“There is no greater glory that can befall a man living than
what he achieves by speed of his feet or strength of his hands.”
(Homer, Odyssey, VIII, 147-148)
What are the topics:
A blast from the past, Olympia
and the ancient Olympics;
Sybaris and the arm wrestling with
Olympia;
A fellow winner: Kleòmbrotos
1.Olympia and the ancient Olympics
1700 BC, the origin:
Initially the Olympic Games
lasted only one day, but eventually
they grew to six days and were held every four 6° day: the winner
received the olive
years. The days were chosen so that the central wreath
day coincided with the second or third full moon
after the summer solstice . Because of the high
5° day: the
temperatures were not uncommon cases of heat pentathlon
stroke, or death.
4° day: the
Horse-racing
3° day: wrestling,
boxing, and the
pancratium
2° day: the foot race
1° day: opening
ceremony
1.1 The foot races:
The diaulos, or two-
The stadion (or "stade") stade race, was
race, a short sprint introduced in 724 BC,
measuring between 180 during the 14th Olympic
and 240 metres (590 and games. The race was a
790 ft), or the length of the single lap of the stadium,
stadium. approximately 400
metres (1,300 ft).
The "Hoplite race“(520 BC.)
The runners would run in full A third foot race, the dolichos, was
or partial armour. The introduced in 720 BC. the length of
hoplitodromos emulated the the race was 18-24 laps, or about
speed and stamina needed for three miles (5 km). The event was
warfare. run similarly to modern
marathons.
1.2 Wrestling, Boxing, and the Pancratium:
Boxing was a widespread and violent sport especially for the
particular type of gloves used. Greek boxers wrapped their hands
and forearms in an armor made of leather and metal straps.
Tragic conclusions were not rare . In this case, the winner-
murderer incurred in flogging.
Finally pancratium, was a
synthesis of wrestling and boxing: all
sockets and
Fists were absolutely prohibited in wrestling matches,
all shots were allowed, only
the wrestlers were naked and anointed to make very difficult the taking but were free
biting the opponent and shoving the
to headbutt the opponent. The one who could assign three pinned to his opponent got the
fingers in his eyes were forbidden.
victory.
1.3 The horse-racing:
Chariot races
Took place in the
Hippodrome
Horse races
Horse racing
Were the most expensive of
the all Olympic program
The owners of the
major teams were kings
and however rich people
Had a political meaning
1.4 The pentathlon: The was a Greeks considered
The javelinancientman-high length ofthe
rhythm and precision of an or an
wood, with either a sharpened end athlete
throwing the discus as a thong for
attached metal point. It had important
Discus as fingers attached
a hurler'shis strength. to its center of
gravity, which increased the precision and
Wrestling
5 Javelin distance of a javelin's flight.
Jumpin
Running
g
Athletes used lead or stone jump weights
(halteres)
The discus was made of stone, iron, bronze, or lead, shaped like telephone receivers to
increase
and was shaped like a flying saucer. Sizes varied, the length of their jump.
The athletes competed in The halteres were held in front of the athlete
since the boys' division was not expected to throw the
the sprinting and wrestling match, which during his ascent, and forcibly thrust behind
same weight as the mens'.
followed exactly the races during the secondhis back and dropped during his descent to help
and third day. propel his body further.
1.5 The proclamation of the winner:
"The important thing in life is not to compete but to triumph”, this is the basic rule.
The victory banquet started with a procession to the Temple of
Zeus, referred to by the Greeks as the Altis, where each winner
received his wreath of olive branches from olives. Crowds then
showered them with flowers.
After this coronation, which was the highest honor that an
athlete could achieve in ancient Greece, the Olympic athletes were
making a tour of the stadium to receive the spectators’ cheers.
The victors of the Olympic games were rewarded
generously. Statues were erected in their honour. Parades with
chariots, songs, and poems written in their honor were given in
their hometowns.
1.6 Some interesting facts about the ancient
The Olympic truce
Olympic Games
Women and Olympics
Competitions for young people 1. The truce (ekecheirìa)
1
1. and disseminated by the so-
was declared Competitions were organized for the
young with a before the game.
called "messengers of peace," program
that provided only races and fight for the
2. All the ongoing conflicts were suspended
of all the armies stopped military
danger andthe other disciplines. action to
young man was that the Olympics.
