DK Eyewitness Books 104本Chris Oxlade David Ballheimer-Olympics

1、 Eyewitness EyewitnessO/bbs Taking upa pose in agymnasticsfloor exerciseHungarian stampcommemoratingthe 1960 Gamesin RomeAthletesoutfit ofthe 1950sPerforming in adressage eventTorch used inSeoul in 1988 Wheelchair racingWarming upEyewitness before trainingOlympicsWritten byCH

2、RIS OXLADEand DAVID BALLHEIMERPin commemorating the1924 Games in ParisDK Publishing, I/bbs LONDON, NEW YORK,MELBOURNE, MUNICH, and DELHIProject editor Louise PritchardArt editor Jill PlankSenior managing editor Linda MartinSenior managing art editor Julia HarrisProduction Kate Ol

3、iverSwimming gogglesPicture researcher Sean HunterDTP designer Andrew OBrienCommemorativemedal from the 1936Games in BerlinPhotographers Andy Crawford, Bob Langrish, Steve TeagueRevised EditionManaging editor Andrew MacintyreManaging art editor Jane ThomasSenior editor Kitty BlountEditor and referen

4、ce compiler Sarah PhillipsArt editor Andrew NashProduction Jenny JacobyPicture research Carolyn ClerkinDTP Designer Siu Yin HoConsultant Stan GreenbergStarting blocksU.S. editor Elizabeth HesterSenior editor Beth SutinisArt director Dirk KaufmanU.S. DTP designer Milos OrlovicU.S. production Chris Av

5、gherinosThis Eyewitness Guide has been conceived byDorling Kindersley Limited and Editions GallimardThis edition published in the United States in 2005by DK Publishing, Inc.375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 1001408 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4Javelin shoeCopyright 1999, 2005 Dorling Kindersley LimitedAll rights

6、reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without theprior written permission of the copyright owner.Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley L

7、imited.Exercisingwith weightsA catalog record for this book isavailable from the Library of CongressRunning shoeISBN-13: 978-0-7566-1084-5 (alb)ISBN-13: 978-0-7566-1083-8 (plc)Color reproduction byColourscan, SingaporePrinted in China by Toppan Printing Co.,(Shenzen) Ltd.Sprint shoeDiscover more at

8、Contents838What were the Olympics?Shapes and sizes1040The ancient GamesChanging styles1242Olympia discoveredMade to measure1444The Olympics rebornWheels of fortune1646Tradit ionsSkates and skis1848From the beginningFancy footwork2250The summer GamesPerfect timing2652The winter GamesSpoilsports2854Th

9、e ParalympicsBehind t he scenes30Comings and goings3256The stadium58Great Olympians36Into t he future60Getting fitDid you know?62Famous Olympians64Find out more66Weight-liftingGlossary72I/bbs What were the Olympics?The origins of the Olympic Games lie centuries agoin ancient Gre

10、ece. The games were part of a religiousfestival. Greek life revolved around religion, and sportswere a way for the people to honor their gods. Therewere many local festivals, but four national festivalscalled the Panhellenic Games were open to competitorsfrom all Greek regions and colonies. These we

11、re thePythian, the Nemean, the Isthmian, andthe Olympic Games. They alternatedso that there was a national athleticDELPHI STADIUMDelphi was sacred to Apollo, and the Greeks thought that itstood at the center of the world. In the 5th century b.c., theybuilt this 7,000-seat athletics stadium on the hi

12、llside above thegreat Temple of Apollo. The spectators stand and seats forsupervisors can be seen among the ruins today.festival every year.HONORING APOLLODifferent games were celebrations to honor different godsand were held at or near religious sanctuaries. The PythianGames were held in Delphi in

13、honor of Apollo. TheIsthmian Games in Corinth honored Poseidon. Zeuswas honored at the Nemean Games in Nemea andat the Olympic Games in Olympia.Laurel wreathswere awarded atthe PythianGamesThis ancient Greekvessel shows athletesracing in armorAncient Greekcarving ofApollo (right)Shield withrunnerspe

14、rsonalsymbols onthe outsideFresh wild celerywas awarded at theNemean GamesWreaths of oliveleaves wereawarded atthe OlympicGamesPanathenaicamphoraRUNNERS PRIZEWinners at the Panathenaic Games inAthens were awarded an amphora, atwo-handled vessel, full of the finestolive oil. It was decorated with sce

