develop physical culture and sports. Now anyone could do their favorite sport, which was not the case during the time of tsarist Russia. In 1920, the first institute of physical culture began to work, although it was a very difficult time for the young state.
Of course, developing the sport after 1917, the authorities largely relied on the foundation that had already been laid. Note that the history of the development of sports in the USSR was greatly influenced by Universal Education, which included physical education. The first Soviet sports society was created in 1923, and it received the name "Dynamo". In those years, physical culture was taught in all educational institutions of the country.
In 1928, the first All-Union Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR took place. It should be noted that the Olympic Games were also held in Amsterdam in the same year. The bourgeois world was convinced that the idea in the USSR was doomed to failure in advance. However, even before the start of the Spartakiad, a record was set - more than seven thousand athletes participated in the all-Union competitions, while the Olympic Games were attended by only slightly more than three thousand athletes.
The first Spartakiad became the most important milestone in the history of the development of sports in our country. At the same time, the excessive politicization of the development of sports slowed down this process. It was sports in the 30-50s that became the only way for the USSR to prove the superiority of the communist system over capitalism. On the other hand, Soviet athletes won many prestigious international competitions in those years.
Even during the Great Patriotic War, the competition continued to be held. For example, in December 1941 the field hockey championship was held, and in 1942 the traditional relay race took place on the garden ring. After the victory, the Soviet people yearned for sporting events... During 1945, more than one hundred records were set, 13 of which turned out to be world records.
In the postwar years, the country's leadership actively supported and developed high-performance sports. This was largely due to the long-standing rivalry between the two political systems, but, nevertheless, the fact remains. Sports fans still remember the triumphant tour of the capital's Dynamo footballers across England. Since 1946, the then most popular football in the USSR had a serious competitor - ice hockey. At that time it was customary to call it “ canadian hockey". Note that bandy continued to enjoy great prestige at that time.
After the war, the USSR joined various international sports organizations. The Olympic Committee in the country began to work in 1951. Moreover, at the same time with this event, serious preparation of the Olympic team began, because in 1952 the new Olympic Games were to be held.
On the eve of the 1952 Olympics, everyone gave the victory to the US team in advance, and what was the surprise of the world sports community when American athletes were forced to share their triumph with the athletes of their Soviet Union.
Since 1970, the country's leadership has decided to change the direction of development of physical culture and sports. The sports professionals were confident that they could achieve positive results thanks to only two school physical education lessons throughout the week, it is simply impossible. After Russia gained sovereignty in 1991, the modern stage in the history of the development of sports begins.
For the history of the development of sports in the USSR, see this video:
The ancient Olympic Games were brutal competitions in which athletes shed their blood and even sacrificed their lives for glory and primacy, in order to avoid shame and defeat.
The participants in the games competed naked. Athletes were idealized not least because of their physical perfection. They were praised for their fearlessness, endurance and will to fight, bordering on suicide. In bloody fistfights and chariot races, few came to the finish line.
The emergence of the Olympic Games
It is no secret that the will was the main thing for the ancient Olympians. There was no place for politeness, nobility, exercise in amateur sports and modern Olympic ideals in these competitions.
The first Olympians fought for the award... Officially, the winner received a symbolic olive wreath, but they returned home as heroes and received unusual gifts.
They fought desperately for something that modern Olympians cannot understand - for immortality.
There was no afterlife in the religion of the Greeks. Hope for continuation of life after death could only through glory and valiant deeds, perpetuating in sculpture and song. Losing meant complete collapse.
In ancient games there were no silver and bronze medalists, the losers did not receive any honors, they went home to their disappointed mothers, as the ancient Greek poet writes.
Little remains of the ancient Olympic Games. The festivities that once shook these places cannot be returned. These columns once supported the vaults in whose honor the games were arranged... The now unremarkable field was the stadium where the competitions were held; 45 thousand Greeks gathered there.
A tunnel has survived, in which the footsteps of the Olympians were heard as they entered the field. From the top of the triangular column, the winged goddess of victory, the symbol and spirit of the Olympic Games, gazed at all this.
The origin can be called prehistoric, people lived here in stone houses around 2800 BC. Around 1000 BC Olympia became a temple to the god of thunder and lightning.
How did games come about?
From religious rituals. The first competition was running to the altar of Zeus – ritual energy offering to god.
The first recorded games took place in 776 BC., they were held every 4 years continuously for 12 centuries.
All citizens could participate. Non-Greeks, whom the Greeks themselves called, were not allowed to participate, women and slaves were also not allowed.
The games were held in August on a full moon. Athletes arrived here 30 days before the opening to train for a month. They were closely watched by the judges named.
For those who carefully prepared for the Olympics, were not lazy and did not do anything reprehensible, the Hellenodics said boldly move forward... But if someone didn't train properly, they should have left.
In those times the whole ancient world came to the Olympiad, 100 thousand people camped in the fields and olive groves. They arrived here by land and sea: from, Africa, the territory of modern France and the southern coast of modern Russia. Often people came here from city-states that fought with each other: the Greeks were by nature rather quarrelsome.
The games were of great importance and were respected, and therefore in honor of Zeus signed a truce on a sacred disc, which for three months protected all arriving guests. Perhaps due to the fact that it was reinforced by those who instilled fear in everyone, the truce was practically never broken: even the most sworn enemies could see and compete at the Olympics in the world.