2. The respect the sacred event of until the age of 18
years, regardless of age but in the opinion
3. Their competitions were called «Erei
of the judges a young
Games» in honour of if, excluded
“Humanity would be happy goddess Hera
person could be
as in ancient Greece, in the
a admitted directly to the
middle of or war, the enemy
4.Theystopped in a case of a fit physique.
armies also had
category ofadults for the a reserved
6. The moment their
winners wonTruce, thusof stadium, but it and was
3.The Olympic crowns understood, was taken celebrate the to honorGames”
struggles,
reduced Olympic
by one-sixth.
olive and ade Coubertin,3. Greek world attributed great value to aboutnot so young and the
up by Pierre part of whose goal
5. the youngest run for first, after these those
to give, through the reorganization of the were older. people believing them
wascow sacrificed to thelast thosegained by young They run like this: the a
the victories who
good omenloose, the chiton got a bit ’above the
hair was for
Hera. Games, a contribute to belonged. the population’s future to which knee, from the right
Olympic
they
and to
understanding between peoplesshoulder to below the breast were uncovered.
build a more peaceful world.
2. Sybaris and the arm wrestling with
Olympia
3. Sybaris at the 2004 Olympics
2. A fellow winner: Kleòmbrotos
1. The reasons of the competition
2.1 The reasons of the competition
The first winner of the
children boxing,
1
set in XLI Olympics,
was the Sybarite
Philytas in 616 BC.
The polis developed the
intention to e m u la te , and
perhaps obscure,
2
the glorious Olympic The thing that confirms
Games, to confirm the existence of important
so the importance
achieved by the polis.
3
games in Sybaris was the
disproportionate financial ability
to fund the awards.
2.2 A fellow winner: Kleòmbrotos
Kleombrotos was a Sybaris citizen, who lived in the early
sixth century. B.C. and participated in perhaps the
46th Olympiad (526 BC), winning.
The inscription suggests that the athlete is
measured in boxing or wrestling, or otherwise in a
discipline in which athletes are facing according to
the weight and height.
What Kleòmbrotos is to Sibari’s citizens:
T h e h e a d m a s te r’s s p e e c h :
D e c e m b e r 16, 2008 re p re s e n ts a
h is to ric a l d a te fo r th e p e o p le o f “th e n a m in g o f th e
S ib a ri: th a t d a y th e E le m e n ta ry
S c h o o l w a s n a m e d a fte r
sc h o la s tic in s titu tio n
K le o m b ro to s . a fte r K le o m b ro to s is ,
to th e stu d e n ts
b e lo n g in g to th e
e le m e n ta ry sc h o o l in
Sibari, the dream, the project
for a life devoted to
goodness and to all those
values that the ancient athlete
represented…his lo y a lty ,
h is stre n g th a n d g lo ry
sh o u ld b e a so rt o f
in s p ira tio n fo r a g o o d
p e rs o n a l a n d so c ia l
d e v e lo p m e n t”.
2.3 Sybaris at the 2004 Olympics
S ib a ri, b o a s ts its re c e n t
p a rtic ip a tio n to th e
O ly m p ic G a m e s d u rin g
A th e n s 2004 th a n k s to
th e a rc h a e o lo g ic a l
re m a in s p re s e rv e d in its
m u s e u m , “th e n a tio n a l
m u s e u m o f S y b a ris ”,
a n d th is a ll h a p p e n e d
th a n k s to K le o m b ro to s .
Conclusions:
So from Sibari to
The admiration for the attribute ofLondon only
That’s because
The Olympics me respect
Kleombrotos makesis “world” this
one road will link
each athlete that one his us this time: the sport
means has
of its objectives, the all, is the
...according toamong saying:
own quality.
mixing of people of different
"all roads lead… to the sport".
cultures
Whoever he may be French,
Greek, American, English,
German, Italian or belonging to the
other countries attending to the
Olympic Games.
A te n e A n to n e lla