April 6: International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

In ancient times, the goddess Arete inspired the Greeks to excell in virtuousness and righteousness. It was commonly accepted that the part about virtuousness and righteousness applied mainly to women, and would translate to silence and obedience. Men on the other hand only took notice of the first part of the guideline: to excell. And what better way to shine than in sports? Individual sports of course, team spirit and solidarity would only hold them back. Just like in modern days, they went to the gym to exercise. Now, the terms gym and gymnastics are derived from the Greek “gymnos”, meaning “naked”. No lycra for the Greek. As much as they wanted to win the race, they also enjoyed showing off their well trained bodies. That’s why their gymnasium offered free entrance to the public. All male, mind you. Now, in lots of countries, the meaning of the word “gymnasium” has evolved to “school” or “college”. And most of those expect their students to be fully dressed, for math classes as well as for gymnastics.

Runners, Panathenaic Prize Amphora, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA

Discus Thrower, British Museum, London, UK