What was the name of football in ancient Sparta? Football in ancient Greece. An excerpt characterizing Football in Greece

It is generally accepted that the birthplace of football is England, but if you dig deeper, it becomes clear that it came to England thanks to the Roman conquests. Although the Romans did not invent this game, they also “spied” it from their Greek neighbors. Who first invented this ball game is still a subject of debate among many scientists. In Ancient Greece, the game of ball was popular in various forms in the 4th century. BC BC, as evidenced by the image of a young man juggling a ball on an ancient Greek amphora kept in a museum in Athens. Among the warriors of Sparta there was a popular ball game - "Episkiros" (also known as Faininda) - played with both hands and feet. It was played mostly by men, but women could also practice if they wanted. Regardless of gender, Greeks usually played naked. One of the granite reliefs at the National Museum of Archeology in Athens depicts a Greek athlete holding a ball on his knee, perhaps demonstrating this technique to a boy standing next to him. The exact same image is now engraved on the European Cup trophy. The ball depicted in the relief was probably called a "follis" or "inflated ball". In the beginning, balls were made from linen or wool, wrapped with rope and sewn together. They barely bounced. Later Greek models, such as the follis, were made from an inflated pig's bladder, tightly wrapped in leather (pig or suede). Another ball-making technique involved crushing sea sponges and wrapping them in cloth and rope.

The Greek game Episkiros was adopted by the Romans, who changed it and renamed it Harpastum. Harpastum (translated as "small ball game") remained popular for 700 years. Played it relatively small, but heavy ball, similar to a follis or paganicus [a ball stuffed with down]. From 5 to 12 people on each side took part in the matches. The games took place on a rectangular field with outlined boundaries, divided into two equal halves by a central line. Each team had to keep the ball in their own half for as long as possible, while the opponent tried to capture it and force their way to their side. Their game was brutal. It was thanks to the Roman conquerors that the ball game was played in the 1st century. n. e. became famous in the British Isles, quickly gaining popularity among their native Britons and Celts. The Britons turned out to be worthy students - in 217 AD. e. in Derby they defeated a team of Roman legionnaires for the first time. Here is how Pollux describes the Roman game harpastum: “The players are divided into two teams. The ball is placed on a line in the center of the court. At both ends of the court, behind the players, each of whom stands in his assigned place, another line is drawn (these lines are probably , can be correlated with the goal lines in modern football). You are supposed to bring the ball behind these lines, and to accomplish this feat handily, only pushing aside the players of the opposing team." Based on this description, it can be concluded that harpastum was the predecessor of both rugby and football.

An important rule of Harpastum was that only the player with the ball was allowed to block. This limitation has led to the development of complex passing combinations. Players have developed special roles on the field. There were probably many tricks and tactical schemes. Legs were practically not used in Harpastum. Hence the resemblance to rugby. Emperor Julius Caesar (who presumably played the game himself) used Harpastum to maintain physical fitness and the combat readiness of their soldiers.

Below is a list of ball games known in our time in Ancient civilizations:

Tsu Chu (China)

It has been proven that the ball kicking game Tsu Chu (also spelled Tsu'Chu or Tsu-Chu) appeared in Ancient China as early as 250 BC. “Tsu” means “to kick the ball,” and “Chu” can be translated as “leather stuffed ball.” According to records, this game was usually played to celebrate the Emperor's birthday. A goal in Tsu-Chu was considered to be when the ball entered the net through a small hole. The net was secured with vertically standing bamboo reeds. Given that the hole was about 30 – 40 centimeters in diameter (1 ft) and located 9 meters (30 ft) above the ground, some skill was required to play. During the Qing Dynasty (255 - 206 BC), soldiers were trained in a certain type of Tsu-Chu. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), Tsu-Chu was already played everywhere. Treatises on the art of war of that time contain a description of a set of physical exercises called Tsu-Chu. These exercises included practicing with a leather ball filled with feathers and wool. There were also games similar to Tsu-Chu, the goal of which was to prevent the opponent from scoring a goal, for which it was allowed to use all parts of the body, with the exception of the hands.

Two stamps depicting Tsú-Chú. The first one was released in China and features two players. The second is in the United Arab Emirates. It shows a silk gate with a hole in the center.

Kemari (Japan)

Between 300 and 600 AD, the Japanese invented a game called Kemari (or Kenatt). Up to 8 people played it. The ball, about 25 cm in diameter, was covered with soft leather and stuffed with sawdust. The player had to prevent the ball from touching the floor by passing and juggling with his feet. The playing field at Kemari was called Kikutsubo. According to tradition, Kikutsubo was rectangular in shape with saplings planted at each corner of the field. The classic version featured four different types trees: cherry, maple, willow and pine. The Japanese even had a special slang for Kemari. When introducing the ball, the player shouted “Ariyaaaa!” (Let's go!), and while passing to a partner - “Ari!” (Here!).

The period between the 10th and 16th centuries became the Golden Era of Kemari. The game spread among the lower classes and became a muse for poets and writers. The Japanese epic claims that one of the emperors, together with his team, kept the ball in the air for more than 1000 blows. Poets wrote that the ball “seemed to have stopped and hung in the air.” Subsequently, that ball was hidden, and the emperor personally awarded him a high court title.

Around the 13th-14th century, special clothes began to be used for the game. Kemari players wore colorful, hitatare-like uniforms with long sleeves.

Kemari is still played today. Mostly these are Japanese enthusiasts who want to preserve the Tradition.

Egypt

All sorts of artifacts from Egyptian tombs dating back to no later than 2500 BC indicate that games similar to football existed during this period in the region.

