Olympia und seine Spiele
Berlin: Sportverlag, 1965. First edition. Hardcover. Quarto. 190, [4]pp (text), 89pp (photographs). Original photo-illustrated dust-jacket over illustrated tan cloth, with gold lettering on spine. Pictorial endpapers. Fascinating pictorial history of the ancient Olympic games, which must be traced in relation to its permanent home: the sanctuary at Olympia. The site is located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese, which is the southern peninsula of mainland Greece. It is located in what was the region of Elis, and the city-state of Elis controlled the Games for almost all of its history. Its recorded history spans more than a millennium - from 776 BC to AD 392, a total of 293 Olympiads. The Games developed gradually, mirroring the rise of classical Greek culture. The ancient Olympics were based on a philosophy of balance between physical/athletic and spiritual/moral development that was a cornerstone of Greek democracy. As the ideals and political forces that inspired the Games began to deteriorate, so did the festival. Under Roman rule, the Olympics experienced a renaissance, but in a form not true to its original spirit. Finally, by decree of the Christian emperor Theodosius I, the Games were abolished in AD 393. So, how did the ancient Olympic games come to be? Why did they become so famous in the ancient world? Why were so many magnificent structures built at Olympia? The answers to these questions (which will be found in this book) trace a fascinating journey through the history of ancient Greece, "the cradle of civilization." Moderate creasing along edges of dust-jacket. Minor age-toning along paper margin. Text in German. DJ in overall good, binding and interior in good+ to very good condition. g+. Item #37675
Price: $200.00