How Did The Olympics Evolve?

Sports of the Ancient World

This paper will examine the importance of sports in the ancient world. I will look at how sports evolved in ancient Egypt. I will answer questions in respect to the many sports that were played. How sports became part of their ancient culture and the true value of being an athlete in the ancient world. My paper will also consider the development of sports for amusement versus competition. I will attempt to answer the following questions: Where did the Olympics originated and how did the Olympics evolve? What sports were available during the original Olympics in ancient Greece? What was the purpose of sports in ancient society? Where there violent and non-violent sports in the ancient world associated with
Scenes of fishing for food with hand nets are accompanied by fisherman jousting also known as boat jousting. Fisherman’s jousting that began as unplanned contests of fun while working on the fishing vessels, deepened to bloody seriousness. (Decker, 99) Fisherman’s jousting usually involved two to four groups onboard individual fishing vessels. The long poles that they used to steer and move the boats also acted as sporting weapons. The way the jousting took place was the fisherman standing on the bow of the boat either completely naked or with a short skirt tried to push the fisherman on the other boats into the water while the mates on the individual boats stood at the stern steering and keeping the boat on an even keel. Sometimes when the men did not have results with an actual winner, the contest became more aggressive as the boats moved closer to each other. The poles became useless and the men then engaged in yanking and ramming each other and eventually led into what we know as a regular wrestling match to us. (Decker, 101) The challenges that began with lighthearted objectives often ended in bloody battles. There were no rules or boundaries and rules were probably changed daily depending on the
The competitions of the early Olympics of Ancient Greece consisted mainly of races. The first Olympics contained only a 200 yard foot race, call the stade. Then came another competition, the diaulos, the 400 yard race, and finally, the pentathlon was introduced. The pentathlon was an event that consisted of several tests of strength and endurance, such as discus throwing, javelin, long jump, running and wrestling. There were ten events in total, which also included chariot racing and horse racing. Judges for the competitions of the Ancient Greek Olympics were all chosen from one place – Ellis. This was because Olympia was part of the region of Ellis. Cheating was not permitted under any circumstances. Fines were levied on athletes or trainers found guilty of cheating. (Miller,