The Evolution of the Ancient Olympics

Although the Olympics we see today differ from the ones celebrated by the Ancient Greek Empire, the Olympics have served and continue to serve as a political platform for global issues.

"The IOC and the modern Olympic movement have sought to promote the unity of peoples throughout the world through sport." - James Bikoff

The spirit of competition and sport was not the only thing that the Ancient Greeks were able to contribute to modern society. Although the Olympics unified various regions of the Greek Empire, tensions also developed between different groups of people causing demonstrations, boycotts, and exclusions from the Olympic Games. The same is true of today's modern Olympics. Several examples show how the Olympics are used not only to unify different people throughout the world through sport and athletic achievement, but also as a political platform for global issues.

In 338 BC, Dionysius II shipped several large chariots to Olympia to participate in the games. At the time, Dionysius II was the dictator of Syracuse on Sicily. When he arrived at Olympia, Dionysius had an elaborate pavilion, decked out in purple and gold, set up for himself.

Lysias, the orator for the Ancient Greek Games, began to speak and encouraged the large crowd to dethrone Dionysius in order to liberate Sicily.

The crowd did as Lysias had said and ruined Dionysius' pavilion in defiance of his dictatorship (Golden 8).

Defying oppressive powers is a common theme both back then and now...

In 1968, at the Mexico City Olympics, John Carlos and Tommie Smith competed for the USA during the end of the Civil Rights Movement (Zolov 159).

Smith and Carlos won gold and bronze in the 200 meter track race. Their demonstration during the medal ceremony not only represented the Civil Rights Movement, but also supported an end to poverty and lynchings.

As the two athletes approached the podium, they both removed their shoes in protest of poverty. They also wore beads around their neck to protest lynching.

Finally, as the National Anthem began to play, Carlos and Smith raised a fist creating a salute to Black Power. The two athletes were then booed, stripped of their medals, and forced to return home.

This was one of many non-violent demonstrations inspired by Martin Luther King Jr (Zolov 187). It was also one of many demonstrations that turned the Olympics into a platform for political progress and social change rather than a display of athletic achievement.

In 332 BC, Callippus of Athens bribed his opponents prior to the Olympic pentathlon. He was caught and the bribed athletes were forced to pay a fine. However, Callippus refused to pay his fine.

The Athenians then sent the famous orator at the time, Hyperides, to demand that Callippus pay his fine.

When Callippus still refused, the Athenians boycotted the Olympics in order to show their refusal to accept competition against cheaters (Golden 9).

The Athenians made a stand to support what they believed in. This concept is strikingly similar to what we see in today's modern Olympics...

As the 1976 Olympics in Montreal began, the New Zealand Rugby Team toured South Africa to play a series of games. It quickly became a controversial issue for many African and Caribbean teams participating in Montreal.

Africans called for the expulsion of New Zealand since their tour was seen as support of the South African and Rhodesian apartheids.

When the IOC failed to exclude New Zealand from the games, more than 30 African and Caribbean countries boycotted the Olympics.

The Montreal Olympics suffered an immense financial loss due to the smaller roster of participants.

Despite the efforts in Montreal, the South African apartheid did not end for another 20 years (Llewellyn 201).

Prior to the Olympics in 420 BC, Sparta began moving troops into Elian territory. The people of Elis declared this a violation of the Olympic Truce.

After denying the accusation, the Elians banned the Spartans from the games for twenty years and forced them to return home to celebrate Zeus on their own.

Not only did the Elian people ban a dominant sporting power, but they also created tension with the dominant military and political power at the time. This would later cause a major war between the two (Golden 10).

Similar to the events in Ancient Greece centuries before, outside tensions from military and political conflicts made their way into the Olympics in the 20th century.

Following the end of World War II, Japan and Germany were excluded from the London Olympics in 1948.

Japan and Germany were enemies to Great Britain during World War II. They also had a history of harsh treatment of prisoners of war. For these reasons, Britain excluded them from the Olympic games.

The London Olympics of 1948 were also the first games attended by communist countries (Beck 33). Although communism was allowed at the games, resentment from the recent war kept Japan and Germany from participating.

Although the modern Olympics have expanded to include more events and reach a broader audience of people - thus unifying not only the Greek Empire, but the world - many of the original characteristics of the Ancient Greek Olympics still remain. Demonstrations, boycotts, and exclusions have only intensified since the earliest Olympics. Politics have become an integral part of the Olympics as well. Inspired by the Ancient Greek Olympics, the modern Olympics are now a platform for anything ranging from peaceful protests to terrorism and violence.

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." - Pierre de Coubertin