15、nesof their particular event. Thisamphora shows racing in armor.Athletics and war were closely linked.Competing in sports was a way ofeeping fit for battle.Athlete wearing aFLORAL TRIBUTEShelmet andAt the Panhellenic Games, floral tributes were givento the winners. Most prized of all was an Olympico

16、live wreath, cut from a sacred tree that stood behindZeus temple at Olympia. Originally the athletes wereamateurs, but eventually, at all but the OlympicGames, they received prize money and were evenpaid for appearing.carrying a shieldas he racesWreaths of pinebranches were awardedat the Isthmian Ga

17、mes JAVELIN THROWERThe javelin was a powerful weapon, butsporting javelins were lighter than thoseused in battle. Ancient Greek athletesheld the javelin by a leather thong,knotted or twisted around the shaft.When the javelin was released, thethong unwound, making the javelinspin as it flew through t

18、he air.Most discuses used in thegames were made of bronzeand were heavier than themodern versionGreek vasepainting(above)Thesportingjavelin wasmade ofelder woodATHLETES AND EVENTSThis famous figure of a young manthrowing a discus is a Roman copyof a statue originally created inbronze in about 450 b.

19、c.,probably by the Greeksculptor Myron. Throwingthe discus was one of thefive events in theGreek artists tookcare to depict themuscles and strengthof an athletepentathlon. The otherswere running, jumping,throwing the javelin,and wrestling. Otherevents held at thegames wereLong hair heldback by a ban

20、dboxing, chariotracing, andhorse racing.Roman copy ofa statue calledThe Discobolus,made in the 1stcentury a.d.Bare rightshoulderStatuette was madein about 500 b.c.Athletes competednude in most events.One legend says thatthis was because anathlete once lost hisloincloth during arace, and everyonereal

21、ized that it wouldbe easier to competewith nothing on.A tunic reaches tojust above thegirls kneeThis athlete ispoised, ready tolaunch his discusBronze statuetteof a girl runnerfrom SpartaWOMEN AT THE GAMESAs a rule, women were not allowed to compete inthe games until the 2nd century a.d. They werene

22、ver allowed at the Olympic Games, even asspectators. There was a separate womens festival atOlympia called the Heraia, held every four years inhonor of the goddess Hera, wife of Zeus. The onlysporting event at the Heraia was a short race. Thesituation was different in Sparta, a state in southernanci

23、ent Greece. Here, girls were encouraged to takepart in sports and games to make them strong sothat they would later produce good Spartan /bbs The ancient gamesIN HONOR OF ZEUSThe Olympic Games were held in honor ofZeus. On the third day of the Games, aprocession of competit

24、ors, judges, andimportant guests made its way to the Altar ofZeus, to sacrifice 100 oxen. The mostimportant building at Olympia was the greatTemple of Zeus. Inside stood a statue ofthe god, 43 ft (13 m) tall, castin gold and ivory. It was oneof the seven wonders ofThe first record of the Olympic Gam

25、esdates from 776 b.c., but they were probablyestablished hundreds of years before that.The Olympics began as a small event butgradually gained popularity to becomethe premier festival in Greece. For atleast a thousand years, they wereheld every four years, and theythe ancient world. Atthe end of the

26、 4thcentury, the statuewas taken to apalace inConstantinople(now Istanbul),survived in spite of numerous warsand the Roman invasion of Greecein about a.d. 150. The gameswhere it was laterVICTORYdestroyed in a fire.The winged figure onthis cast of a stone sealrepresents Nike, orVictory. She is crowni

27、ngbecame so important thatan athlete with an olive the Greeks recorded eventswreath. Winning waseverything at theOlympics. Losers werequickly forgotten.according to the Olympiad,the four-year period inwhich they took place.Zeus is said tohave hurled athunderboltand claimedthe spotwhere itlanded inOl

28、ympia ashis sacredprecinctMUSIC AND DANCEThe religious ceremonies and sporting events at Olympia were partof a greater festival. Tens of thousands of spectators flocked there towatch the games and visit the temples. They were kept wellentertained by singers, dancers, magicians, public speakers, andp

