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Rasulullah SAW bersabda : "Takutlah ghibah(mengumpat). Ia lebih buruk dari zina. Lelaki berzina lalu taubat, Allah menerima taubatnya. Sedangkan Allah tidak mengampuni orang yang ghibah(mengumpat) sebelum orang yang diumpat memaafkannya".-----Renung-renung kan lah...

Introduction

The first Olympic runners leapt from the blocks at Olympia in 776 BCE. The winner of the stadion race was a true amateur athlete. His name was Koroibos. He was a cook from Elis. Hippias of Elis recorded Koroibos’ victory, along with the names of the other victors at the first Olympic games. Aristotle, Eratosthenes, Phlegon of Tralleis, and Julius Africanus continued to record the names of Olympic victors over the years. Ancient texts, coupled with archaeological evidence, provide a clear understanding of the ancient Olympic games, including the origin and nature of each event, and the rules and regulations that governed it. Most of the events that challenged ancient Olympic athletes no longer exist. Yet, the competitive spirit, tradition, and honor in athletic achievement resounds from ancient times to present today.

The Evidance

There is ample evidence of Aegean athletic competitions during the Bronze Age. Unlike modern day cowboys, the ancient Minoans did not ride bulls. Instead, they jumped over them. Bull leaping and other forms of gymnastics were favorite events among the Minoans. Many works of art, like this fresco depicting a scene of youths leaping over a charging bull by hand-springing off the bull’s back, reveal the procedures and equipment used in Minoan athletic competitions. From archaeological evidence, it is apparent that bull leaping was an important part of Minoan culture and religious festivals. The Minoans also engaged in boxing, wrestling, and running competitions, all of which were eventually adopted by the Myceneans who added chariot racing to the list of events. Archaeological evidence from Myceneans times shows many scenes of athletic competitions depicted on tombs and gravestones.

The Origin of the Olympics

The Achaeans in Homer’s text were warriors by trade and athletes by accident of their physical conditioning as combatants. But, as Greece became more settled and the warrior life declined, exercise for physical fitness was introduced, and gymnasiums, stadiums, and training facilities were built by Greek city-states. During the colonization period of 750 to 550 BCE, the aristocratic ideals of physical fitness and intellectual prowess were adopted by all classes. This relatively settled period ushered in the era of organized, all-inclusive athletic and musical competitions in which both mind and body were tested. These competitions were open to all that could afford training, and even to those who could not, since a city-state would sponsor an athlete so that he might bring glory to his hometown. Numerous local music and athletic festivals in honor of a patron god or goddess provided ample opportunities for athletes or musicians to prove their prowess and bring honor to their community.

Type Of Competitions

Athletic competitions, such as boxing, wrestling, running, chariot racing, and jumping, mimicked the use of skills necessary in war. Appropriately, one of the best records of ancient athletic competitions is a description of the games held in honor of a fallen warrior during the Trojan War. In Book 23 of Homer’s Iliad, the hero Achilles calls for a cease to the hostilities against the Trojans to hold funerary games in honor of his fallen friend Patroklos. Achilles offered prizes to the winners of the competitions, although unlike today they were not gold, silver, or bronze medals. To the winners of Patroklos’ funerary games, Achilles awarded the following prizes: a woman skilled in handiwork, a tripod, a six-year old mare, a caldron, two talents of gold, and a two-handled urn.

Olympic Time Works

Olympic timing technology has come a long way since the last time the Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. More than 100 years later, the site of the first modern Olympics is trading stopwatches for a selection of high-tech timekeeping devices including high-speed digital cameras, electronic touch pads, infrared beams and radio transmitters, just to name a few.

Thanks to today's advanced timing technology, Olympic athletes can win or lose by a margin of only 1,000th of a second -- 40 times faster than the blink of an eye. Such accuracy requires first-rate technology, and currently only two companies in the world meet the standards of the Olympic Committee. Omega is Official Timekeeper of the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy (it also held that title for the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece). This title means the company provides technology and personnel for the timing of more than 150 events during the biennial competitions. The other company, Seiko, held the title during the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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