SPORT IN ANCIENT GREECE
... Both as a business and as an entertainment venue, sport plays a large role in our modern society. As important as it is today, though, sport was even more important in ancient Greece. ... From its humble beginnings as a part of Greek religious practices to its growth into organized competitions that promoted Greek pride and unity to its decline and its revival ultimate destruction under the rule of the Roman Empire, sport was an integral part of Greek society. Sport in Greece dates back to the time of the great poet Homer and it is in his works that we are first shown “the true spirit of sport” (Athletics of the Ancient World 18); in fact, it is in Homer’s Odyssey that the word “athlete” is first used (Athletics of the Ancient World 19). Homer describes the true athlete as being one who is an honest man and who competes for nothing more than the love of competition (Athletics in the Ancient World 19). Athletics in ancient Greece were very closely tied to religion in the beginning. Athletic games there first started as a part of religious ceremonies dedicated to dead heroes and of fertility festivals held to honor different gods (Ancient Olympics). The ancient Greeks believed that life and death had a relationship that was symbolized by the games held at these festivals (Yalouris 36); “the dead earth gives birth to the new shoot, and the youths involved in the competitions draw strength from the dead heroes in whose honor they are competing” (Yalouris 36). As time went on, athletic games in Greece began to lose their ties to religion and became true sports events (Yalouris 36). The Greeks stressed a need for all citizens to participate in athletics because war between the Greek city states were frequent and they could be called upon to fight in battle at any time (Athletics of the Ancient 28). Because interest in performing drills and training is easily lost, the Greeks constantly held competitions for all ages to maintain enthusiasm for athletics (Athletics of the Ancient 28). At first these competitions were held locally, but national events were soon developed (Athletics of the Ancient 28, 29).