Ms. Soles Social Studies: Europe and Russia

1. Ms. SolesSocial Studies: Europe and Russia Lesson 40 Ancient Greece

2. It’s time to go back over 2000 years ago, once more, to find out more about the Ancient Greeks! Google Earth

3. Topics to Cover:Ancient Greece The First Olympics and Related Greek Culture

4. Did you know? • that the Greeks were the first to develop an alphabet with vowels? • ...that the Rio-Antirio bridge between the Peloponnese and mainland Greece is the longest cable stayed-suspended deck in Europe? • ...that the country's highest mountain, Mount Olympus was said to be the home of the Greek Gods in ancient Greek religion?

5. Did you Know? • that the Olympic Games, originated in Greece 3000 years ago, and that the 1st games of the Modern Olympics were held in Greece in 1896, as a revival of the Games?

6. The Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions held for representatives of various city-states of Ancient Greece held in honour of Zeus. The exact origins of the Games are mixed in myth and legend but records indicate that they began in 776 BC in Olympia in Greece.

7. Only free men who spoke Greek were allowed to participate in the Ancient Games. They were to some extent "international", in the sense that they included athletes from the various Greek city-states. Additionally, participants eventually came from Greek colonies as well, extending the range of the games to far shores of the Mediterranean and of the Black Sea.

8. To be in the Games, the athletes had to qualify and have their names written in the lists. It seems that only young people were allowed to participate.

9. Before being able to participate, every participant had to take an oath in front of the statue of Zeus, saying that he had been in training for ten months.

10. Ancient Olympia

11. The historian Ephorus, who lived in the 4th century BC, is believed to have established the use of Olympiads to count years. The Olympic Games were held at four-year intervals, and later, the Greek method of counting the years even referred to these Games, using the term Olympiad for the period between two Games.

12. Just how far back in history organized athletic contests were held remains uncertain, but it is reasonably certain that they occurred in Greece almost 3,000 years ago. However ancient in origin, by the end of the 6th century BC at least four Greek sporting festivals, sometimes called “classical games,” had achieved major importance.

13. They were as follows: the Olympic Games, held at Olympia.

14. Theatre at Delphi The Pythian games at Delphi

15. The Nemean Games at Nemea View of Ancient Stadium

16. The Isthmean Games near Corinth 7th Century BC-337 BC

17. Later, similar festivals were held in nearly 150 cities as far afield as Rome, Naples, Odessus, Antioch, and Alexandria.

18. Of all the games held throughout Greece, the Olympic Games were the most famous. Held every four years between August 6 and September 19, they had such an important place in Greek history that historians measured time by the interval between them—an Olympiad. The Olympic Games, like almost all Greek games, were a part of a religious festival.

19. They were held in honour of Zeus at Olympia by the city-state of Elis in the northwestern Peloponnese. The first Olympic champion listed in the records was Coroebus of Elis, a cook, who won the sprint race in 776 BC.

20. The Fight of Heracles and the Nemean Lion Temple to Heracles

21. At the meeting in 776 BC there was apparently only one event, a footrace that covered one length of the track at Olympia, but other events were added over the decades. The race, known as the stade, was about 192 metres (210 yards) long.

22. The word stade also came to refer to the track on which the race was held and is the origin of the modern English word stadium. In 724 BC a two-length race, the diaulos, roughly similar to the 400-metre race, was included, and four years later the dolichos, a long-distance race possibly comparable to the modern 1,500- or 5,000-metre events, was added.

23. Wrestling and the pentathlon were introduced in 708 BC. The latter was an all-around competition consisting of five events—the long jump, the javelin throw, the discus throw, a footrace, and wrestling. Discus-thrower

24. Boxing was introduced in 688 BC and chariot racing eight years later. In 648 BC the pancratium, a kind of no-holds-barred combat, was included. This brutal contest combined wrestling, boxing, and street fighting. The right boxer signals giving up by raising his finger high.(500 BC)

25. Kicking and hitting a downed opponent were allowed; only biting and gouging (thrusting a finger or thumb into an opponent's eye) were forbidden. Between 632 and 616 BC events for boys were introduced.

