The Ancient Olympics

Short History Of...

Noiser

History

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 28 July 2024

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For nearly 12 centuries, the Ancient Greeks honoured their gods with one of the most famous sporting contests in the world: The Olympic Games. Athletes represented their city states to compete for the glory of the gods, knowing that winning or losing could change the course of their lives. From dangerous martial arts and the perilous chariot race, to sprints and the pentathlon, the Games showcased strength, skill, and stamina. But why did the Olympic Games first begin? What did the earliest competitions look like? What was it like to take part in a competition with no second place and, in some cases, no rules. And why did the Ancient Games die out for over a thousand years? This is a Short History Of….The Ancient Olympics. A Noiser Production, written by Lindsay Galvin. With thanks to Dr Nigel Spivey, a senior lecturer in Classics, at the University of Cambridge. Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:31.0	It is August 516 BC, a sweltering day at Olympia on the Peloponnese peninsula of southern Greece.
0:41.0	On the second day of the 65th Olympic Games, thousands of spectators jostle on the banks that line the
0:48.0	hippodra. It's a specialist horse racing track, a loop of 600 meters in length 200 meters wide.
0:57.2	The most spectacular of the equestrian events, a four-horse chariot race called the Tethropon is about to begin.
1:05.0	A young competitor purges on the flimsy platform of his chariot behind the start gate.
1:19.2	Representing the wealthy coastal city of Malitas, he was plucked from slavery by his horse trading master to compete for the glory of the gods.
1:24.0	The Mylichens Chariot is built for speed.
1:27.0	Made of wood and wicker,
1:29.0	it is held together by leather thongs,
1:31.0	painted red and decorated with bronze gilding to show his master's status.
1:37.0	The narrow spoke wheels gleam, sheathed in metal.
1:42.3	With the slightest movement of his bare feet, the leather creeks.
1:47.0	Positioned on the outside of the Arrowhead formation of 20 chariots, the Myletian murmurs gently to his four horses,
1:56.4	which snicker in a row in front of him.
1:59.3	They are worth hundreds of times more to his master than he is, and his future depends on them.
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