But on the first day of the Olympiad there was no competition, it was a day of religious cleansing and parting words. The athletes were led to - the sanctuary and meeting place. There was also a statue of Zeus with a lightning bolt in his hand.
Under the stern gaze of God, the priest sacrificed the genitals of the bull, after which athletes took the Solomon oath Zeus: compete honestly and follow the rules.
It was all serious. The punishment for breaking the rules was brutal... In the distance, athletes saw statues of Zeus, called zans, erected with money received in the form of fines paid by violators of the rules of the competition.
The victory had to be earned not by money, but by the speed of the legs and the strength of the body - the instructions of the Olympiad read. But the victor's crown was given with considerable blood.
Fist fight
The ancient Greeks admired the beauty and power of sports, but they were attracted by both savagery and violence: in this they saw a metaphor for life.
In Greek, competition sounds like "agon", from which the word agony comes. The concept of wrestling is one of the central in Greek culture... In the context of athletics, agon meant competition with pain, suffering and fierce competition.
Without a doubt, no other sport has such a fierce struggle as in boxing, which has its origins in
Fist fighting entered the game program in 688 BC, followed by wrestling and more cruel look sports -. They all quickly became the crowd's favorite sports because the risk of injury or even death was extremely high here, and the sacrifices were supposed to appease Zeus, because the battles were held in the sacred part of Olympia - in front of the 9-meter altar of Zeus, made from the ashes of sacrificial animals.
Modern boxers would be horrified by the rules of the competition, or rather, from their practical absence: there were no weight restrictions, there were no rounds, the rivals fought without a break, water, a coach in the corner of the ring and gloves - the fighters were left to their own devices.
They were reeling straps of rough leather on fists and wrists to increase the force of the blow. The skin cut into the enemy's flesh. The blows were often to the head, everything was splattered with blood, they fought nonstop until one of the opponents falls.
Beginning in 146 BC. the Romans became the hosts of the Olympiad... With them, the rivals began to insert three-centimeter metal spikes between the belts - it was more like a knife fight than a fist fight, some almost immediately dropped out of the competition, some were very successful. For many newbies, these belt gloves were striped or rather, they were even torn to pieces.
To intensify the fighting, they were held in the afternoon in August under the scorching Mediterranean sun. Thus, the rivals fought each other with blinding light, dehydration and heat.
How long did the battles last? Four hours or more, until one of the athletes gave up, for this it was enough to raise a finger.
But defeat was much more humiliating than today: many wrestlers would rather die than lose.
The Spartans, fanatical soldiers, were trained to never surrender, so they did not participate in fist fights, since defeat was a mortal disgrace.
Fighters were admired not only for the blows they could inflict on their opponents, but also for the pain they could endure. They appreciated physically and philosophically the ability to withstand pain to such an extent that you will receive blow after blow under the scorching sun, heat, breathing dust - in this they saw virtue.
If it was going to a draw, or there was a dead center in the fight, the judges could show up climax when the fighters were supposed to exchange open blows. There is famous story about two fighters who have reached such a moment in the match - Cravg and Damoxena... Each had to strike at the enemy. The first was Damoxen, he used the piercing blow of karate, pierced the opponent's flesh and ripped out his intestines. Cravg was posthumously declared the winner. because the judges said that technically Damoxen hit him with not one blow, but five, because he used five fingers to pierce the enemy's body in several places at once.
The ancient fighters did not have training equipment, but they were not inferior in physical strength modern colleagues.
Pankration - fighting without rules
Wrestling matches were almost a deadly battle, but for savagery - low blows and illegal techniques- had its own sport, pankration.
Pankration was a very brutal event, it was the most brutal of all ancient competitions... They say about him that this is a mixture of unclean boxing with unclean wrestling: it was allowed to beat, push, choke, break bones - anything, no prohibitions.
Pankration appeared in 648 BC. It had only two rules: you can't bite and gouge out your eyes, but these prohibitions were not always observed. Opponents fought completely naked, blows to the genitals were forbidden, but even this rule was often violated.
Technique was not important in these ancient fights without rules, very soon they became the most popular event at the Olympiad.
Pankration was the epitome of violence in ancient sports, it was the most exciting and popular sight, and it gives us some insight into the spirit of humanity in those days.
Wrestling is a relatively civilized combat sport
Wrestling was the only combat sport that could be called relatively civilized by today's standards, but even here the rules were not very strict. Simply put, everything was used: many of the things that are prohibited today - strangling grips, breaking bones, running boards - everything was considered a normal technique.
Ancient fighters were perfectly trained and trained in many techniques: throw over the shoulder, vice and various grips. Competitions were held in special shallow pit.
There were two types of competitions: lying on the ground and standing... The fighters fought either while standing on their feet - in this case, any three falls meant defeat, or the rivals fought in slippery mud, where it was difficult for them to stay on their feet. The fight continued as in wrestling or pankration until one of the participants gave up. Fighting was often akin to torture.
In the 7th century BC. e. judges realized the need to introduce ban on breaking fingers but he was often ignored. In the 5th century BC. Antikoziy won two victories in a row, breaking the fingers of his opponents.