29、oets. Food and flower sellers, peddlers, and bookmakers set uptheir tents and stalls outside the sacred site.Zeus isusuallydepictedas strong,bearded, andmiddle-agedRoman statuetteof Zeus from2nd century b.c.THE OLYMPIC TRUCEAncient Greece was not a single country but a collection ofindependent city-

30、states that were often at war with eachother. During the Olympic Games, an agreement called theSacred Truce declared that all hostilities must cease for amonth. The truce was backed by peace treaties, such as theone shown on this tablet between the state of Elis, containingOlympia, and a neighboring

31、 state.10 Gymnasium,where runnersand throwerstrainedPalaistra, forjumping andcombatThe Temple of Hera,the first temple onthe siteTreasuries,where valuableswere storedStadium 630 ft (192 m) longand 105 ft (32 m) widetrainingOLYMPIAThis remote religious sanctuary wasabout 31 miles (50 km) from the cit

32、yof Elis. There was no town or city atOlympia. When the Olympics beganin the 8th century b.c., the siteconsisted of a sacred area but nobuildings. Over the next 1,000 years,many buildings were constructed,including temples, altars, colonnades,and sports arenas. This model ofOlympia shows the site as

33、 it wouldhave looked in about 100 b.c.Probable site of thehippodrome, where chariotand horse racing took placeOpen-airLeonidaion,Sacredolive treeTempleof ZeusSouthern colonnade from whichswimming poola hotel forvisitingofficialsspectators could watch theStarting gates ofthe hippodromewith stepsleadi

34、ng downfrom each sidechariots going to the hippodromeHeraclessupportingthe world onhis shouldersfor AtlasThe goddessAthenaassistingHeraclesTHE PALAISTRA AT OLYMPIAThese columns are the remains of the palaistra at Olympia,where athletes trained for jumping and combat events. Thepalaistra was a low bu

35、ilding around a central courtyard. Itcontained dressing rooms, baths, and a washroom. EveryGreek city had its own palaistra.Section of afrieze fromthe Templeof ZeusBoxers wrapped leatherthongs around their handsover a sheepskin liningat OlympiaBoxing contestscould last forseveral hoursOLYMPIC EVENTS

36、There were no teamevents at the ancientOlympics. To beginwith, the only eventwas a short footrace about 660 ft (200 m).Boxing and othersports were graduallyadded. Legend has itthat Apollo beat Ares,the god of war, in thefirst boxing matchat Olympia.HERACLESAccording to myth,Olympia was created bythe

37、 greatest Greek hero ofthem all, Heracles (or Hercules),son of Zeus. Heracles is famous forperforming twelve seeminglyimpossible tasks, or labors. He startedthe Olympic Games in honor of Zeus tocelebrate the completion of one of thesetasks the cleaning of the cattle stables ofKing Augeas of Elis.Box

38、ing scenefrom an amphoragiven as a prize inabout 336 /bbs Olympia discoveredAfter a.d. 261, there are no further records ofOlympic winners, so we do not know for certain whenthe ancient games came to an end. When Rome madeGreece part of its empire, the games began to decline.I

39、n a.d. 393, the Christian emperor Theodosius Idecreed that all pagan centers be closed down, andOlympia was eventually abandoned. A succession ofinvaders destroyed the site, and any remainingbuildings were ruined by earthquakes and fires. Floodingfrom nearby rivers finally covered the ruins with sev

40、eralfeet of mud, and it was 1,000 years before Olympiasbuildings were seen again.END OFTHE GAMESA portrait of the Romanemperor Theodosius II appears onthis ancient gold coin. In a.d. 426,Theodosius II had the Temple ofZeus and other buildings atOlympia burned down. This mayhave been when the Olympic

41、Games finally came to an end.ERNST CURTIUSNikes face mayArchaeologists began thesearch for Olympia in the18th century, but the mostimportant excavations werecarried out between 1875and 1891 by the GermanArchaeological Institute.Directed by Professor ErnstCurtius, a team unearthedthe remains of almos

42、t allthe buildings. They found130 statues and more than6,000 clay, gold, andhave beendestroyed byChristians inthe time ofRemainsof wingsTheodosius IINikesbronze objects.clothes wereoriginallyErnst Curtiusin about 1880painted redRUINED GYMNASIUMThe GermanSTATUE OF NIKEarchaeologists did notfind any b

