The Similarities And Differences Between The Ancient Olympics And The Modern Olympics

Picture this: it’s 776 B.C. and there is a man, and not just any man—a Greek man. He is entering the stadium of Olympia, ready to participate in the first ever Olympic Games. He does not know it yet, but he is about to partake in what is to become the biggest international multi-sporting event in the world. In 2012, nearly four billion people tuned in to watch the London Olympics from all over the world. Needless to say, it is pretty obvious that people are familiar with the Olympic Games. It should also be clear that the ancient Olympic Games are very different from the modern Olympics that so many of us are accustomed to today. The differences range from the participation criteria, the actual game’s competed, the rewards, and most importantly, the heart of the game itself. Although they bear some similarities, the differences
Today, participation in the modern Olympics requires two things regardless of what nationality or gender a person is: determination and skill. That was not the case with the ancient Olympics. In the ancient Olympics, all participants were required to be citizens, which meant they needed to be “male, free-born Greeks” . Women, along with slaves and foreigners, were not allowed to participate in the games themselves, but single Greek women were allowed to watch the games. As for married women, they were not allowed to watch or even visit the games. If they did not abide by these rules, they would be harshly punished, even to the extreme of death. Although it seems cruel, there is surely a reason for this. The ancient Olympic athletes were required to be naked, so it wouldn’t really be proper for married women to watch the games. Now, it may seem that any Greek man could just get on up and participate, but the ancient