Olympics Comparsion

The Olympics, an event now famous for extravagance, feats of athletic prowess, and glory for one's nation, has not always been so. 2,800 years in the past the Olympics differed immensely in the political, economic, and social aspects of the games.

 The start of the games is partly due to the formation of city states. Because these city states were often locked in combat with each other, times of peace were rare. Therefore during the games no fighting shall occur so that Greek citizens may attend the games without fearing death or injury at the hands of rival cities. This rule was broken by Sparta, the warmongering city state who led siege to a fort during the games. Which led to Sparta being banned from the games. A modern comparison to this would be the first and second world wars. Where the central and axis powers were not invited to join the summer games.

 

The Olympics have come a long way from its start in 776 B.C. ancient Greece, to being hosted in modern day cities and has changed with the times. Where ordinary citizens, not professionals mind you, competed in various events for honor and glory. Originally hosted at mount Olympus, a site once used to worship the god Zeus. The famous lighting of the torch to symbolize the start of the game has changed immensely since its conception. In the early years a sacrifice of a hundred oxen were burned in order to keep flies away from the meat offerings. While now the lighting of the torch is to show a cooperation of nations. It is first lit in Greece, where the Olympics originated and several rituals are performed. Then the torch is sent to the host nation where an athletic celebrity from that country will carry it to its final destination, a giant pit that will burn during the length of the games.  The costs of modern day Olympic Games continues to rise because of nations trying to outdo the previous games and break new records. Bigger and bigger stadiums are being erected to show power and wealth. The problem is that those facilities will more than likely to become abandoned after the games because they have little to no use for anything but the Olympic Games. However the money invested in the infrastructure doesn’t return a profit, usually only half of the original investment is earned during the games which makes hosting the game a case of hot potato. Because previous hosts know the negative aspects all too well, is why only two nations volunteered to hold the games in 2024.

 The Olympics now boasts over three hundred events, stemming from twenty-six to twenty-eight sports (not including the winter games). In the first thirteen years of the Olympics there was only one event, the 196m dash. Which was known as the stadium race (because it was the length of the stadium). The next two events were just modified versions of that. After the next few decades boxing, wrestling, the pentathlon, a race while wearing armor, an 'all-power' race (where one could with by any means necessary, even attacking), and the always famous chariot race which was shown to the modern world via Ben Hur.

 In modern days the games last sixteen days. Two of the first days are ceremonies where doves are released, the president gives a speech, and an athlete from each country swears an oath to uphold the sanctity of the Games. Each event has its own medal ceremony. So with three-hundred events, there will be nine-hundred medals being received. These medals are the source of national pride and rivalry. Nations with the most medals receive pride for home and country, also bragging rights over rival nations who didn’t do as well.

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