43、uildings stillstanding at Olympia, butthey reconstructed manyof the toppled remains.This view shows part ofthe huge gymnasiumcomplex, where athletestrained under cover. Itwas large enough tocontain a running trackthe same length as themain stadium.This statue of Nike, orVictory, descending fromthe h

44、eavens remarkablysurvived almost in onepiece. Made in 425 b.c.by Paionios of Mende,the statue is 9.8 ft (3m) tall. It stood ontop of a column, afurther 29.5 ftMODERN-DAY EXCAVATIONSMost of Olympia had beenexplored by the end of the 19thcentury, but excavations havecontinued on a smaller scale up tot

45、he present day. For example,between 1958 and 1961, aGerman team finished excavatingthe stadium and rebuilt thebanked spectator area.(9 m) high, infront of theTemple of Zeus.12 BRONZE GODDESSArchaeologists have foundhundreds of statuettes andfigurines, mostly of bronze, likethis goddess, or of terra-

46、cotta.There are gods, heroes,warriors, runners, animals,and chariots completewith charioteers.Long nose-piece andcheek guardsare typical ofa CorinthianhelmetMost statues atOlympia were paidfor by winningathletes anddedicated to ZeusThe figures wereoffered tothe gods byathletes andspectators.SPOILS O

47、F WARAncient Greek warriorsgave arms and armor captured inbattle as offerings to the gods.Shields, breastplates, helmets,arrowheads, spears, and otherweapons have all been found atOlympia. The bronze helmet abovecarries an inscription, which saysthat it was dedicated to Zeus asspoil taken from the C

48、orinthians.Zeus carriesoff GanymedeThe boxers face iscovered in scarsThisbronzehead is11 in(28 cm)highCUTS AND BRUISESZEUS SEIZES GANYMEDESome finds at Olympia are amazingly wellThis bronze head, found at Olympia in1880, is a portrait of a boxer calledSatyros. Boxing in ancient times wasan even toug

49、her sport than boxingtoday. There were no rounds to givethe boxers a break, and no time limits.The sculptor gave this boxer woundsto make him look realistic.Bronze statueof a goddessfrom 520 b.c.preserved. This terra-cotta statue of Zeus andGanymede was found in the stadium area. It wasmade in 470 b

50、.c., possibly by a famous sculptorcalled Phidias, who made many of the statues atOlympia in his workshop near the gymnasium. InGreek legend, Zeus carried off Ganymede to be hiscupbearer because of Ganymedes beauty.13 The Olympics rebornCarving of ZeusMore than 1,500 years after the ancient GreekOlym

51、pic Games came to an end, the Frenchman BaronPierre de Coubertin had a dream to bring the games backto life. At a conference on international sports, held in Parisin 1894, Coubertin put forward a resolution to revivethe games. His idea was enthusiastically received and theInternational Olympic Commi

52、ttee (IOC) was founded, withCoubertin among its members. Just two years later, inAthens in April 1896, the king of Greece declared open thefirst Olympic Games of the modern era. Over the next 100years, the Olympics gradually grew into the fabuloussporting occasion we know today.BURIED HEARTAt Olympi

53、a, the Greeksraised a monument toPierre de Coubertinto thank him for hisefforts in reviving theOlympics. Coubertinslast wish was that hisheart should be keptforever at Olympia. Itis buried beneaththe monument.Inscription honorsCoubertins work inreviving theOlympic GamesCoubertin won a goldmedal for

54、poetry at theStockholm Games in 1912Founding fatherWithout Baron Pierre de Coubertin, itis unlikely that the modern OlympicGames would exist. Coubertinbelieved that sports were vital forthe mental as well as the physicaldevelopment of young people,and that international sportingcompetition would hel

55、p peoplefrom different nations to becomefriends. Coubertin himself was akeen sportsman, though not anoutstanding one.MEMORIAL BADGEThis memorial medal was struck“to the reviver of the OlympicGames.” Coubertin was fascinatedby ancient Greece. His dream of amodern Olympics was boostedwhen archaeologists discoveredthe ruins of Olympia in 1