The History of Baths

Ritualistic Bathing - Part 1

The ancient Greeks were a civilization in the region of the Greek peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean about 1,000 BC during the Bronze Age. The Greek empire was the birth of democracy, and the Greeks eventually occupied Europe and Asia from France to Egypt and to India in the east.

The word gymnasium is a roman word rooted in the Greek gymnos, meaning naked and gymnazein meaning to do physical exercise. As a historical concept it signified more than exercise and bathing, it was also a centre to promote philosophical and scholarly pursuits, such as reading play readings and artistic pursuits.

Every major city in ancient Greece had at least one state funded gymnasium; the more important cities had enormous facilities with dressing rooms, baths, training quarters, and contests arenas. Originally, gymnasiums were public institutions funded by the state to train male athletes over the age of 18.

In general, Greek culture incorporated religious sport, such as the Olympic Games honouring Zeus, and secular contests. The most famous contest was the Olympic Games, the Greek tradition began in 776 BC, its roots were both religious and secular. In the course of time, the sky god Zeus, in whose honour priestly officials conducted quadrennial athletic contests, superseded the popularity of earth goddess Gaea, originally worshiped at Olympia. According to ancient tradition, the gods fought in ancient Olympia, and the god Dias overcame Kronus in the hand to hand fighting. According to other legends the Hercules came from Ideas with his four brothers, named Dactylics or Kourites, when they arrived at Olympia they organized street fights with his brothers and awarded the olive branch as a prize. Hercules brought the wild olive tree from the country of Ypervoreion, and planted it, in the grounds of the Holy of Olympia temple, which is why the olive branch is still a famous symbol of the games today. Apollo overcame Hermes in the street contests and Apollo beat Aris in hand boxing.

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