The ancient Greek olympics

The ancient Greek olympics Many people know a lot about the Olympic Games. Ancient games were a lot smaller than the Olympic Games today with only 300 contestants from 11 different countries. All of America has heard the devastating news that occurred this year at the 2010 Olympics. Nodar Kumaritashvili died after crashing into a metal pole during a luge race. He was only 21 years old competing at the Vancouver Olympics and it took his life. Many people do not realize how violent and dangerous certain Olympic events are. To fully understand the importance of the Olympics you need to know about the Ancient Olympic Games (Papantoniou). According to Findling, Heracles, Zeuss son, founded the ancient Olympics. Yet the first Olympic Games were held in 776 BCE. At this Olympic Games, a runner named Coroebus, won the running event. Coroebus became the very first Olympic champion. The ancient Olympic Games became bigger and more popular so they continued to be played every four years for nearly 1,200 years (Findling). At the beginning, the Olympic Games were played as part of a religious practice. People put their passion for religion into sport and competition. This hereby became a religious ritual for the Greeks (Papantoniou). The Olympic Games were the most famous of all other games by far and they were held in Olympia. According to Papantoniou, the idea of rebirth soon came along and when it did many cults were formed. The idea of rebirth came from the idea of creation. We are created from the coming together of a male and female, which was obvious. During this process of birth, the Earth has been said to give us life. The Earth, with the help of Mother Nature, contains everything that people need to live. The divine force of Mother Nature created the idea of rebirth. Soon the religious cults were formed and competition became an important ritual (Papantoniou). The purpose of the Olympic events was to demonstrate bodily strength and vigor (Papantoniou). According to Findling, once the first full moon came out the games were able to begin. At the beginning, the games only lasted a day but soon the games became so popular new sports were added. Soon, the games lasted a full five days. The first day of the festival was meant for sacrifices for the Gods. Some athletes liked to pray alone and make sacrifices themselves. Most Greek athletics were for one person to compete with another as opposed to playing on teams. The athletes took part in running, wrestling, disc-throwing, boxing, javelin-hurling and many other sports. The second day of the games was the day of the foot-race. There was not merely one type of race that the athletes took part in. There were four different kinds. The first and oldest was stadion, where runners sprinted for 1 stade, which was the length of the stadium. The other races were a 2-stade and long-distance races. The fourth type of race involved runners wearing full armor. This race was good for preparing men for the military. It increased strength and stability for the men competing to get them ready for war. The other events besides the races were held after the second day of the Games. Pancratium, which was a mix of wrestling and boxing, got kind of intense. To succeed in wrestling the player was to heave the other wrestler on the ground three times. It was not that simple, however. The opponent couldnt just land any such way. They were to land on their hip, back or shoulder. To avoid any serious injury, ancient Greece had specific rules that were to be followed. Biting your opponent and grabbing their genitals was frowned upon during wrestling or the pancratium. When the games had first begun, boxing was not very violent. Although boxing was not too intense, protection was very important. The Greeks were always looking for ways to avoid injury in games like this. In this case, the boxers put leather on their fingers, much like a modern day boxing glove. These leather straps helped with the pain of being hit. However, as time went on, the players came up with more and more violent strategies to make their way to the top. After this more protection was necessary and new finger straps were created. The intensity of boxing was nothing compared to that of the pancratium. It was so brutal that it was not declared over until one of the players accepted defeat. The people who had enough money to own horses were able to train their horses to compete in races. There were races where the horse wore a saddle to make riding easier but in other races the horse had to be bareback. Bareback riding is riding without a saddle which was very difficult because the riders had nothing to hold onto. Much like when a man wins a competition he receives an olive branch, so does the winning horse. The person who trained and rode the horse to victory receives no credit. In the Olympics there were also Chariot races. These races included small chariots led by 2 horses and larger ones led by 4 horses. The pentathlon came after the day of the horse races. The pentathlon included five sports for the athletes to take part in. The events were all very different from one another. Sprinting and wrestling were two of the five events. It was tough since all of the events were so different. If an athlete succeeded at one event he might fail at another. Many of the athletes had to throw javelins and discuses as part of their competition. The final event in the pentathlon was the long jump. Not only was strength important but also stamina and precision (Findling). In order to succeed at jumping the farthest many men would use weights to make them jump further. Many people from out of the area would come to Olympia for their religious festivals. These popular festivals brought many more athletes to the area looking to play in the Games. Gymnasiums were built in Greece for people to practice and play less serious games. The gymnasiums were not only a place to practice but also a place to get protection from the sun. Each gymnasium contained a bath for men to not only clean but also to oil themselves. Athletes often covered themselves in oil before competing in the hot sun for protection (Findling). These competitive games were taken very seriously and they symbolized many things. According to Papantoniou, if you won a game, instead of getting a medal or a trophy, you