Olympics

Published on 4th August, 2016, in Speaking Tree. The origins of the Olympic Games can be traced to a competitive sport played as tribute to dead warriors. Homer’s Iliad mentions that Achilles held funeral games on the shores of Troy in honour of his male lover, Patroclus. Games were also held to celebrate the killing of a foe. The Pythian Games celebrated Apollo’s slaying of the Python. The Nemean games celebrated Hercules’ killing of the Nemean lion. There are a number of possible explanations for the practice of funeral games. First, it honoured the dead warrior by re-enacting his military skills. Second, it served as ..