Political aspects of the ancient olympic games

North Korea refused to attend the Games in South Korea after they were not named as a co-host. Ethiopia and Cuba also boycotted out of solidarity with North Korea. The International Olympic Committee has taken a few political stands over the years.

It would take until for both to send teams to the same Games. Political activism at the Olympic Games is not just the domain of nations. Individuals have made statements about a wide range of issues including race, identity, and geopolitics.

In , Jesse Owens, an African-American athlete, broke racial boundaries by dominating the track and field events. Long very publicly and demonstratively befriended Owens during the long jump competition.

Long died during the war but Owens kept in touch with his family for many years afterward. Read More: Anjelina runs for Olympic Refugee team in hopes of returning home. The image of the two athletes raising their fists became one of the most iconic of the civil rights movement and Olympic history.

The Mexico City Games is one of the most infamous. Ten days before the Games started, student protesters were killed by the Mexican government. The bloody incident caused various individual athletes to pull out of the competition though not a single national contingent skipped the Games over the violence. Palestinian terrorists snuck into the Olympic village in Munich and took 11 Israeli athletes hostage. A botched rescue attempt at the airport left the nine remaining hostages and three of the captors dead.

The event is the deadliest in Olympic history. World Wars I and II led to the cancellation of the international competition in these three years. Politics has almost as long and complicated a history as the athletic competitions at the Olympic Games. Despite the lack of large-scale political boycotts or bans, the Olympic Games in the 21 st century have been filled with political disputes, intrigue, and protests. The modern Games are still a flashpoint for social, cultural, and political issues.

When the world gathers, there is always a chance for political change. Sign up Sign in with Facebook Sign in with Apple or. Did you know Any violation of the Olympic Truce was punishable by a substantial fine to Olympian Zeus.

The 5th century historian Thucydides gives us details of such an instance: In BC the Spartans engaged in a military maneuver in the territory of Elis during the Truce, using hoplites.

As a result, and according to law, the Spartans were fined drachmai per hoplite , a total of , drachmai. The Spartans refused to pay the penalty, claiming that their maneuver had been completed before the Olympic Truce was officially announced.

As a result, the Spartans' participation in the Olympic Games that year was prohibited. Article last reviewed: St. Skip to content. Xenophanes of Colophon — BC was an Ancient Greek philosopher, theologian, poet, and social and religious critic. He lived a life of travel, having left Ionia at the age of 25 and continuing to travel throughout the Greek world for another 67 years.