Since the original Greek games began at Olympia in the 8th century B.C., the celebration of sporting excellence has been tied to the struggle for power.
The athletic events themselves were militarized: footraces run both naked and in armor, wrestling, javelin-throwing, chariot races, and especially the pankration, a sort of bloody, mixed-martial-arts free-for-all, were explicit tests of martial prowess. And although the official rewards for victory at Olympia were meager–mere crowns of leaves–Greek city states offered big rewards to their champions, including cash, property, and free meals for life (then as now, sponsorship was the thing). The games were a celebration of beauty and athleticism; they were also a chance to earn bragging rights over neighbors and rivals.
But if the political tensions that have overshadowed the modern Olympics are nothing new, their paralyzing effects are a result of the way the games have become a boondoggle machine for the business and government interests of host cities.
The upcoming Beijing games represent only the latest stage in a trend that has transformed the games from festivals of peace into advertising campaigns. The question of whether China is prepared to assume a position of power in the world community–or, on the other hand, whether the world is ready for China–is one of the vital issues of our time. But whether the Olympics is a useful venue for working through such controversies is another question altogether. The protesters lining the course of the torch aren’t wrong to do so–far from it; by seizing the opportunity of hosting the games, China also assumed the responsibility of engaging in civil dialogue with the world community. But the possibilities of the games themselves do suffer as a result.
The original games at Olympia in Greece were also a religious festival consecrated to Zeus and a host of other gods, including Gaia the Earth goddess and Eileithyia goddess of birth. As such they were also about origins, and about what unites us all despite our bloody-minded divisiveness. The tawdry boosterism of the modern Games gives the lie to all this.
One solution: do as the Greeks did, and consecrate a single spot to host the Games in perpetuity.
Such a site ideally would be beyond politics, and would embody a meaning that all human beings could embrace. We could do worse than to choose a location in Africa, where the prestige and economic power of the Olympics could be put to real and good use. Location-scouting should begin in the Great Rift Valley, emblematic of the origin of our species, where a locale could be found in view of Mount Kilimanjaro (below), whose diminishing crown of snow would remind athletes and spectators that our common hopes and strivings are larger than local ambitions and partisan concerns; there’s a world hanging in the balance.
The athletic events themselves were militarized: footraces run both naked and in armor, wrestling, javelin-throwing, chariot races, and especially the pankration, a sort of bloody, mixed-martial-arts free-for-all, were explicit tests of martial prowess. And although the official rewards for victory at Olympia were meager–mere crowns of leaves–Greek city states offered big rewards to their champions, including cash, property, and free meals for life (then as now, sponsorship was the thing). The games were a celebration of beauty and athleticism; they were also a chance to earn bragging rights over neighbors and rivals.
But if the political tensions that have overshadowed the modern Olympics are nothing new, their paralyzing effects are a result of the way the games have become a boondoggle machine for the business and government interests of host cities.
The upcoming Beijing games represent only the latest stage in a trend that has transformed the games from festivals of peace into advertising campaigns. The question of whether China is prepared to assume a position of power in the world community–or, on the other hand, whether the world is ready for China–is one of the vital issues of our time. But whether the Olympics is a useful venue for working through such controversies is another question altogether. The protesters lining the course of the torch aren’t wrong to do so–far from it; by seizing the opportunity of hosting the games, China also assumed the responsibility of engaging in civil dialogue with the world community. But the possibilities of the games themselves do suffer as a result.
The original games at Olympia in Greece were also a religious festival consecrated to Zeus and a host of other gods, including Gaia the Earth goddess and Eileithyia goddess of birth. As such they were also about origins, and about what unites us all despite our bloody-minded divisiveness. The tawdry boosterism of the modern Games gives the lie to all this.
One solution: do as the Greeks did, and consecrate a single spot to host the Games in perpetuity.
Such a site ideally would be beyond politics, and would embody a meaning that all human beings could embrace. We could do worse than to choose a location in Africa, where the prestige and economic power of the Olympics could be put to real and good use. Location-scouting should begin in the Great Rift Valley, emblematic of the origin of our species, where a locale could be found in view of Mount Kilimanjaro (below), whose diminishing crown of snow would remind athletes and spectators that our common hopes and strivings are larger than local ambitions and partisan concerns; there’s a world hanging in the balance.
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