SPORTS IN ANCIENT GREECE PART 3

A major problem - and a topic in many philosophical discussions - was which education should come first, physical or spiritual - mental. It seems that until Hellenistic times physical education came first (Plato, Aristotle). In the Hellenistic period and with the entry of the sophists into the gymnasiums, the perception changed.

The "good man" - it was emphasized that he was the model of the citizen in ancient Greece - is an element that needs to be analyzed more.

The "good man" was a blend of physical and mental qualifications that each political system tried through its principles to give to young people. Health as a prerequisite was primary for the body, while endurance and virtue were in the first place for the soul.  Physical strength - endurance and mental fortitude - patience were another pair that cities sought.

 Beauty, the beauty of the body, which was expressed in aesthetically perfect movement in gymnastics, dancing and competitions, was something that young people envied. Moral perfection - approach to truth - which was a gift from the gods, political maturity - preparation for the common good and the defense of the homeland - were other elements that made up the knowledge ( eidenai ) of the existence ( einem ) of the young man, who had the possibility ( dynamei) to approach the perfect. Plato, but especially Aristotle in his work Politics, gives us, albeit limitedly, an answer to what purpose gymnastics should have and how true education is acquired.  The unsurpassed in practical logic Aristotle tells us, therefore, that gymnastics should give experiences and habits to the young man, in a pleasant and practical logical way, so that all these (the experiences) can be used for life.

The Isocratic thought on how physical strength should be used gives us enough information. It is prudence as a virtue of the young man, which according to the philosopher, must accompany the young man in every movement. Those who used physical strength with prudence, he says, benefited. However, those who used their strength without prudence were harmed (letter to Demonicon).   

  Summarizing the above, we see that the Greeks used sports, not as an end, but as a means. The games were the mirror of the system, which wanted good and kind citizens.  And it is worth mentioning that athletes in the sacred games were sent, not for their performance, as today, but if they trained accordingly and according to the regulations. When a Spartan, winner at Olympia, gathered around him all the other Greeks in admiration, he was calm and restrained. When asked why he was not happy, he said "But there are in Sparta much faster than me". That athlete was an ambassador of the Spartan system, who had been chosen to go to Olympia, not only for the speed of his feet, but also for the wisdom that distinguished him.  Today, both the example of the Spartan athlete, as well as the thoughts of Aristotle (experiences about life) and Isocrates (strength with wisdom), constitute an incentive for reflection on what is fitness, what is sought through it and what is the correct way to use it.

Source: INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN THE GREEK WORLD SOTIRIS G. YATSIS

Article edited by: George Bakalopoulos, Graduate of the Department of Physical Education & Sports Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.