The Olympics: From Myth to Reality

This year's Summer Olympics, held in Rio de Janeiro, marks the 31st edition of the modern games. However, according to Jason König, a professor of Greek history at the University of St Andrews, there is still a long way to go to break the 12-century record of these games in ancient Greece. König states that from over seven hundred years before Christ until the fourth century AD, athletes from all over Greece came to Athens to compete in various events to show their respect for the god of gods, Zeus. But what has changed from ancient Greece to now in the Olympics? Dr. König categorizes these changes into six categories: 1. The ideals of today's Olympics had no place in ancient Greece. Many theories about the relationship and similarity of the ancient Olympics to what we know today are completely mistaken. For example, the modern Olympics are held under slogans like peace and justice for all people of the world. Or it is said that athletes come to compete only for fair play, and these values are linked to the ancient games. However, we now know that the ancient competitions were held for monetary rewards, and the athletes' goal in winning was purely financial. Furthermore, we know that the truce that occurred during the ancient Olympics was to protect the lives of those traveling to Athens to watch the games, not necessarily to bring peace to the country. The image of an ancient Greek athlete wearing an olive leaf crown and holding a torch has become one of the familiar images of the Olympics, but it is important to note that there was no such thing as a torch relay in ancient Greece! 2. Animal Sacrifice. Many rituals held during the ancient Olympic games had a completely religious aspect, and now they are no longer even referenced. For instance, at that time, animals like bulls were sacrificed as gifts to the gods during the games! Imagine if such behavior were to occur in modern competitions! 3. The exact date of the games. Contrary to what is believed today, the scheduling and administrative tasks related to the Olympics were not exclusive to the modern era. Evidence shows that the Olympics always occupied a prominent place in the calendars and planning of ancient times. The positions of the athletes were clear, and these games were financially supported by the emperors of Greece and later ancient Rome. 4. Construction and Infrastructure! As the Rio games approach, news is filled with stories about unfinished buildings and constructions that may not even be ready by the night of the games. However, these constructions are not exclusive to the modern era, held every four years in a different city. Even in ancient Greece, where the games were always held in a fixed sports complex, there is evidence that this complex was under construction and preparation throughout the year for the games. 5. The Opening Ceremony. The image of an ancient Greek athlete wearing an olive leaf crown and holding a torch has become one of the familiar images of the Olympics, but it is important to note that there was no such thing as a torch relay in ancient Greece! The lighting of the Olympic torch and keeping it lit is a very modern ceremony that was first performed at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Germany. The German director of the film Olympia staged this ceremony to make his film more magnificent, and this tradition has remained for the Olympics since then. 6. Security. It is true that the security forces of ancient Greece were not worried about terrorist attacks from extremist groups against athletes and city residents like Brazilian police today, but evidence shows that soldiers at that time were also responsible for protecting the lives of spectators and monitoring the behavior of athletes. Their duties included ensuring that athletes did not cheat. There is a famous story of a gladiator revolt during the games in 59 AD!