Random Post 2

With the Olympics beginning again, I am reminded of an internet rabbit hole I once went down about the ancient version of the games which originated in Greece. There were not nearly as many events as there are today, considering many of the sports which are featured in the modern games had yet to be invented, but there are some ancient traditions that live on. Those traditions include the opening ceremony and the "parade of nations" - which in ancient days were more like greek tribes and city-states - and events like short distance sprints, wrestling, discus and javelin, rowing, and the marathon.

While the similarities are interesting, the differences are even more curiosity-inspiring. Without the benefit of modern plumbing, the athletes (and spectators) did not have access to running water. No running water meant no showers, which meant bad smells. For hygiene, they would literally scrape the sweat and dirt off themselves with a blunt metal hook. Talk about exfoliating?

The lack of abundant freshwater probably also inspired the word "hydration", an English word that comes from the Greek "hudōr" (water). I like to imagine the winner of the marathon in pick-a-year B.C. panting "hudōr, hudōr!" after crossing the finish line. You've got to stay hydrated, bud!

Another curious difference was that the ancient sprinters would compete fully nude. Athletes today talk about getting butterflies in their stomachs before an important contest... can you imagine if they also had to compete without pants? Not even boxers? No sir, it just wouldn't work. But it did. The ancient Olympics worked so well, in fact, that we as a planet have revived them two thousand years later.

Nationalistically speaking, I hope team USA lays a beat down on the rest of the world once again in the medal counts. I know I had nothing to do with it, but it makes me feel like a winner when our athletes take gold. I guess that's the patriot in me.