Calliope articles from October 2007

Calliope archives from October 2007

5 Fuwa facts.
October 1, 2007... These five critters, called Fuwa, or "good luck dolls," are the mascots of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. When you say their names all together, Bei-jing-huan-ying-ni it means "Welcome to Beijing!" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1....

Musings.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." --U.S. Olympic runner Steve Roland Prefontaine The Olympic Games bring together the best athletes from around the world. These athletes push each other--to race faster...

A race to the finish.
October 1, 2007... Zeus winced as he watched Tantalus mistreat his son Pelops. How could a father be so mean? Unable to stand aside any longer, the great king of the gods, who was also Pelops' grandfather, decided to intervene. He decreed that Pelops' shoulder,...

Tradition dictates.
October 1, 2007... The rules governing the ancient Olympics were as familiar to the ancient Greeks as their own names. The Games were held during the period of the second full moon after the summer solstice--that is, the shortest night of the year. For this...

Who's the founder?(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Even the ancients did not agree on who founded the Olympic Games. There were actually three widely believed legends. One claimed it was Pelops (see story on pages 2-3). Another stated that Zeus, the king of the...

Off to Olympia.(BIRTHPLACE OF THE GAMES)
October 1, 2007... One of my favorite events at the summer Olympics is not a competition. It is the behind-the-scenes tour of the Olympic Village. Every four years, when the Games take place, athletes from around the world stay in specially designed, high-tech...

5 days at Olympia.
October 1, 2007... The excitement and anticipation of the great Games had been building steadily throughout the Greek world. The athletes and their trainers had left a month earlier and were in residence at Olympia. Tens of thousands of spectators had traveled to...

On your mark, get set, go!
October 1, 2007... The ancient Olympic Games drew crowds from throughout the Greek-speaking world. Literary evidence suggests, however, that the conditions at the Games were less than desirable. The heat of a mid-August Olympian summer would have been almost...

Slow and steady.(Short story)
October 1, 2007... The winner of a footrace at Olympia received a crown and the praise of his compatriots. The victors in today's footraces, whether at the Olympic Games or at other competitions, still receive a prize and praise. Yet, despite the fanfare at the...

Victory lap.(ACTIVITY)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... You've won your race--now it's time to take a victory lap. Starting at the top left side of the track, enter words from the list below. The last letter of the first word is the first letter of the second word, the last letter of the second is...

Olympic word search.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The oil jar is overflowing with 28 words relating to the ancient Greek Olympic Games. Try to find them. Words are hidden horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and backwards. ancient arena athlete boxing chariot ...

The Pentathlon.
October 1, 2007... High among the events at the Olympics Games that tested an athlete's strength, stamina, and skill was the pentathlon. First introduced at the 18th Olympics, held in 708 B.C., it consisted of five separate contests: jumping, the javelin throw,...

The Pentathlon today.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE PENTATHLON TODAY In the early days of the modern Olympic Games, the pentathlon included the broad jump, the discus throw, the 200-meter dash, the 1500-meter dash, and the javelin throw. In 1912, a new event,...

The wrestlers of Olympia.(ACTIVITY)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... HERE'S YOUR CHANCE to "participate" in a wrestling match, like those at Olympia! 1. On the piece of cardboard, draw two sets of five body-part pieces of a wrestler, as shown below. Cut out each piece. 2. Join arms and legs with paper...

Callipateira breaks the rule.(Play)
October 1, 2007... CHARACTERS Narrator [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Callipateira [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eukles eldest son of Callipateira [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Peisirodos younger son of Calipateira [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Consult the oracle.
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When making important decisions, ancient Greeks often looked to the gods for advice. The Greeks believed that the deities controlled their destinies and that, if they opposed divine will, disaster would follow....

An Olympic match.(ACTIVITY)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Match each term in the left column with its proper definition in the right columns. 1. Pelops A. site of first modern Olympics 2. Spyridon Louis B. instituted modern ...