Chariot racing is the most dangerous sport
But it wasn't just wrestlers who risked their bodies and lives in the ancient Olympics.
Long before the appearance of the Olympic Games, the Greeks liked to combine sport with sometimes even deadly danger. Bull jumping was a popular sport in the 2000s BC. Acrobats literally took the racing bull by the horns, performing on its back.
The most dangerous Olympic sports were chariot racing... Chariots competed at the hippodrome, on the site of which there is now an olive grove: the hippodrome was washed away when around 600 AD. river Althea unexpectedly changed the course.
The race track of the hippodrome was about 135 meters long, and it contained 44 chariots in width, each of which was drawn by 4 horses.
Tens of thousands of Greeks watched the races that were real a test of control skill and nerve endurance... 24 laps of 9 kilometers each freely accommodated 160 horses kicking at the start.
The most difficult thing on the course was the U-turn: the chariot had to be turned 180 degrees practically on the spot, i.e. the chariot revolved around its axis. It was at this point that most accidents occurred: chariots overturned, athletes were thrown out, and horses bumped and stumbled over each other.
The degree of danger of racing reached the point of absurdity, mainly due to the lack of dividing lines. Chariots often collided head-on. The poet writes that in one of the races, 43 of 44 chariots crashed, the winner was the only survivor on the field.
Zeus ruled Olympus, but the fate of the chariots rather depended on the god of horses, whose statue gazed at the hippodrome. His name was, he made the horses fearful, so before the race the participants tried to appease him.
The only element of order in this racing chaos was brought in at the start. The Greeks came up with an original mechanism to ensure fairness on the field: the bronze eagle of Zeus rose above the crowd, which meant the start of the race.
The chariots were small and had two wheels, at the back they were open, so that the charioteer was not protected in any way.
It was erected by participants almost as prestigious as the Olympic ones. The Greeks extolled control and composure amid violence and chaos. The statue embodies these ideals.
Was it possible for women to participate in competitions? Not as charioteers, but they could display their chariots.
On the pedestal, on which stood the statue of the king's daughter, there is an inscription: “ Sparta kings are my fathers and brothers. Conquering chariots on swift horses, I, Kiniska, erected this statue. I am proud to say: I was the only one of all women who received this wreath. "
Kiniska was the first woman to win the Olympics by sending his chariot to the games.
As today, boys were often used as jockeys in the horse races that followed chariot races. The main thing here was the right combination of irrepressibility and control. Jockeys rode bareback horses controlling them with only knees and a whip.
The horses were wild. In 512 BC. a mare named Wind threw off the jockey, barely bursting into the field, ran without a rider and won the races.
Pentathlon is the most prestigious competition
The Olympians trained here in palestre exercising in fist and hand-to-hand combat... In the gymnasium, they trained for the most prestigious competition among the ancient Olympic Games - pentathlon.
If in chariot races the Greeks demonstrated fearlessness and fury, then in the pentathlon other Olympic ideals were valued: balance, grace and all-round development.
The event was imbued with idealism, the Greeks attached great importance proportions and balance in a person... We can see all this embodied in the pentathletes.
It was the pentathletes who served a sample perfect body when ancient sculptors depicted gods. Greeks appreciated correct proportions, the winner in the pentathlon was admitted chief athlete of games.
He participated in five different competitions: running, jumping, discus throwing, javelin throwing and wrestling... Skill and timing were extremely important.
The pentathletes practiced for years in the gymnasium to the rhythm of the flute. Competitions differed in an interesting way from modern ones. For example, in javelin throwing, the Greeks used a loop in the middle of the spear shaft to enhance the throw... They threw a disc weighing 6 kilograms 800 grams - three times heavier than the modern one. Perhaps that is why they performed such perfect twists and throws that these techniques have survived to this day.
The most intriguing difference is in the long jump: the Greeks held loads from 2 to 7 kilograms to amplify the impulse and increase the length of the jump.
It seems absurd to hold weights in order to jump further. In fact, you can catch the impulse of a flying cargo and it literally drags you through the air so that you feel the inertial force on you. This really adds length to the jump.
The length is incredible: the jump pit was designed for 15 meters, which is 6 meters more than the current world record. Pentathletes, like all Olympians, competed in the nude.
Nude olympics
From the point of view of modern people nudity is the most amazing aspect ancient Olympic games. Everything the competition took place without clothes: running, throwing a discus, wrestling and everything else.
But why participants began to appear naked? History has it that this has been the case since the 8th century BC. In 720 a runner named Arsip lost a loincloth during a match... He won and all the runners decided to compete naked. Gradually, this custom has spread to other sports.
Modern scientists reject such explanations and note that nudity and homosexuality were not considered shameful in Greek society... The very word "gymnasia", where the Greeks studied, meant "nakedness."
Invented in the 600s BC. These were training facilities. And at the same time, the importance of homosexuality increased, it ceased to be a secret among the Greeks. Perhaps this is partly why nudity was introduced into games.
Homosexuality was not only not shameful in, it was even encouraged, because it is important for a man to marry a virgin and give birth to children. The only way to keep virgins intact was through homosexual relationships. The atmosphere at the Olympics was very electrifying, they were the best men of the city-states: they were the most attractive, trained and there was a sexual attraction between them.
