Onward to the Olympics : Historical Perspectives on the Olympic Games [1 ed.] 9781554581290, 9781554580422

Citation preview

onward to the olympics

This page intentionally left blank

onward to the olympics Historical Perspectives on the Olympic Games
Edited by Gerald P. Schaus and Stephen R. Wenn

2007 Publications of the Canadian Institute in Greece Publications de l’Institut canadien en Grèce No. 5

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program for our publishing activities.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Onward to the Olympics : historical perspectives on the Olympic Games / Gerald P. Schaus and Stephen R. Wenn, editors. Proceedings of a conference held in Waterloo, Ont., Oct. 3, 2003. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn-13: 978-0-88920-505-5 isbn-10: 0-88920-505-1 1. Olympic games (Ancient)—History. 2. Olympics—History. i. Schaus, Gerald P., 1950– ii. Wenn, Stephen R. (Stephen Robert), 1964– gv721.5.069 2007

798.4809

c2007-900303-6

© 2007 Wilfrid Laurier University Press and The Canadian Institute in Greece / L’Institut canadien en Grèce Cover design by David Drummond. Text design by C. Bonas-Taylor.

This book is printed on Ancient Forest Friendly paper (100% post-consumer recycled). Printed in Canada Every reasonable effort has been made to acquire permission for copyright material used in this text, and to acknowledge all such indebtedness accurately. Any errors and omissions called to the publisher’s attention will be corrected in future printings. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777.

In memoriam Victor Matthews

This page intentionally left blank

contents




list of illustrations x preface xiii introduction, Gerald P. Schaus xvii list of abbreviations xxv

PART I: THE OLYMPICS IN ANTIQUITY an overview The Ancient Olympic Games through the Centuries, Nigel B. Crowther 3 origins Politics and the Bronze Age Origins of Olympic Practices, Senta C. German 15 Pindar, Heracles the Idaean Dactyl, and the Foundation of the Olympic Games, Thomas K. Hubbard 27 The First Olympic Games, Max Nelson 47 The Transformation of Athletics in Sixth-Century Greece, Paul Christesen 59 ideals and losers The Ancient Olympics and Their Ideals, Nigel B. Crowther 69 Olympic Losers: Why Athletes Who Did Not Win at Olympia Are Remembered, Victor Matthews 81

vii

viii

contents

details of the festival Judges and Judging at the Ancient Olympic Games, David Gilman Romano 95 Heroic and Athletic Sortition at Ancient Olympia, Aileen Ajootian 115 Fabulous Females and Ancient Olympia, Donald G. Kyle 131 The Halma: A Running or Standing Jump?, Hugh M. Lee 153 another view of olympia Connections between Olympia and Stymphalus, Gerald P. Schaus 167 Commemorative Cash: The Coins of the Ancient and Modern Olympics, Robert Weir 179 works cited in part i 193

PART II: THE MODERN OLYMPICS an overview The Olympic Games in Modern Times, Robert K. Barney 221 the olympics before world war ii Duke Kahanamoku—Olympic Champion and Uncle Sam’s Adopted Son: The Cultural Text of a Hawaiian Conqueror, Jim Nendel 243 Carl Diem’s Inspiration for the Torch Relay? Jan Wils, Amsterdam 1928, and the Origin of the Olympic Flame, Robert K. Barney and Anthony Th. Bijkerk 253 The Great Progression: A Content Analysis of the Lake Placid News and the Los Angeles Times’ Treatment of the 1932 Olympics, Jonathan Paul 261 the olympics after world war ii Womanizing Olympic Athletes: Policy and Practice during the Avery Brundage Era, Kevin B. Wamsley 273 The Bridge to Change: The 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, South African Apartheid Policy, and the Olympic Boycott Paradigm, Courtney W. Mason 283 Splitting Hairs: The Struggle between the Canadian Federal Government and the Organizing Committee of the 1976 Torontolympiad concerning South African Participation, David A. Greig 297 Juan Antonio Samaranch’s Score Sheet: Revenue Generation and the Olympic Movement, 1980–2001, Stephen R. Wenn and Scott G. Martyn 309

contents

the future of the olympic games Olympic Ideals: Pragmatic Method and the Future of the Games, Tim Elcombe 325 “To Construct a Better and More Peaceful World” or “War Minus the Shooting”?: The Olympic Movement’s Second Century, Mark Dyreson 335 works cited in part ii 351 glossary of terms 359 index 363

ix

list of illustrations




judges and judging at the ancient olympic games / romano Figure 1. Bronze inscription from Olympia. From Wilhelm Dittenberger and Karl Purgold, Die Inschriften von Olympia (Berlin, 1896), no. 2 / 98 Figure 2. Reconstruction drawing of the agora area of Elis. From Nikolaos D. Papahatzis, A"LF"X