Transcript Agon Arete - McGraw Hill Higher Education

Greece
Chapter 3
Mechikoff & Estes, A History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical
Education, Fourth Edition © 2006, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Greek Influence

Greeks developed much of the Western world’s
belief about the body and physical education
 Likely

with Judaic and Phoenician influences
Two metaphysical systems in Greece
 Naturalistic:
man’s nature is both spiritual and
corporeal (physical)
 Achieving
balance is desired
 Emphasized physical and intellectual
education
Greek Metaphysics

Opposing views (cont.)
man’s nature created by mind
 Mind held in higher esteem than body
 Physical education not necessary
View of physical education: result of a specific
metaphysical position
Both views held the mind in high esteem
 Anti-naturalistic:


 Differed
on importance of the body
 Naturalistic view far more popular
Philosophical Positions: The Body

Dualism
 Explanation
of human existence based upon
both metaphysical and theological beliefs
 Socrates and Plato
 Has profound implications for physical
education
 Separates human existence into two parts,
mind and body.
Philosophical Positions: The Body

Dualism (cont.)
 Elevates
mind over body—regulates the corporeal to
an inferior status
 Reality and truth revealed through the mind, not the
body


Mind and ideas are eternal, the body decays
Most dualists believe it is essential to develop
the intellectual ability over the physical
 Philosophy
was the highest pursuit in Ancient Greece
Philosophical Positions: The Body

Dualism (cont.)




Body is enemy of the mind
Deceives as to what is real
Only in death is the mind truly free of the body
Potentially damaging for view of physical
education
Plato: View of Physical Education
Initially seems that he doesn’t support it
(Phaedo)
 Later supports ideal education as harmony
of mind (music) and body (gymnastics)
 Does harmonious imply equality?

Classical Humanism

Emphasized existence as humans—welfare of
the individual is most important
 Body


was important
One’s purpose in the universe was to work out
his destiny
Plato was not a humanist
 Emphasized
mind more than the body
Classical Humanism

Greek gods thought of as ideal humans
 Anthropomorphic
 Depicted
as having magnificent bodies (Zeus,
Apollo, Athena, etc.)

Greeks wanted to resemble their gods
 Sought
to train and develop the body
Greek Ideals: Arete and Agon



Ideals that resonated with every Greek
Greeks were most like the gods when
striving and competing for excellence
The Greek ideal was the excellent
scholar-athlete-soldier
Greek Ideals: Arete and Agon
Herakles, wearing a cloak made from the skin of the Nemean lion
Greek Ideals: Arete and Agon

Arete is possible only while individual is striving



Those who think they have attained it have lost it
Have passed into hubris (excessive pride)
Arete includes virtue, skill, prowess, pride,
excellence, valor, and nobility (Stephen Miller)
Greek Ideals: Arete and Agon

Arete was not limited to athletes
 Bestowed
on public servants, poets,
philosophers, and soldiers
Greek Ideals: Arete and Agon


Agon: Homer referenced as a meeting place
where athletic events were held
Expanded from athletic competitions



Included competitions in music, poetry, public
speaking and other events
Evolved into the term agonistic (competitive)
Became associated with the process (agony)
of preparing for competition of any kind
Greek Sport

Historical foundations
 Birth
of Olympic Games (776 B.C.)
 Funeral Games honored the deceased and
pleased the Gods
 Climate in Greece allowed for physical activity
year round
Greek Sport: Historical
Perspectives

Romantic view: Rise and fall approach
 Glory
years in fifth and sixth centuries
 Declined with Roman conquest and
Christianity

Traditional View
 Sport
evolved from games described by
Homer
Greek Sport: Historical
Perspectives

Modern sport historians
 Many
are “nontraditionalists”
 Sport grew out of Greek contact with
surrounding civilizations
Athens and Sparta: A Tale of Two
City-States

Greece composed of city-states
 Not
politically unified
Athens and Sparta most famous
 Had highly contrasting cultures
 Athens: center of culture and learning
 Sparta: military power with warrior-citizens

Athens and Sparta: Views on
Physical Education

Sparta
 Obsessed
with the military
 Education was domain of the state
 State’s purpose was to produce soldiers
 Physical education was taken very seriously
 Educated Spartans were physically fit, good
soldiers
Athens and Sparta: Views on
Physical Education
Physical education had prominent place
 Education of mind and body was essential
 Athenians were educated by their families
 Beliefs were similar to our health clubs
and personal trainers today

Athletic Participation of Greek
Women

Spartan women
 Participated
in gymnastics and rigorous
physical fitness and sports programs
 Common belief was that physical fitness and
training were for both sexes
 Spartan women competed in foot races and
other sports
Athletic Participation of Greek
Women



Athenian women did not participate to
extent of Spartan women
Euripides (426 B.C.): “A Spartan girl
could not be chaste if she wanted…They
share the same race track and
palaestra—a situation I find insufferable”
Married women were forbidden under
pain of death from attending Olympic
Games
Athletic Participation of Greek
Women

Held own athletic contests to honor wife of
Zeus (Hera)
 Included
foot races
 Used same stadium at Olympia
 Took place after the Olympic Games
 Same judges (Hellanodikai) as the Olympic
Games
Ancient Olympic Games

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

First recorded evidence of the Olympic Games:
776 B.C.
Olympic Games occurred every fourth year
(Olympiad)
Games may have originated in the hundreds of
festivals, mostly religious, held over the years
Athletic contests were a major activity in festivals
across Greece; a number of stadiums survive
Panhellenic Games
Location
Name
Olympia
Olympic
Games
Pythian
Games
Isthmian
Games
Nemean
Games
Delphi
Corinth
Nemea
Honored
god
Zeus
Victory
wreath
Olive
Apollo
Laurel
Poseidon
Pine
Zeus
Celery
Stadium at Olympia
Stadium at Delphi
Ancient Nemean Games
Race in Armor
Ancient Olympic Games

Elaborate statues and other art forms erected




Celebrated military triumphs as well as athletic
success
Greeks believed victory (athletics, military, etc.)
was ordained by the gods
Olympia was a sacred location where victory
was rewarded
Cheating occurred at Olympic Games as well
as other athletic festivals in Greek world

Financial and material gain by victory in the Games
Ancient Olympic Games

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
Only males were permitted to compete and watch
Married women were not allowed to attend, on
pain of death; virgins could attend
Women who represented the priestess Demeter
could view the Games
 Showed
the relationship between the ancient Games
and theology

Women who owned a horse and chariot could
enter the competition—but not watch it
 Daughter
of Spartan king was victorious in fourth
century B.C.
Ancient Olympic Games
By 472 B.C. games were five days long


Half competitive events, half religious events
Also had non-athletic competition


Competitions in arts, philosophy, poetry, music
Spirit of the games: originally religious



Gave way to attitude of celebrity
City states lured Olympians to their city by wealth
and material possessions
Ancient Olympic Games

Olympic champions became heroic
 Closest
thing to a god as mortal can become.
 Given special privileges and could make vast
sums of money by continuing to win.
 Received a lifetime pension
Gift from a
Champion
Charioteer
Bronze statue, gift of the winner of the
Chariot race at the Pythian Games
Ancient Olympic Games

Greeks believed in developing the mind and
body



Olympics were pinnacle of this achievement
Plato, Aristotle and other famous philosophers
gathered at Olympia
Theodosius I and II: first Christian emperors of
Rome

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Outlawed pagan cults in A.D. 393
Ordered destruction of pagan temples (including
temple at Olympia) in A.D. 435
Games tied to pagan religious buildings may then
have ceased at most locations; the Games may
have continued at some locations for a time