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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.