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The Minoan culture provided a bridge, transmitting Egyptian and Middle-Eastern ideas on health and fitness to mainland Greece. Bull vaulting was the best-known physical pursuit in Minoa, but some sports were also opened up for women. Statues suggest that superbly conditioned athletes were developed, apparently without the pressures of impending military conflict. However, not everyone was in optimal health; the common people were much shorter than the elite, and some suffered from rickets and scurvy. In Greece, the Hippocratic code of medical conduct replaced charlatan magicians with ethical professionals. There was some progress towards Evidence-based Medicine under such mental giants as Hippocrates, Pythagoras and Asclepiades. Therapy focussed upon improving the balance among four basic body "humours." Tactics included the use of purgatives, emetics, blood-letting, and a matching of exercise to diet. Athletes who were preparing for major inter-city games such as the Olympiad developed the body both as a goal in itself, and as a tribute to Zeus. However, the award of major prizes to contestants soon corrupted the lofty goals of Amateur competition. Greek gymnasia offered students a comprehensive education, seasoned with rigorous physical training. Sparta and Rome placed a strong emphasis upon sport as preparation for military combat. Odometers, milestones, and pulse counting allowed a careful monitoring of exercise intensity. Galen brought the discipline of Anatomy to interpretation of the causes of ill health. The increasing wealth of Rome led to growing leisure for many citizens, with spectator sport in massive stadia seen as a method of social control. An associated deterioration in physical condition probably contributed to the ultimate conquest of Rome by stronger Northern tribes.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-11671-6_3

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