As well as between men and women who were allowed to watch nude games. Oddly enough, but married women were strictly forbidden to watch games, even just to cross the Altis River, which bends around the sacred place. Violation of the prohibition was punishable by death... Women caught on sacred ground were thrown into the abyss that gaped near the temple.
But young virgin girls could watch the games, despite the nakedness of the athletes and the brutality of the spectacles. Unmarried girls were allowed into the stadium because in a sense they were ignorant, they had to get used to the idea that a man would be a part of their life. The best prelude was the performance of naked men.
Someone from modern researchers said that such an order has developed so that married women do not see what they can no longer have, but young maidens looked at the best of the best to know what to aim for.
Gerey games
Virgos could compete in their games called By the Hereei in honor of the wife of Zeus. The Gerei consisted of three races: one lane for girls, teenage girls and young women. Olympic stadium, shortened by one-sixth in proportion to the woman's stride.
Spartan girls trained from birth on a par with boys, so they were the leaders of the games.
Unlike men, girls did not compete naked: they wore short tunics, chitons, opening the right chest.
The women's competition was a ritual act, something like public demonstration of their strength and spirit before being tamed by the bonds of marriage, and before they became women, it was a ritual transition.
The women's races took place on a day when the men were resting. It was a day of rituals and feasts that culminated in the religious portion of the ancient games.
Art in Olympia
But people came to Olympus not only for the sake of games, they literally wanted people to see and show themselves: - here any of them could be met in the crowd. , the world's first professional historian, has earned his fame here, reading his writings at the temple of Zeus.
People came to enjoy the works of art that adorned the temple. Those who saw this place for the first time were amazed at its beauty. Once upon a time on the site of these ruins were thousands of masterpieces, "a forest of sculptures", as one writer put it.
But only a few of them have survived to our times - those that archaeologists pulled out from under the cobblestones a little over a century ago. Unfortunately, nothing remained of the legendary one that stood in the temple and was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
It took myriad of gold and ivory... The entire body of Zeus was made of ivory, his throne was made of ivory, ebony and precious stones. Zeus's robe was made entirely of gold - gold foil.
Dozens of lion-headed gutters adorned the temple and surrounded the statue. Outside, around the perimeter of the temple, sculptures depicted scenes from. Bright ornaments on the walls of some buildings of the complex made the temple even more dazzling.
The ruins, surrounded by 182 columns, were once a hotel Leonidio, where only the richest people stayed. Of the hundreds of thousands who came to Olympus, only 50 guests could stay here at the same time.
Not a trace remains of the altar of Zeus... Once he was located between the temples of Zeus and, he was the main shrine Olympia, animals were sacrificed here daily. This altar in the form of a cone with a height of more than 9 meters was famous throughout Ancient Greece. It consisted entirely of the ashes of sacrificial animals. The altar was a symbol of worship of Zeus: the more sacrifices were made to him, the more honors he received, and this is a visual reminder of how many sacrifices were made to his divine essence.
The ashes were mixed with water and pressed into a mold. Steps were carved on the slope of this ash mound, along which the priests climbed to make another sacrificial offering.
At noon on the third day of games the sacrifice became a special sight: a herd of bulls - a whole hundred - stabbed and burned in honor of Zeus... But in reality, only a small symbolic piece from each animal was given to God.
They took the most useless animal parts, put them on the altar, and then burned them for the gods. They cut and cook 90% of the carcasses, and in the evening each got a piece. The meat was handed out to the crowd, it was a whole event.
Running is the very first sport
An even bigger event was the next morning: the men's running competition. The very first and once the only sport was of particular importance to the Greeks, who named each Olympiad after the winners of the cross-country or sprint.
Treadmills practically did not differ from modern ones. There were notches on the starting line that the runners might have had their toes against. The distance was about 180 meters long. According to legend, he could run just such a distance in one breath. On both sides of the slopes were 45,000 roaring spectators. Many of them camped here and cooked food at night.
Interestingly, even under the August heat, they watched games bareheaded: wearing hats at the stadium was prohibited because they could block someone's view.
Despite the wealth and prestige of the games, on the hillsides never built shops as in other stadiums. The Greeks wanted to keep the ancient democratic tradition of sitting on the grass... Only 12 stone thrones in the center were intended for the Hellenodic judges. Another seating position was assigned the only married woman who could be present at the stadium- the priestess, the goddess of the harvest, who was once worshiped on Olympus even before Zeus.
20 runners could compete in the stadium at the same time. Starting positions were drawn by drawing lots, then they were called to the start one at a time. False starts were strictly prohibited: those who jumped off ahead of time, the judges beat with rods.
In the 4th century BC. the Greeks invented the Hisplex starting mechanism - wooden starting gate that guaranteed a fair start.
What was the main the difference between ancient races and modern? At the starting positions. Such an arrangement of the runners would seem strange to us, but we had to understand how everything was arranged: when the fence board fell, the athletes' arms dropped, the body moved forward, the toes pushed off from the recesses in the ground - the starting dash turned out to be very powerful.
It is not known how fast the Greeks ran; they would not have timed themselves even if they had stopwatches. They never compared the competition to any kind of record. For the Greeks, the idea and the meaning of sport was in a duel between men, in the struggle and what they called "agon".
