In ancient Greece, two cities stood out in their system of physical education: Sparta, synonymous with strictness, discipline and austerity, promoted military physical education. Athens, the cradle of democracy, incorporated sport into its religious, social and political framework. Historian Laurent Turcot distinguishes these important differences between Spartans and Athenians at the level of sport.
The city of Sparta, located in the Peloponnese, existed in classical Greece, already in 7at at 3at centuries before our era. “We want to organize education in a collective and compulsory way to serve the State, to serve the power of the army and to serve the patriotism,” explained Laurent Turcot. The young Spartans were torn from their families, who were regimented in an extremely cruel, extremely strict system designed to frame them, but teach them to endure pain. “
The character of Leonidas, contained in the film 300 by Gerard Butler, is a beautiful representation of this tightly trained warrior.
Moreover, archaeological traces indicate that female athletes appeared in the first half of the 6th century BC in Sparta. “The goal of physical training for women is not to make them warriors, on the contrary: it is to make them women capable of bearing stable and healthy children”, describes Laurent Turcot.
Values mainly in Athens
Philosophical education is more placed in Athens and the child develops his skills at athletics events. Sport is a vector of personal success, but not according to the same ideal as in Sparta. “You have to realize yourself through mind and body” hence the quote “A healthy mind with a healthy body”, says Laurent Turcot.
” The gymnasium is a definite place for Greek culture, to be defined everywhere around the Aegean Sea. “
Ultimately, this practice led to the creation of the Olympic Games in Athens. Sports skills and competitions were defined around 1500 years before our era, and the first registers of athletes – the winners – were 776 before our era. In order not to miss this opportunity to shine, the Spartans sent athletes to the Olympics, because they believed that “individual success serves the collective”.
The hero of the stadium was born then. Beautiful venues have been built, including the Panathenaic Stadium, which can accommodate 50,000 people. Some athletes will even be paid to switch city-states. Nothing has changed today with athletes in modern professional sports changing teams as offers change.
Source: Radio-Canada
