CLAS 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Phidias, Jockstrap, Foreskin

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: CLAS 1000
• Professor: John Walsh

Document Summary

Birth of archaic period = birth of olympics, marks transition from dark age and rebirth into the greek renaissance. Remains the pinnacle of the sporting cycle, high point of cultural celebrations. Religious pilgrimage, way of worshipping ancient god zeus. Great emphasis on sexuality of the ancient greek athlete. Took place in olympia (south west region of greece) Prior to this festival, some evidence that the olympics might have been preceded by an event worshipping hera > a temple race to see who would be cheiftess. Olympia destroyed by natural causes and deliberate persecution (due to evidence of the pagan past to the christians) Temple of zeus at olympia (5th and 4th centuries bc) Temple was used to celebrate zeus, spoke to his power and majesty. Mythical battle between humans and centaurs > triumph of human beings (culture and civilization, triumph of civilization) over centaurs (barbaric and animal, chaos of dark age)