However, the legends of speed have survived. One of the statues says that Phlegius from Sparta did not run, but flew over the stadium. Its speed was phenomenal, incalculable.
Besides running on short distance Greeks competed in double distance running, i.e. there and back on a treadmill, as well as in Darikos - here it was necessary to run 20 times on a circular path with a length of 3800 meters.
Ironically famous torch relay race were not included in the program of the Olympic Games, as well as which the Greeks considered form of communication being phenomenal runners on long distances... Immediately after the victory at Doricos in 328, an athlete named Augeus ran from Olympus to his home 97 kilometers in one day.
The last race on such a day was the most unusual: a grueling test of speed and strength in which the Greek infantrymen, named, ran two times back and forth along the track of the stadium in full uniform and equipment. Imagine what kind of run with 20 kilograms of weapons 400 meters at the highest speed and turn around.
Interestingly, the hoplite race was held at the very end of the Olympiad, it meant end of the Olympic truce and a return to hostility and hostilities. It was a reminder that the beauty of games had to come to an end, and other important events were coming to replace it.
Legends of the ancient Olympic Games
Over 12 centuries the best athletes Of the ancient world came to Olympia to compete in games that were the main test of strength and dexterity.
What did the winners get? Only a branch cut from an olive tree in the grove behind the Temple of Zeus. But as soon as they returned home, they were showered with gifts: free food for the rest of your life and a reward for every victory, commensurate with the modern hundred thousand dollars.
Them worshiped like heroes or even to the gods, even their sweat was awe-inspiring as a symbol of struggle. Athletes' sweat was an expensive commodity... It collected together with dust from the site during the competition, was placed in bottles and sold as a magic potion.
A stone has been preserved that stores the names of the winners of the Olympiad. Unfortunately, statues of legends of games such as - wrestler, winner of 6 Olympiads in a row... They were so afraid of him that his rivals were eliminated from the game at once, crushed by his glory. It was said that he possessed superhuman strength. Ancient texts report that once Milo carried an adult bull through the stadium, then butchered it and ate it whole in a day.
Another Olympian was a famous strongman - the champion of pankration in 408 BC. He was known for his exploits and outside the stadium: they said that Polydam fought with a grown lion and killed him with his bare hands, as well stopped the chariot at full speed grasping the back with one hand.
Among the runners, the best was Leonid of Rhodes... They said that he was fast as a god. He won three races in four Olympiads in a row. He was revered as a god.
But the main olympic record belongs to the jumper Fail who participated in the 110th Olympiad. The story goes that the jumping pit was 15 meters long, which is inconceivable for us, because modern athletes jump a little further than 9 meters. They said that File jumped over that pit and landed about 17 meters with such force that he broke both his legs.
But Fail's leap is nothing compared to the leap of the Olympiad itself in time. The temple also reflects an outstanding history. This round monument was erected by the king and his son to commemorate the victory over the Greeks in 338 BC. They built this memorial in the heart of Olympia to show their strength and power.
The Romans did the same a couple of centuries later, by placing 21 golden shields around the temple of Zeus when Greece became a Roman province. Thus, Olympia became the embodiment of Roman grandeur, and the Romans put a lot of effort into maintaining the sanctuary in a decent condition: they built an aqueduct that brought water to one of the structures, in addition, the Romans built thermal baths there and a kind of club for athletes, discovered by German archaeologists only in 1995 year.
Only the winners of the games could be members of the club. The building was laid with marble tiles, even the walls were covered with it. There is evidence in ancient sources that similar clubs existed... The victorious athlete at Olympia was immediately ranked among the elite.
The building was built by an emperor who considered himself a god. In 67 he took part in the chariot competition... Driving a carriage drawn by 10 horses, Nero lost control and, having crashed the chariot, did not finish the race. However, it was he who was declared the winner... A year after the death of the emperor, this the decision was revised.
The end of the ancient Olympic Games
How and when did the gaming tradition end?
Until very recently, it was believed that last olympiad took place in 393 AD, when the emperor Theodosius I who was a deeply religious Christian, put an end to all pagan traditions.
30 years later, in 426 A.D. his son finished what he started, burning the sanctuary and the Temple of Zeus.
However, scientists were able to find evidence that the tradition of games continued for almost a century up to 500 A.D. This information was found on marble tablet found at the bottom of an ancient lavatory. It had inscriptions left by the hand of 14 different athletes - winners of the Olympiads. The last inscription dates back to the very end of the 4th century AD. Thus, it should be considered that the history of games should be extended for another 120 years.
The ancient games finally disappeared with Olympia herself, destroyed by two earthquakes at the beginning of the 5th century. Later, a small Christian village arose on the ruins, the inhabitants of which turned the only surviving building into a church - the workshop of the great sculptor, who carved the once legendary statue of Zeus.
By the 6th century floods destroyed it along with everything what remained of ancient Olympia, hiding the ruins for 13 long centuries under an 8-meter layer of mud and earth.
The first excavations were carried out in 1829. German archaeologists appeared here in 1875 and since then the work has never stopped.
But, the excavations were so difficult and costly that the stadium was freed from earthen captivity only by the 1960s. The cost of excavating the hippodrome, hidden by the groves, is so great that it will probably remain underground forever.