26. And from time to time further events were added, including a footrace in which athletes ran inpartial armour and contests for heralds and for trumpeters. The program, however, was not nearly so varied as that of the modern Olympics.

27. There were neither team gamesnor ball games, and the athletics (track and field) events were limited to the four running events and the pentathlon mentioned above. Chariot races and horse racing, which became part of the ancient Games, were held in the hippodrome south of the stadium.

28. A Hippodrome was a Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name is from the Greek words “hippos-”horse” and “dromos-race or course”

29. Although there were no women's events in the ancient Olympics, several women appear in the official lists of Olympic victors as the owners of the stables of some victorious chariot entries

30. In Sparta, girls and young women did practice and compete locally. But, apart from Sparta, contests for young Greek women were very rare and probably limited to an annual local footrace.

31. At Olympia, however, the Herean festival, held every four years in honour of the goddess Hera, included a race for young women, who were divided into three age groups. Yet the Herean race was not part of the Olympics (they took place at another time of the year).

32. Hera Goddess of Women and marriage The Temple of Hera

33. Over time Olympia, site of the Games, became a central spot for the worship of head of the Greek pantheon and a temple, built by the Greek architect Libon was erected on the mountaintop. The temple was one of the largest Doric temples in Greece.[

34. Model of the Pantheon

35. The sculptor Pheidias created a statue of the god made of gold and ivory. It stood 42 feet (13 m) tall. It was placed on a throne in the temple. The statue became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.[1]

36. A Reconstruction of Phidias’ Statue of Zeus

37. Artistic expression was a major part of the Games. Sculptors, poets and other artisens would come to the Games to display their works in what became an artistic competition. Sculptors created works like Myron's Diskobolos or Discus Thrower

38. The Discobolus of Myron ("discus thrower“) is a famous Greek sculpture that was completed towards the end of the Severe period, circa 460-450 BC. The original Greek bronze is lost. It is known through numerous Roman copies.

39. Poets would be commissioned to write prose in honor of the Olympic victors. These poems, known as Epinicians, were passed on from generation to generation and many of them have lasted far longer than any other honor made for the same purpose.[

40. Archaeologists believe that wars between the city-states of Greece were halted so that the athletes as well as the spectators of the Olympics could get there safely. However, some archaeologists argue that the wars were not halted, but that the athletes who were in the armies were allowed to leave and participate in the Olympics.

41. Statues of Zeus were erected on these bases The names of the athletes were inscribed on the base of each statue to serve as a warning to all. Bases of Zanes, paid for by fines from those who cheated at the Games.

42. Practice and Review • Who did the original Olympic Games honor? • Zeusb. The king c. Alexander • When did the Olympics begin? a.776 BC b. 776 AD c. 1896 AD

43. Who could participate in these earliest games? • Young Men and women • and old Men • Only the younger men • The athletes from the earliest Olympics came from most of: • World b. Europe c. Greek city-states

44. How often were the original Olympics held, as well as today? a.4-year intervals b. every year c. 10-year intervals • About how long ago were the first Olympics held? a. 1,000 yrs. b. 500 yrs c. 3000 yrs.

45. The ONE event held at the first Olympic competition was: • The discus throw b. A footrace • Boxing • Which event was NOT part of the earliest Olympics? • Wrestling b. The javelin Throw c. Ball games

46. The name of the largest temple in Greece that was built on mountain of Olympia? a. The Pantheon b. The Acropolis c. The Stadium 10. Who else competed at the Olympics besides the athletes? a.All Sculptors b. Poets c. Artisans d. All of the above

47. a a c c a c b c a d Answers to Review

48. It’s time to leave that exciting part of history! Back to the present and the USA!Google Earth

49. Resources http://MrDowling.com http://Wikipedia.org