were crowned with a wild olive branch. The olive branch symbolizes God so if you are crowned, the olive branch promises godliness and that you will live forever. According to Findling, after winning a competition, the winners would return home only to be escorted to their own town. According to Papantoniou, if you won a competition you would therefore have a divine presence and just the thought of you would bring up the word fertility. After these competitions were made-up, fertility of nature became associated with these human activities. A triumph in any one of these games was seen as a direct effect of divine will. The winners were looked upon as heroes or even gods to everyone. These physical activities both influenced the ritual process and were influenced by it in turn (Papantoniou). According to Fling, rewar ds were given to the winners of certain events such as wrestling and boxing from the pain that one must endure. According to Findling, Greek literature and art all included athletics in some way shape or form. Physical ability was extremely important to the Greeks. Not only physical strength was important but also strength of the mind. According to Papantoniou, some people believed that the Olympic Games were a creative way to select their king. When the King competed in the games, if he was not the winner, everyone would know that he was not a worthy leader. He cannot continue to be King if his power and vigor begin to decline. For this reason the Olympics was to be held so that the Kings strength could be put to the test. In the mythical era, everyone believed that if the King won it was because he was chosen by God. If the King lost, God has chosen someone else to take over. Cronus, Zeus, Apollo, Hermes and Ares were the first to participate in the games, followed by Idaean Heracles, Pelops, Oenomaeus, Heracles, the Dioscouri and a whole host of kings and rulers (Papantoniou). According to Papantoniou, the Olympic Games were mostly for men to watch. Unmarried women were allowed to attend to find a husband. However, married women were not allowed to watch on pain of death (Papantoniou). According to Fling, although unmarried women were allowed to attend the Olympic Games, there were only certain days on which they were able to. If any woman was to be caught at the Olympic Games on a day that they were not supposed to be, they were to be pushed down Mount Typaeum. Mount Typaeum was a tall mountain that expanded from Scillus to Olympia and it would be torture for anyone who fell down it. The only woman who has ever been caught at the Games when she wasnt supposed to be was Callipateria. Her son was to compete in the Olympics so she disguised herself as a trainer. Her son, Peisirodus was victorious. Soon Callipaterias identity had become known. She was scared for her life. Her father, brother and son all competed in the Olympic Games and all were victorious. B ecause of this, there was an exception to the rule and she was left unpunished. Because of her mistakes there has been a new law put in place for trainers to show themselves before coming into the area with the players (Fling). According to Durrant, The real question here is not who can attend the Olympics but who can compete. Of course not all people who want to participate can participate. Like many things in life there were restrictions for the Olympic Games. Only free-born Greek citizens were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games (Durrant). Boys competed with boys. Men competed with men of the same age. Only at Sparta, did girls take part in the contest. To be eligible for participation in the Olympic Games, a competitor must observe the traditional Olympic spirit and ethic and have always participated in sport as an avocado without having received any remuneration for his participation (Durrant). According to Durrant, Amateurs are frowned upon during the Olympics. An amateur is anyone who decides to participate in the games merely for their own benefits. These benefits may include social benefits, physical or mental benefits. Its better to see a man take on a task just to test himself. There is n ot a problem as long as the competition is constrained to a distinct population. There will be a problem when a competitor moves to a different population that has more rigid rules and standards. Professionalism began in the sixth century B.C. when Solon decided that anyone who won in the Olympic Games would be given 500 drachmae. Soon after the invention of professionalism, athletic games became a full time job for some. Plato said that the athlete who ends by becoming a hater of philosophy, uncivilized, never using weapons of persuasion,à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬he is like a wild beast, all violence and fierceness, and knows no other way of dealing; and he lives in all ignorance and evil conditions, and has no sense of propriety and grace (Durrant). You may be wondering what the proper attire for the Olympic Games were in ancient times. According to Fling, The Lacedaemonians were the first players who decided that being naked during the games were easier. They also are the ones who discovered the protection that oil gave their bodies. Before nudity, the competitors wore nothing but loin cloths (Fling). According to Fling, the ancient Olympic Games ended 393 AC. The modern Olympics began at the end of the XIX century. Baron Pierre de Coubertin brough back the Olympics with his impressive proposal. Everyone was so excited about the return of the Olympics that the first Modern Olympic Games were to take place in Athens in 1896. Before Baron, other people had tried to bring the Olympics back but no one was successful. So as we can see much about the Olympics has changed. Although the Olympics were invented in ancient times, they still live on today. Works Cited Durrant, Sue M. And Who May Compete?. Quest (00336297) 22.(1974): 104-110. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. Findling, J. E., Pelle, K. D. (1996). Historical Dictionary of the Modern Olympic Movement. Westport: Greenwood Press. Fling, Fred Morrow. A Source Book of Greek History. 1907. 04 February 2010 . Papantoniou, G. Religiosity as a main element in the ancient Olympic Games. Sport in Society 11.1 (2008): 32-43. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 2 Feb. 2010.