True or false?(ACTIVITY)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... On the blank line, indicate whether each statement is true or false. --1. During the time of the sacred truce, fighting was not allowed. --2. Women were always allowed to participate in the ancient Olympics. --3. The modern...

Chariot racing.
October 1, 2007... To the ancient Greeks, the chariot was always associated with heroes. Light, two-wheeled carts pulled by horses were first used as tools of war in the Bronze Age (3500-1000 B.C.). The Greeks remembered this distant time as the era of their...

'I won!'.
October 1, 2007... A victory at Olympia was considered one of the highest honors a Greek could achieve. Among the most renowned victors were Milon, Theagenes, and Polydamas. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SUPERHERO Milon of the Greek colony of Croton in...

The legend of the olive wreath.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To us in the 21st century, it might seem strange that the grand prize for a winner at the ancient Olympic Games was a simple crown made of olive leaves. The ancients, however, recognized that the honor and glory that...

Reviving a tradition.
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The year was A.D. 435, and the reigning Roman emperor, Theodosius I, issued a decree forbidding the use of all pagan temples. Theodosius was a Christian, and he aimed to make Christianity the religion of his empire....

Return to Athens.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] When the Olympics returned to Athens for the 2004 Summer Games, the local Athenian Olympic Committee sought ways to emphasize the traditions observed by the ancient Greeks. One change was on the obverse (front) side...

Not just Olympics.
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Greece was not a single political unit for much of its ancient history, but its people saw themselves as one people because they shared a common language and common sanctuaries at which they worshipped the same...

Just for women.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Olympia was not just a sanctuary to Zeus. It was also a place for the worship of Hera, wife of Zeus and goddess of marriage. In her honor, Greek men came to Olympia to compete in an athletic event known as the Heraea. These games were believed...

Word origins.(FUN WITH WORDS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Contest A simple word and one that you read or hear almost every day, but do you know its history? Let's journey with "contest" to its roots. First stop is France, where English met the French contester, meaning "to...

Word stories.(FUN WITH WORDS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Grand Prix The French called their first major automobile road race the Grand Prix, meaning "Great Prize." Today, Grand Prix races are held throughout the world. While the phrase "Grand Prix" has come to need no translation into English, few...

Check out.(FUN WITH WORDS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Athlos Here's a Greek word that is commonplace in vocabularies throughout the world. "How can that be?" you might ask. It sure does not look like any recognizable English word. But, wait a moment--look more closely. Athlos is just the root...

Ask Calliope.
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [?] In CALLIOPE's "When Korea Became 1" (March 2007), there is a chart to decode my name into Han'gul. I can't figure out how to use it. Can you help? --Adam, Web post [!] Han'gul is a syllabic...

Write to us!(ON THE NET)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Here's a great site on the Olympics, with links to fact-filled pages about past and present games: www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/ For an illustrated guide to the ancient Olympics that is sure to make you...

Books.(OFF THE SHELF)(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ancient Greek Athletics by Stephen G. Miller (Yale, 2004, www.yale.edu.yup) covers both the Olympics and other Panhellenic festivals. An excellent resource, it details sports events and physical fitness in ancient...

Cobblestone resources.(OFF THE SHELF)(Brief article)(List)
October 1, 2007... Materials that complement this issue's theme, "The Olympic Games," and are available from Cobblestone Publishing include: (FAC0612) Let the Games Begin (DIG0507) Playing to Win! (FOO0505) Bodies in Motion ...

21st-century Olympics.(FROM PAST TO PRESENT)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 1894, a French aristocrat and teacher by the name of Baron de Coubertin founded the International Olymlic Committee (IOC). De Coubertin believed that athletics were an important part of a person's education, and...

Then and now.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ancient Greek runners line up in their respective places, with their toes inserted into the starting lines and their bodies behind the two horizontal rope lines. When the starter, standing behind the runners, pulls...