The Olympic Games: From Ancient Origins to Modern Spectacle
The International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), located in Lausanne, was created on June 23, 1894, by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in Paris to revive the ancient Olympic Games.
The most important activities conducted in IOC sessions include:
- Adapting or modifying the Olympic Charter.
- Electing the members of the Olympic Committee, the Honorary President, honorary members.
- Choosing the President, Vice President, and all other members of the Executive Body.
- Selecting the host city for the Olympic Games.
- Determining which sports will be included in the Olympic schedule.
The Olympic Charter
The Olympic Charter (updated on July 7, 2007) is the set of rules for organizing the Olympic Games and regulating the Olympic Movement.
It was adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the basis of its fundamental principles, rules, and sub-rules. Its official languages are French and English, but during IOC sessions, it is translated into German, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic. However, in case of discrepancies, the French text will prevail.
Purposes of the Olympic Charter
Throughout the history of the Olympic Games, the Olympic Charter has often decided the outcome of Olympic disputes. As expressed in its introduction, the Olympic Charter serves three main purposes:
- Establish the principles and values of Olympism.
- Serve as the IOC’s rules.
- Define the rights and obligations of the three major constituents of the Olympic Movement: The International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Federations, National Olympic Committees, and the Organizing Committees of the Olympic Games.
Sport: A Mass Culture Phenomenon
The importance of sport as a source of health has been recognized across cultures. In classical Greece, sport also played a significant cultural role, combining athleticism with knowledge and moral values. However, spiritual aspects eventually gave way to material interests, leading to corruption and betting. The Romans transformed the Olympic Games into a circus-like spectacle, a precursor to sport’s role as a mass cultural phenomenon in modern society.
The Olympics: A Gathering of Great Minds
In ancient Greece, sport was not only part of daily life but also contributed to intellectual and moral education. The Olympic Games served as a cultural hub where thinkers and writers shared their ideas and works. Philosophers, writers, historians, and other intellectuals flocked to Olympia, using the Games as an opportunity to disseminate their ideas to a large audience. Olympia reached its peak between 600 and 400 BC when the Games expanded from one to seven days of competition, attracting attendees from various cities who contributed to Olympia’s cultural significance.
Religious Significance of the Games
Greek sports competitions, held within religious festivals, had a distinct character of worship, particularly honoring Zeus and Apollo. Sport and religion were intertwined in ancient times, evident in ceremonies like the sacrifice of one hundred oxen to the gods. This pagan aspect was one reason early Christians rejected and eventually abolished the Games. The spiritual focus eventually declined, giving way to material interests, corruption, and betting. Victors received substantial rewards, including lifelong pensions.
The Shift to Spectacle
Moral values eroded as personal interests took precedence. Greece became a Roman province, and the Romans transformed the Games into a circus-like spectacle. Sport became mass entertainment. In 394 AD, Theodosius the Great, asserting Christianity over paganism, banned the Games. Modern sport has inherited some aspects of classical sport, including the social and economic overestimation of athletic success and its use for non-sporting purposes, aspects criticized by Greek intellectuals like Xenophanes of Colophon in the sixth century BC, followed by Euripides, Socrates, and others.
Sport in Modern Society
Today, some sociologists view football as the new religion of the masses, a spectacle with fervent fans focused solely on winning. Players are idolized like gods, their careers driven by personal ambition (success and money). They represent not a nation but the club offering the highest salary.