But, the spirit of this place is reborn, as the Olympic Games themselves were revived in 1896 in the midst of excavations. Every 4 years for 12 centuries here the Olympic flame was lit and this tradition has been renewed in our time. From here, the fire begins its journey in the hands of the runners, symbolizing the beginning of games, games that will never succeed in reaching the scope and glory of the olympiads of the past.
Contents of the article about the ancient Olympic Games in Greece:
- Start of the Olympic Games
- Participants in the Olympic Games in ancient Greece
- Dawn of the Olympic Games
- Sunset Olympic Games
- The tradition of holding the Olympic Games has been revived today. The first Olympic Games of our time were held in the 19th century, and at the moment they are considered the most prestigious world sports competitions.
Start of the Olympic Games
The first Olympic Games in ancient Greece
The very first Olympic Games in ancient Greece were held in 776 BC. All subsequent games were held once every four years. From that moment on, the recording of the winners of the games began and the order of their holding was established. The Olympics began every leap year, in the month of the ceremony, corresponding to the modern time frame from late June to mid-July.
The history has preserved a large number of versions, which substantiate the origin of the tradition of holding these sports competitions. Most of these versions have the form of legends, one way or another associated with the gods and heroes of Ancient Greece. For example, the first place on the list is occupied by the legend according to which the king of Elis, named Iphit, went to Delphi, where he received a message from the priestess of Apollo. The people of Elis by this time were exhausted by the constant armed rivalry of the Greek policies, and therefore the gods ordered to arrange sports and athletic festivals. 
The participants of the Olympic Games lived on the outskirts of Altis, where they trained in palestra and gymnastics a month before the opening of the competition. This tradition became a prototype Olympic Village taking place in modern games... The expenses for the accommodation of athletes in Olympia, the preparation of competitions and various religious ceremonies, were borne either by the athletes themselves - the participants in the games, or by the city from which they competed.
Dawn of the Olympic Games
There is a reliable historical fact that during the Olympic Games, any hostilities ceased. This tradition was called ekeheria, according to which the belligerents were required to lay down their arms. It was also forbidden to carry out court cases, the execution of executions was postponed until later. Violators of the Ekeheria rules were punished with a fine.
Types of Olympic Games in ancient Greece
Primary, and most likely the most popular species sport included in the program of the ancient Olympic Games was running. There is even information that an ancient king named Endymion organized a running race among his sons, and as a reward the winner received the kingdom.
There were several types of running competitions. First of all, it was an analogue of a modern sprint, a short distance run - in fact, from one end of the stadium to the other. The distance was 192 meters and was called the "Olympic stage". Athletes performed in these competitions completely naked. Distance running was the very first and only competition in the history of the Olympic Games and remained so until the thirteenth Olympics. Starting from the fourteenth, the so-called "double run" was added to the competition. Athletes had to run from one end of the stadium to the other, then run around the pole and return to the starting point. In the program of the fifteenth Olympic Games, a long run was added to the aforementioned running competitions. Initially, it included seven stages, but in subsequent years the length of the distances changed. Runners ran a stage, ran around a pole, returned to the start, and turned back around another pole.
In 520 BC, during the 65th Olympiad, another type of running competition appeared - the "hoplite run". Athletes ran two distances in full armor - they were wearing a helmet, greaves and a shield. In the later Olympics, only the shield was left among the weapons.
Also among the types of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece were martial arts. It should be noted that the death of an athlete during fights was not something special, and even a dead fighter could be named the winner.
Since the 18th Olympiad, wrestling has been included in the program of the games. It was forbidden to strike, it was only possible to fight with the help of shocks. There were two main positions - standing and on the ground. In the Greek language, there were many names for various techniques. 
Five Olympics later, fist fights appeared among martial arts. It was impossible to kick the enemy, make grabs and trips. Hands were wrapped with special straps, making this type of competition one of the most dangerous. Sources that have survived to this day colorfully describe the damage caused by such blows. The fighter who won without receiving a single blow from the enemy deserved special respect. If the wrestlers got tired, they were given a break to rest. If the winner could not be identified in any way, then a definite number of blows was assigned, which the opponents inflicted on each other in turn, while it was impossible to defend. The loser was the one who voluntarily surrendered by raising his hand.
In 648 BC, during the 33rd Olympiad, the so-called "pankration" appeared. This type of martial arts included kicks and punches. Choking techniques were allowed, but eyes and biting were not allowed. At first it was a competition for adult men only, and then, starting from the 145th Olympiad, pankration was introduced for youths as well.
Later, the pentathlon was added to the games program. In ancient Greece, this sport was called "pentathlon". From the name, you can guess that this type of sports consisted of five different sports - they began with a long jump, then there was one-distance running, discus throwing, and javelin throwing. The fifth sport was wrestling. To date, no exact information has been preserved about how the winner was determined. It is believed that all participants were divided into pairs and competed among themselves. As a result, there was only one, the last pair. The long jump was distinguished by a special technique. Athletes jumped straight from the spot, without scattering, and dumbbells were used to increase the range of the jump.