The Story of Tom Brennan

After reading: Fear, drink driving, family relationships, friendship, conflict, grief and loss are all important themes of this book. Choose two themes and describe/discuss how they are portrayed in the book. (We will work through an example answer in class) THEMES How is the theme of fear portrayed in TSOTB? Sample Answer (Fear is a significant theme in TSOTB. Throughout the story we see many examples of character confronting and being challenged by fear. We also see the different ways that characters cope with fear.Tom Brennan is frightened of many things. He is frightened by the death of Nicole and Luke, the quadriplegia of Finn, the imprisonment of Daniel, the illness of his mother, the challenge of establishing himself in a new community. How does Tom confront his fears and cope with them? Tom initially feels guilt ridden by a number of the tragedies that had occurred. With support from people such as C,T and B, Tom starts to realise that these tragedies were not his fault. He c ould not control what had happened. Tom pays his respects to the families of N and L.He starts to visit Finn on a more regular basis and he acknowledges that things will never return to how they were. Tom â€Å"moves on with his life† and in doing so overcomes many of his fears. ) Character Analysis: Choose one of the following characters and provide a detailed character analysis of them: Tom Brennan, Daniel Brennan, Tess Brennan, Joe Brennan, Brendan, Gran, Finn, Kylie, Kath, Chrissie. Remember to follow the characterisation checklist. Characterisation Checklist: Name character Describe appearance Describe relationships with othersDescribe thoughts, words and actions Describe personality Describe goals, ambitions, regrets Describe how the character has changed/developed/grown throughout the course of the book. Sample Character Analysis: Kath O’Neil is Finn’s mother and an auntie of Daniel, Tom and Kylie Brennan. Kath is Tess’ sister. We don't know a lot about Kath’s appearance. She would most likely be a strong, capable woman who has a active life. Following the accident and the responsibility of caring for Finn. Kath has to get used to lots of physical lifting and work.Kath shares positive relationships with others, however, the nature of these relationships would have been significantly compromised by the accident and Kath’s feelings as to may have been responsible for her son’s quadriplegia. Kath appears at times to be very stressed and very angry. This of course would be a natural reaction to what has transpired in her life. She is also determined to what she can for her son. No doubt Kath’s goals, ambition and regrets would have changed significantly with the crash. Her life going forward was changed hugely and she would have had huge regrets at the loss of her family’s life as it had once been.

What Absolutely Everyone Is Saying About Topics to Write an Evaluation Essay on and What You Have to Do

What Absolutely Everyone Is Saying About Topics to Write an Evaluation Essay on and What You Have to Do There are various kinds of essays that may be part of a student writing task. Your teacher will be pleased with your selection. Whatever you decide to write about, you'll need to supply an essential judgement based on a set of criteria so it's crucial to either pick a topic you know well or the one which you'll be in a position to research. For instance, giving the duty of updating a current report to a content writer in your organization is reasonable. Therefore, obtaining a thorough comprehension of the topic being evaluated is important. Getting in a position to present details, comments, and information that's directly linked to the sort of evaluation essay that you're writing can help you make a highly-usable output. Key Pieces of Topics to Write an Evaluation Essay on An evaluation is an assessment of particular topics or subjects typically conducted for a certain p urpose. An evaluation report provides the audience a general idea about the entire evaluation. It is an essential way of presenting an evaluation to a certain audience. Writing an evaluation report is a simple concept which you can adapt as needed. The Chronicles of Topics to Write an Evaluation Essay on Background information Shondra will want to ensure that everybody who reads her report has all of the background information required to understand it. An evaluation paper should incorporate summary info and your earnest perspective on the discipline. Most evaluation reports incorporate exactly the same essential sections, however, as we'll see in a moment, they aren't always in exactly the same purchase. Together with the facts, you will need supporting information from a wide range of sources. 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The evaluation program is a fundamental part of a proposal that gives information on how and when you will test the undertaking and how you'll report your result. It is always defined at the end of the proposal. Your evaluation program should incorporate both.

Homophobia in American Beauty - 803 Words

I watched the movie American Beauty a couple of days ago and saw how homophobia might be a sign that the homophobic might be a homosexual. So I though I’d write about it. American Beauty centers on the last year of Lester Burnham’s life. Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey, is married to Carolyn Burnham, played by Annette Betting, and their marriage is picture perfect on the outside, but the perfection is only superficially. Their marriage is based on projecting one image- a picture perfect suburbia lifestyle when it is in fact quite the opposite. Colonel Frank Fitts played by Chris Cooper, is the new neighbor who is presented as a homophobic man. He hates on and puts down the homosexual couple in the neighborhood constantly. So what†¦show more content†¦Men fear humiliation or weakness because they always have to present everyone this image of being though, dominant and dependent; men despise anything that goes against these traditional views of masculinity . This traditional thoughts lead to homophobia. The media is constantly portraying men in a violent or dominant way in the movies, TV shows, etc. Asians are almost always portrayed as martial artist or violent criminals and Latinos as boxers, criminals or though gangsters. Ever since the Colonel moved in he shows this extreme disgust towards homosexuals around his neighborhood. He even shows this behavior towards his son Ricky when he becomes suspicious of his (Ricky’s) relationship with Lester. Probably when the Colonel was growing up, being gay was the worse and he tried to hide it from his parents and thought the army might help straighten him out and got married to try to appear like a normal man. At the end of the movie Frank believes he sees his son taking money from Lester for sexual favors and this results in Ricky leaving the house. Castaà ±eda 3 The death of Lester Burnham is simply because he aroused his homophobic neighbor. 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