The Romans
regarded Greek culture as being rather effete and preferred their own more
robust version of games and spectacles; copious amounts of blood on the sand
ensured the success of any sporting event. Gladiators and half-starved wild
animals were much in demand and a popular feature was the public execution of
criminals by being chased around the arena and finally eaten by a hungry lion.
The Emperor Nero
fancied himself as too cultured and artistic to enjoy such barbaric spectacles.
He replaced the blood sports with foot races, singing and poetry contests,
winning all the events for which he entered. The lack of gore did not go down
well with the paying customers in Rome, so Nero decided to go on a tour of
Greece where the finer things were appreciated.
Delaying only long
enough to take care of a few loose ends such as murdering his mother,
castrating his former favourite slave boy and crucifying a few fans who didn't
applaud loudly enough at his last poetry recital, he packed his lyre and all
his cosmetics and set out for Greece to attend and compete in the 67 AD Olympic
Games. Here he not only won the chariot race despite falling out of his
chariot, but he introduced several new events of a musical nature. The judges
prudently declared him the winner of them all.
Flushed with
success, he made the rounds of the Isthmian, Nemean, Pythian and Panathean
Games and handsomely won numerous events at every one. During his performances
nobody was allowed to leave, although a few people got round that by feigning
death and being carried out. These games were not usually all held in the same
year, but in 67 AD they made an exception for Nero because his offer was just
too good to refuse.
He returned to
Rome, a tired but happy Emperor, with 1800 prizes. Normally these would have
been wreaths of laurel or bay that an athlete could take home to his wife for
the stock pot, but so overwhelmed were his loyal subjects by Nero's talent that
they made another exception and presented him with jewels and precious objects.
Medals were not introduced till 1904 or Nero would have made Mark Spitz look
pretty silly with his meagre seven. Amazingly, the Ancient Games survived the
Nero episode and went on for another 326 years before being banned on religious
grounds by the Emperor Theodosius in 393 AD.
