Episode #207- What Are the Olympic Myths? (Part I)

07/09/24 • 68 min

2 Listeners

When the Olympic games were revived in the late 19th century there was a widespread belief in the "purity" of ancient Greek athletics. The original members of the International Olympic committee believed that the ancient Greek games at Olympia were noble and unblemished expressions of sporting virtue. They may have been viewing the past with rose-coloured glasses. The real ancient Olympics were rough, unhygienic, often corrupt and frequently violent. But, they were also super cool. The ancient games were rife with mythology and fake history. What should we believe about the ancient games? Tune-in and find out how ancient death races, Nazi propaganda, and the poop of 3000 oxen all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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OFH Throwback- Episode #71- Who Invented Your Favourite Sport?

In this throwback Sebastian does his best to get you geared up for an upcoming trilogy on the Olympics by returning to this much-loved episode on the mythical origins of popular sports. The question of who invented a particular sport can sometimes be a matter of national pride. As such sports history can become hotly contested. It should then come as no surprise that the origin stories of many popular sports are often riddled with historical myths. Tune in and find out how A Little Pretty Pocket Book, a civil war hero, and Sebastian losing his citizenship all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Episode #208- What Are the Olympic Myths? (Part II)

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Ahead of the Olympic Games there is always some discussion of the so-called "Olympic Spirit." This is a spirit of fair play and virtuous competition allegedly inherited from the ancient Greeks. But, a close look at the ancient Olympics and what you discover is that "sportsmanship" was in short supply. The Greeks had a "conquer or die" mentality at ancient Olympia. The most celebrated athletes were those who had sacrificed their lives for a taste of victory. Few batted an eye when athletes died during the competition. On top of that the rowdy festival that accompanied the games could be just as crass and commercial as any modern Olympics. How many Olympic ideals did we really inherit from the ancients? Tune- in and find out how some dudes named The Camel of Alexandria, Mr. Digits, and The Sprinkler all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.