Equestrian races also took place among the Olympic competitions. It is noteworthy that women participate in them, since not the riders, but the owners of animals and chariots were announced as the winner. Over the years of the existence of the Olympic Games, equestrian racing has evolved. At first it was quadriga racing, then, starting from the 33rd Olympiad, horse racing was added to them. In the 93rd, chariot races appeared, in which two horses were harnessed. Competitions were divided into two categories - one for young stallions, and the other for adult horses.
How were the Olympic Games in ancient Greece
The start date of the event was set by a commission specially created for this, about which then special people, called spondophores, notified the residents of other Greek states. Athletes came to Olympia a month before the start of the games, during which time they had to train under the guidance of experienced coaches.
The course of the competition was observed by the judges - elladonics. In addition to the judicial function, the duties of the Elladonics included the organization of the entire Olympic holiday. 
Each athlete, before speaking to the people, had to prove to the judges that during ten months before the start of the games, he was intensively preparing for the competition. The oath was taken near the statue of Zeus.
Initially, the duration of the Olympic Games was 5 days, but later it reached even a month. The first and last day of the games was devoted to religious rituals and ceremonies.
The public learned about the sequence of holding a certain type of competition with the help of a special sign. Those wishing to take part in it had to determine their order by drawing lots.
Ancient Greece Olympic winners
The winners of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece were called Olympians. They became famous throughout Greece, they were greeted with honor at home, since the athletes represented not only themselves at the games, but also the city-state from where he came. In the event of a three-time victory at the games, a bust was erected in honor of such an athlete in Olympia. The winner's award was an olive wreath, and he also stood on a pedestal, the function of which was performed by a bronze tripod and took palm branches in his hands. Also, as a reward, they gave out a small cash bonus, but he received the real benefits already upon returning home. At home, he received many different privileges.
Milon of Croton is considered one of the most famous Olympians. He won his very first victory in wrestling in 540 BC, during the 60th Olympiad. Later, between 532 and 516, he won five times, and it was only at the age of 40 that he lost to a younger athlete, without achieving Olympic status for the seventh time.
A wrestler named Sostratus, originally from Sikyon, won three pankration victories. His secret was that he broke the fingers of opponents, for which he received the nickname Finger.
There are cases when the deceased participants became the winners. For example, Arichion of Filagea was strangled during the fight, but his opponent declared his defeat, as he could not endure the pain of a broken toe. To the applause of the audience, the corpse of Arikhion was awarded the winner's olive wreath.
Artemidorus, who arrived from Thrall, is famous for being supposed to compete in the youth group, but did not tolerate the insults of an adult pankration wrestler. After that, Artemidor moved to the adult group and became the champion.
Among the famous runners is the Rhodesian athlete Leonidas. Over the course of four Olympics, he became a leader in various running competitions.
Astil from Croton became the six-time Olympic champion. He is also famous for the fact that, at the first competitions, he represented Croton, and at the next two, another city - Syracuse. In revenge, the inhabitants of Croton made a prison building out of his dwelling and destroyed a memorial statue.
There have been entire dynasties of winners in the history of the Olympic Games. For example, Poseidor's grandfather named Diagoras and his uncles also became Olympic champions.
In addition, many of the ancient thinkers known in our time, their mental activity did not prevent them from participating in various sports competitions. For example, the famous Pythagoras was not only strong in mathematics, but at one time he was better known as a champion in boxing, that is, fist fighting, and the thinker Plato broke the foundations not only in philosophy, but also in the arena, becoming a champion in pankration.
Sunset Olympic Games
In the second century BC. The Olympic Games began to lose their importance, becoming a local competition. This is due to the conquest of ancient Greece by the Romans. Several factors are believed to be responsible for the loss of its former popularity. One of them is called the professionalism of athletes, when the games became, in fact, collecting victories from the side of the Olympians. The Romans, under whose dominion Greece was, perceived sport solely as a spectacle, they were not interested in the competitive spirit of the Olympics.
Who Banned the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece
The end of the thousand-year history of the Olympic Games was the result of a change in religion. They were closely intertwined with the Greek pagan gods, so their implementation became impossible after the adoption of the Christian faith. 
Researchers associate the ban on the Olympic Games with a certain Roman emperor, Theodosius. It is he who publishes in 393 A.D. the body of laws prohibiting paganism, and the Olympic Games, in accordance with these new legislative acts, become completely prohibited. Only centuries later, in 1896, there was a revival of the tradition of holding the Olympic sports games.
The emergence of the first sports competitions
There is no need for much and it is difficult to tell here.
Briefly, you can tell something like this (stopping at important points):
Competitions appeared so long ago that even such a word as "sport" did not exist yet. In those distant times, people learned to communicate, had already acquired fire, but still used stone weapons. The first competitions appeared as the beginnings of military education, therefore, they were held in types related to war or hunting. Ancient people competed in archery, wrestling, throwing various objects, and even went hunting and fishing, which they then boasted to each other. And in Australia, already at that time, it was completely known sports game reminiscent of football. They even played one clan (and tribe) against another clan.
This was one of the options for the story, in which you can add colorful examples or something fun, at the discretion of the teacher or parent.
