Tuesday 22 May 2012

Olympia museum

Monday 21 May 2012

Olympic Games And Olympic Truce

By Pavlos Mirmigakos
Olympic Games were born in ancient Greece. Every four years, during summer time, athletes from all over Greece gathered in Olympia, which is in Peloponese, to take part in Olympic Games. Only Greek men could participate and the winners gained a wreath of olive tree leaves and glory. It is an important fact that has to be mentioned that in ancient Greece during the period of Olympic Games all wars and disputes had to stop. It was the only time in history that Olympic Games were actually accompanied by real Olympic Truce. The end of Olympic Games came when the Christian religion prevailed in the Greek mainland.
Back 1896 a revival of Olympic games took place. The 1896 Olympic Games in Athens have been the first Olympic Games in modern times. But the Olympic Spirit has by that time become worldwide, and as a result the Olympic Games have become ...

Thursday 17 May 2012

Chariot Racing – A Popular Sporting Event in Ancient Times

Author: Anna M. Kelly
For the ancient Greeks and Romans, chariot racing was one of the most popular sports beloved by the masses. Although it was a dangerous sport with frequent serious injuries and deaths on both horse and driver, it was a huge draw for spectators who came in droves to watch the spectacle.
The origin of chariot racing is not clear, but evidence from pottery during the Mycenaean Age and a literary reference described by Homer suggests very early beginnings. Chariot racing became one of the more important equestrian events when it was added to the Olympic Games in 680 B.C. Though not as highly esteemed as the foot race, it surpassed racing on horseback which was eventually discontinued.
The races in ancient Greece were held in a stadium called the hippodrome. Ten or more chariots could run at a time. The horses ran around ...

Saturday 12 May 2012

The Sport of Archery in the Olympic Games

By Michael Russell
Archery was not a sports event in the first ancient Olympic Games in Greece. However, the games were held for over 1,000 years, so it's entirely possible that at some time archery was an Olympic sport in the past.
Archery for men was an event for the first time in the modern Olympics in 1900. The first archery event for women was in 1904. However, there was no uniformity in the rules in those early Olympics and archery was dropped as an event after 1920. The international governing body for archery, the Federation Internationale de Tira l'Arc (FITA), was founded in 1931. It took many years before all countries accepted the new international rules for competition, but archery was able to return as an Olympic sport to...

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Greece - The Olympic Games from 1896 to 2004

By Mary Rowland
Through the years, the Olympic Games have managed to win their rightful place in history. They are still the highest ambition of athletes all over the world. Though the olive branch has been replaced by a gold medal and the exalting songs of the ancient world by tempting prizes for "the winners of the modern Games, the glory that comes from an Olympic victory remains exactly the same.
The modern history of the Olympic Games begins in 1896, and from then to now it has lasted through both difficulties and moments of sheer magnificence. The only Olympiads not to have been held were those scheduled for 1916, 1940 and 1949 due to the outbreak of the two World Wars. The honour of hosting the Games has always been great, but the task extremely difficult. The undertaking of the countries who organize the Games offers, each time, the opportunity for...

Saturday 5 May 2012

History of Trophies Through Time

By John P Peterson
Today trophies are awarded for a range of reasons; from academic achievement, sporting events and to recognise employers or employees. A trophy is a sign of recognition for the recipient and something they can keep as a permanent reminder. They can be inexpensive, made from plastic and wood given to every participant in your child's soccer team, or they can also be a treasure to truly aspire to, such as an Olympic medal or something that has been passed down over many years, like the America's Cup, a sailing trophy.
The history of trophies extends back to ancient times. Derived from the French word 'trophee' in 1513, which means "a spoil or prize of war", trophies also date back to ancient Greece. Through victory in battle the Greeks would create trophies from ...

Friday 4 May 2012

Equestrian Olympic Games - Dressage

Author: Arthur Archer
Equestrian Olympic Games - Dressage:

The origin of dressage, this type of training can be tracked back to Greece. This is traced back to the third and fourth century Greeks. Ancient Greeks studied in the system of training there horses, both artistically and as an efficient means of improving there cavalry performance. Greeks realized that a properly trained obedient horse would be of much greater use to the riders wish, Hence of more use for the soldier's to have in there possession. If a proper trooper was on a horse he could not control, he was in turn of no use to his fellow soldiers.