Download Sylvie Sherman on

Sylvie Sherman
February 3, 2015
Ancient Athletics
Mini-Breakout Session with Partner
Superior Sports
In my opinion, boasting about an activity is a tool used by insecure individuals to
redeem themselves from their insecurities about other activities. This practice is evident
in the passage from Homer’s Odysseus, which we discussed in our break-out sessions. I
also find it prominent in modern athletic discussions.
When Odysseus lands upon the shores of King Alkinoos’ island, he attempts to
earn respect by boasting about his athletic prowess. However, he admits that he could
probably be beaten in one area – running. Odysseus sites poor nourishment and
unfamiliar sea level as the reason for his shortcomings in this athletic event. “. . .
Running is the only point in respect of which I am afraid some of the Phaeacians might
beat me, for I have been brought down very low at sea; my provisions ran shot, and
therefore I am weak” (Homer, Odyssey, Book 8).
In my breakout discussion, my partner and I established that it seems running is
considered the Phaeanecians’ “superior” sport in this ancient case, for two reasons. The
first is that Odysseus feels the need to make excuses and boast about his talents in other
athletic events to distract from the fact that his running talents are inadequate. The second
is the King’s insistence that Odysseus tell his people that the Phaeanecians are “fleet of
foot.” In a sort of “power play”, the King responds to Odysseus’ statement by saying that
his people are excellent runners, and implores that Odysseus bring news of this
achievement back to his homeland. If running were, in fact, the “superior” sport during
this time, it would make sense that the King would be very proud of this fact. This, and
the fact that the Ancient Greeks used sports as a measure of their worth as a society,
explains why the King should want to spread the news of his people’s running prowess to
Odysseus’ homeland. Furthermore, the King associates running (and sailing) with images
of nobility and wealth, implying that running is greatly connected with the success of his
nation as a whole.
I believe that this type of interaction is very typical among modern athletes, as
well. At my high school, football was the biggest sport. I remember the football players
arguing with members of other male teams, such as baseball, tennis, and soccer, about
which sport was the “hardest.” Being “hardest” is a characteristic that would make a sport
appear “superior” because that sport required the most athleticism. The football players
always claimed that football was the hardest, and the other teams would fight back with
claims that their sport was harder. However, the football players would always “win” the
discussion, because they practiced the most hours. But this argument fails to take into
account many other factors – particularly the environment. Football was most important
to the student body and the school community, which would put more pressure on the
team to practice more so they could win and please the fans. However, at another school,
maybe tennis was the “superior” sport, and the tennis players commanded all the
students’ attention. Athletic superiority just depends on the athletic environment – which
explains why Odysseus was so proud of athletic accomplishments other than running, and
the King was so proud of his people’s running prowess. Odysseus felt insecure in the
environment where a sport other than his own was the “superior” sport, just as the soccer
and tennis players felt insecure in my high school environment, where football was the
“superior” sport.