You can tell a little differently, dwelling in more detail on Ancient Greece:
Already 2.5 thousand years ago, the first official competitions... The Greeks, as the Greeks were called in ancient times, loved to compete and in their myths even challenged the gods to compete. They believed that people should be perfect, both physically and spiritually. One of the ancient thinkers, whose name was Plato, called everyone "lame" whose body and mind were not equally developed. But still, the basis of all competitions was the Olympic Games, during which even all hostilities ceased, but we will talk about them another time.
2nd grade theory. History of the appearance of the ball, exercises and ball games
You can talk about two theories, the first is that the idea of the ball was taken from the Scarab beetle, which rolled balls in Egypt. After looking at it, people began to make their own balls, rag, leather, stuffed with wool or grass, for elasticity. Of course, these were not modern balls familiar to all of us, but that was their beginning. The closest version of the modern ball was invented by a Roman gymnastics teacher, and it happened by chance, like all inventions. It was just a couple of thousand years ago. He saw a large bullish bubble, which was inflated and tied with a rope, it turned out to be a kind of ball. Such a ball-ball could be knocked, but it jumped and bounced both from the floor and from the walls. And as soon as the ball appeared, people immediately found a use for it, because with the ball you can come up with such a huge number of games and exercises that if you write them all down, a thick book will not be enough. But it is difficult to say which theory is correct, since balls appeared in many countries and at about the same time, so the ball turned out to be such an inventory, without which mankind could not see its further full-fledged development.
The next Olympiad, which took place this time in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, has ended. And where did it begin Olympic movement, and how the Olympiads were held in Ancient Greece.
1. The origins of the Olympics
The first running competition.
No one really knows where the origins of the earliest games come from. One myth says that Hercules (son of Zeus) once held a running race in Olympia and decreed that it would be repeated every four years.
2. Olympic Games and the Eleusinian Mysteries
Eleusinian Mysteries.
The Olympic Games were one of two major rituals in ancient Greece. Another was the Eleusinian Mysteries - initiation rites for people joining the cults of Demeter and Persephone.
3. Temple at Olympia
Statue of Zeus.
The statue of Zeus was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. It was placed in the temple at Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympics.
4. Time confusion
City-states of Ancient Greece.
The 4-year interval between the Olympiads was used by the ancient Greeks as a measure of time. This idea was developed by the historian Eforus. Previously, each Greek state used its own different method of measuring time, which led to a lot of confusion.
Running 190 meters.
The only competition at the first Olympic Games was the "stadium" race - the 190-meter run. The competition was named after the building in which it was held (it was this that became the progenitor of the word "stadium").
6. Start with arms outstretched
A draw is impossible.
Unlike the modern starting position of runners, in ancient Greece they started from a standing position with their arms outstretched. If the race ended in a draw, then a second race was appointed.
7. Baker from Elida Koreb
Olive branch.
The winner of the first registered Olympic Games (in a sense, the first gold medalist) was Koreb, a baker from Elis (the region where Olympia was located). He won the race in 776 BC. Naturally, no gold medals were awarded then, and Koreb was awarded an olive branch - a symbolic prize. Interestingly, Olympia still exists - about 150 people live in this city.
8. Gymnasium
Tribute to the gods.
The Greek tradition of nude sports is believed to have begun at the Games in 720 BC. Most likely, it was introduced by the Spartans. It was from this practice that arose modern word"Gymnasium", which comes from the Greek word "gymnos", which means "naked". The nudity of athletes was considered a tribute to the gods and encouraged the aesthetic perception of the male body.
9. "Kynodesme"
Olympic minimalism.
Although most athletes were naked while playing, it is possible that some wore "kynodesme" - a thin leather strip that was tied tightly around the foreskin to prevent the glans from showing out. Then this strip was tied to a string tied like a belt around the waist.
10. Tradition of ekecheiriya
Moratorium on executions, wars, battles ...
At the time of the games, an armistice ("ekecheirii") was concluded throughout Greece - no death penalty, wars or battles were allowed. This was done in order to ensure the safety of participants and spectators coming to Olympia.
11. Pythian, Nemean, Isthmian
Annual sporting events.
The Olympics weren't the only ones sports competitions... In the four-year interval between them, the Pythian, Nemean and Isthmian Games were held, but the Olympic Games were the most significant in terms of status.
12. Only in Greek, parakalo
The international status of the games.
Although the first games were "international" in a sense (all Greek city-states were allowed to participate in them), only people who spoke Greek participated. In the end, the Greek colonies were also allowed to play.
13. Hoplithodrome
Running fully armed.
In 520 BC, a competition called the hoplitodrome was added to the Olympic Games, in which athletes ran 400 or 800 meters fully armed with shields and helmets and greaves. Runners often bumped into each other or tripped over shields thrown by other competitors.
14. 5 days of the Olympics
Temple of Zeus at Olympia.
During their heyday, the games lasted 5 days. The first three were for sporting events, while the other two were used for rituals and celebrations. On the last day, all participants attended a celebration where they ate 100 bulls (which were killed on the first day of the Olympics as a sacrifice to Zeus).
15. Rebirth of the Olympic Movement
Olympic flame lighting ceremony.
As part of the transition of Christianity to the official religion, the ancient Olympic Games were finally banned either by Theodosius I in 393 AD. or by his grandson Theodosius II in 435 AD. The next Olympic Games were only held in 1896 in Athens, Greece.