But many have no idea of its ancient origins. Athletes competed naked Athletes competed naked as a tribute to the Greek God Zeus. They wanted to show Zeus their physical power and muscular physique. Showing off their bodies also helped intimidate other competitors. Since Greek heroes were often depicted nude in artwork and sculptures, this inspired athletes to train harder and win their event. Athletes wanted to be compared to true heroes like Hercules and Achilles. It began with the Nazis. It was invented in , while Hitler was Chancellor, when Germany hosted the Olympics. Many historians speculate whether or not it was used to advance Nazi propaganda. The only connection with the torch and the Greeks is they had torch races.
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Long before our God, who art in Heaven guilt-tripped us about our original birthday suit, the Greeks really embraced their skin — all holds, er, clothes barred. Sharing an intimate relationship with their naked-ness, the Greeks have been known to strut around with their stuff - in full naked glory and would also compete in the nude at the Ancient Olympics. It's time for some confessions, before we move on - remember spending a minute too much on the sculpted body of Michelangelo's naked David or Myron's Discobolus , admiring every inch of it? If your mind did a mini flashback - then my point is successful. The Greeks really just loved being in their natural armour and couldn't get enough of it. No wonder, we keep using phrases like 'Greek God' or 'Hellenic beauty' to laud people, even today. In fact, the word 'gymnastics' owes its etymology to the Greek word 'gymnos' which…. While there are certain confusions regarding the origin of the Olympic Games , it is believed that it was begun to honour Zeus, the God of Thunder and the King who reigned from Mount Olympus. All free male citizens of Greece were allowed to participate in the Ancient Olympic Games.
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Ancient Greek legend has it that in BC, an Olympic athlete named Orsippus of Megara was competing in the m run when his loincloth slipped off. Rather than stop to hide his shame, Orsippus sprinted on and won the race. His triumphant example stuck. Nude athletic competition — often emphasised through the liberal anointment of olive oil — became all the rage in Greece, seen as the ultimate tribute to Zeus. By the time the modern Olympics were revived in , however, the cultural tides had long since turned. The organisers didn't even consider bringing back the Greek tradition of naked competition.
Eight years ago, the magazine's first attempt at a special issue celebrating the semi-naked bodies of athletes was originally a means to counter the success of Sport Illustrated 's well-known "Swimsuit Issue. But what does athletic nudity mean today and what did it mean then? Does the naked or semi-nude athlete still serve a purpose in today's culture? It is a Panathenaic prize amphora from BCE. The story goes that the Homeric athletes in The Iliad and the first ancient Olympians in BCE originally wore loincloths to compete in. It was only later that a runner named Orsippus or Orhippus from the city of Megara decided to go naked, probably at the fifteenth Olympiad of BCE in order to win the one-stade race NB: a stade was the length of a stadium, which was often around meters. The 5th c. BCE historian Thucydides suggests that this shift to nude athletic competition perhaps happened a bit later, closer to his own time.
