quote:
Originally posted by shadows
Did not the Greek city state, in turning to the sports, weaken Greece where Philip ll of Macedonia was able to take over without any effort which Alexander lll pursued his fathers conquest of the known world after he was assassinated about the middle of the third century B.C.?
Who cares? That what the Greeks though as it was bringing to an end their empire in history.
I've heard several theories on how the Greek's were overtaken, playing sports too much has never been one of them. Their sports were all *really* war games. Running, wrestling, javelin throwing - war games. The Olympics were a celebration of the prowess of the Greek warrior.
Waring between city states coupled with pressure from outside threats (Persia, mostly) is the primary reason for the collapse. Coupled with a feeling of superiority over their neighbor to the North led to an relatively easy ascension of the Macedonians (they came for Athens, and I did nothing...). When an outsider came to war on the Greeks, the came together. The Macedonians were not outsider enough to garner widespread support to face them together (until it was too late).
Of course, the conquerors then became who the conquered as they spread "Greek" culture around the known world.
So, because the Greeks did not fall due to sport - the arena is a good thing. Makes perfect sense.
