Myths and History of the Ancient Olympic Games
In this one-time online course, students will be introduced to the mythical origins and the social and political history of the ancient Olympic games and delve into the art and architecture that immortalized their image.
Spyridon (Spiros) Loumakis
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(782)
What's included
1 live meeting
1 in-class hoursClass Experience
The learning process of this class is based on a combination of a power-point presentation, a lecture that asks students to participate, class dialogue, questions based on the ongoing lecture, and new ideas based on the dynamic of the group. There is not one universal solution to teach. Rather I combine techniques to achieve the maximum of my strengths and of my students. Having taught so far young kids, teenagers, University students and mature learners, I know that teachers need to approach students with understanding, and that is why I try to keep my classes small (up to 5 students), in order to work with every single one of the participants. I always try to keep my powerpoint as short as possible but in a class about the ancient Olympic Games (i.e. their religious, mythological, athleltic, military, political and commercial aspects), as well as the geographical and archaeological context of ancient Olympia, where many things are unknown to most of the learners, the projection of a longer powerpoint spanning most of the class, upon which my lecture will be based, and during which the dialogue will be made, is the way I prefer. Thanks to zoom, engaging students and interacting with them is always possible. After all, a small class has the advantage of binding the group better, and making the combined technique of ppt presentation-lecture-dialogue feasible and efficient. A suggestive list of sub-themes to be covered is the following: 1. Introduction to the Place of Ancient Olympia (human landscape and natural environment). 2. Myths of the ancient Olympic Games. 3. Material Culture (Art and Architecture), related to the Games. 5. Athletic Events [ancient Greeks also included musical, scientific and artistic competitions during the games] 6. Politics and Power. 7. Famous athletes. 8. Pagan Gods and the end of the Games.
Learning Goals
The students will learn how to dive into the turbulent history and mythical origins of the games in a critical manner, and will learn how to observe and discuss artifacts and archaeological sites related to the ancient Olympic Games.
They will be introduced to ideas such as the so-called "Olympic truce" and Olympic ambassadors, the non-monetary prize of the games, the participation of elite Greeks invested with prestige and power, and the heroic status of winners back into their home towns. Also, the students will learn how historians read between the lines of stories written about Olympic winners to praise their accomplishments. The class will help students put the organization of the games in their own ancient perspective, contextualize the exclusion of women, judge the role of gods and magic, and critically assess the ancient athletic morals.
We will, also, briefly critically examine a shift in morals in early medieval times that saw these games as pagan, demonic and dangerous, which sealed their fate for fifteen centuries (until 1896).
By using all the information in this class learners will be able to analyze which aspects of the ancient Olympic games we have deliberately changed in modern times and which aspects we think we preserved, in which ways we bettered them, and in which ways we failed to surpass them. Do not worry if we won't have time to cover this last aspect. "The Revival of the Olympic Games" will definitely be another separate one-time online course.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
In the ancient Olympic Games the athletes who participated, were performing naked. The Greek word for a naked man is "gymnos" and that is why in English today we say "gymnastics" or "gym" although our children and athletes wear uniforms. This being said, any artistic reproduction of the games in ancient art should be expected to show nude athletes. Since, it is an art that comes from an era where there were no photographs, or videos, and no need to provoke the audience, the art is children-appropriate and found only in art, that is on vases, paintings and sculpture.
Supply List
Students will NOT need to purchase materials. There will be no extra cost for this course.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined March, 2020
4.9
782reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Every four years the entire planet talks about the Olympic Games, an extremely popular international event, and we are often reminded that their origin is from a place in modern southern Greece, called Olympia. We may even get a glimpse of the Olympic torch when it starts its journey from the archaeological site of ancient Olympia. But, how much do we really know about these ancient games?
I am offering this class to show to students that famous international games, such as the Olympic Games, are more than just an athletic competition. In games cultural norms and values are encoded, which are constructed and changed by human societies as historical periods succeed one the other.
Studying ancient worlds, and comparing them with our own modern world, opens our horizons and feeds our own imagination of faraway lands and heroic times. But it also gives us critical thinking, perspective and makes us learn to respect the "other" and the "unfamiliar".
Most important of all, students will understand that the ancient and the modern world are closely connected, albeit in our imagination which feed our ideas and concepts of who we are and where we come from.
It is also a subject that will be fun, full of colors, art, architecture, and trivial information that makes someone look smart (we all like that).
I have studied both the ancient and the very early modern Olympic Games, participating in University graduate classes, museum exhibitions, scientific conferences and scholarly publications. I am, also, specialized in various other cultural and social aspects of the society that gave birth to these games (i.e. the ancient Greek world). I have, also, personally visited the places I am going to show to learners. I will talk about places and artworks I have seen and visited myself.Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$18
per classMeets once
60 min
Completed by 149 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-15
3-7 learners per class
