international circumcision in the Jewish community was merely the removal of the tip of the foreskin, so enterprising Greek speaking Jews would pull forward the remaining skin and literally tie a knot around what remained. Once spoil-sport Jewish priests discovered the practice, they started removing the entire foreskin of newborn boys; a practice that continues to this day. Anyway, I digress. These days there is not much left of the Temple of Zeus other than the steps up to the platform on which it was built, a series of column bases and one rather magnificent reconstructed pillar. More remains of the Nymphaeum of Herodes Atticus although unfortunately, no nymphs were in evidence as I passed by. Also, I was rather taken by the romantic remains of the South Stoa or covered walkway. Another building on the site that I admired was the bath house, complete with wall mounted heating system although in the heat of a Greek summer, it seemed quite unnecessary.
A neo-Spartan burns his feet
My neo-Spartan friend James was in his element and decided to do quick circuit of the Olympic running track; in his bare feet, on a hot afternoon…
I am a believer in cock-up rather than conspiracy at the root of this kind of dispute and finally another window opened and we gratefully purchased our tickets.
Women were the first Olympians So long as you were a man and could speak Greek, you could take part in the Ancient Olympic Games however, one of the earliest recorded contests was a foot race for women who competed for the position of a priestess to the Gods. In latter times, men from
across the known world competed for the status and honour of beating all comers. In ancient times all competition was undertaken in the nude and as such was a celebration of aesthetics as much as muscle. I remember reading once that anyone who was “mutilated” could not participate in the Games and circumcision was considered a mutilation. At that time,
He assumed the position of an athlete about to fly around the circuit and took off at a fair lick. A hundred meters out, a shrill whistle blew a warning and then another. James looked in trouble. He slowed down, he stopped. He got off of the burning, sandy running track and on to the grass. Ooh! The blisters! But they were received in a noble cause and provided a lasting memory of his visit to the site. A lady who was in attendance to prevent the burning of enthusiastic visitor’s feet came over to make sure James was not in need of a doctor and told us that on occasion, protoOlympians would have to visit the local hospital where their burns would be treated with a modern salve. The Olympic festival continued to be held at the site until the last Olympiad in 393 AD, after which a decree from the spoil-sport Christian emperor, Theodosius I implemented a ban and that the end of the october 2011 | mag
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