The picture shows a linen ball found in an Egyptian tomb. For better bounce, the balls also included catgut wrapped around a sphere and then wrapped in leather or suede. Very little is known about Egyptian balls. Historians believe that during “fertility rites” in Ancient Egypt, balls with seeds wrapped in bright fabrics were kicked in the fields.

Episkiros (Greece)

Around 2000 BC, the ancient Greeks invented a ball kicking/throwing game called Episkiros (also known as Faininda).

It was played mostly by men, but women could also practice if they wanted. Regardless of gender, Greeks usually played naked. One of the granite reliefs at the National Museum of Archeology in Athens depicts a Greek athlete holding a ball on his knee, perhaps demonstrating this technique to a boy standing next to him.

The exact same image is now engraved on the European Cup trophy. The ball depicted in the relief was probably called a "follis" or "inflated ball". In the beginning, balls were made from linen or wool, wrapped with rope and sewn together. They barely bounced. Later Greek models, such as the follis, were made from an inflated pig's bladder, tightly wrapped in leather (pig or suede). Another ball-making technique involved crushing sea sponges and wrapping them in cloth and rope. The Greek game Episkiros was later adopted by the Romans, who modified it and renamed it Harpastum.

Harpastum (Roman Empire)

Harpastum (translated as "small ball game") remained popular for 700 years. It was played with a relatively small but heavy ball, similar to a follis or paganicus (a ball filled with fluff). From 5 to 12 people on each side took part in the matches. The games took place on a rectangular field with outlined boundaries, divided into two equal halves by a central line. Each team had to keep the ball in their own half for as long as possible, while the opponent tried to capture it and force their way to their side.

An important rule of Harpastum was that only the player with the ball was allowed to block. This limitation has led to the development of complex passing combinations. Players have developed special roles on the field. There were probably many tricks and tactical schemes. Legs were practically not used in Harpastum. Rather, there was a similarity to rugby. Emperor Julius Caesar (who presumably played the game himself) used Harpastum to keep his soldiers fit and ready for combat. It is also believed that the Romans brought Harpastum to the British Isles during their expansion. True, by the time they appeared, simple ball games already existed there. There is evidence of a Harpastum match between the Romans and the inhabitants of Britain. But even despite the victory of the conquerors, Harpastum disappeared over time and it is very unlikely that he could give impetus to the further development of English “mob football”.

This is a Roman mosaic from Ostia. It shows a “saw” stitched in the manner of modern balls. Considering that the scene depicts a gymnasium, it could also be a “paganicus” or training ball [in the text medicine ball]. There are references to Roman boys playing ball in the streets. Cicero describes a court case in which a man was killed while shaving because the barber was hit by a ball. Atheneaus wrote about Harpastum: “Harpastum, also called Faininda, is my favorite game. Great is the effort and fatigue that accompanies playing with the ball, brutal twisting and breaking of necks.” Hence the words of Antiphen: “Damn, my neck hurts so much.” He describes the game this way: “He grabs the ball, passes it to a friend while dodging another, and laughs. He thrusts it at someone else. He lifts his comrade to his feet. All this time the crowd outside the field is screaming. Far, right behind him, overhead, on the ground, in the air, too close, pass into a bunch of players.”

Pok-A-Tok (Mesoamerica)

According to historians, the Mesoamerican ball game Pok-A-Tok dates back to approximately 3,000 BC. However, the earliest discovered playgrounds(“Paso de la Amada” in Mexico) date back to 1600 BC. The site on Paso de la Amada was maintained and expanded for 150 years. It was an 80-meter flat, narrow field surrounded by towering open stands. Scientists believe that this separate site was part of a whole network of similar structures scattered throughout Mesoamerica. Based on the paintings on the walls and ceramics, archaeologists believe that ancient sport Pok-A-Tok was similar to Tlachtli, a game described in documents of the Spanish Conquistadors from 1519. The playing field was shaped like the letter "I".

Three round slabs called “markers” were installed into two inclined walls at right angles (later only one stone ring remained). A goal was considered to be a hit on the marker or carrying the ball through the hoop. The markers and rings were located several yards above the ground (up to 9 meters).

Players could only touch a small rubber ball (10-15 cm in diameter) with their elbows, knees or hips. The goal was such a huge achievement that after it the game often ended immediately.

Researchers believe that games like Pok-A-Tok'a were an integral part of the political, social and religious life of the Mokaya civilization (translated as "people of corn") - the supposed ancestors of the Olmec and Mayan civilizations. The ball games that existed at that time could change their status from simple recreational activities to competitions with extremely high stakes, where the captains of the losing teams were beheaded, and the winners acquired the status of heroes. During Olmec times (ca. 1200 BC), rulers were depicted as ball players wearing leather helmets. “These could be helmets for both sport and war,” says a respected professor of anthropology: “In ancient times, the distinction between a great player, a great warrior and a great leader was practically non-existent.” Between 900 and 250 BC Representatives of the Mayan civilization mastered Pok-A-Tok. And the Aztecs developed their own version between 1200 and 1521 AD.

Pasuckuakohowog(North America)

It is believed that the North American Indians also had their own game of kicking a ball, which was called "pasuckuakohowog", which means "they gathered to play a ball with their feet." The games were played in the early 17th century on beaches with half-mile wide gates a mile apart. Up to 1000 people took part in pasuckuakohowog. They often played rough and dangerously.

The players wore all sorts of jewelry and war paint, so it was almost impossible to take revenge on the offender after the game. It was common practice to postpone the end of the match to another day and to hold lavish celebrations at its conclusion.

Askaktuk (Alaska)

Little known is Askaktuk, a game played by the Eskimos that involved kicking a heavy ball filled with grass, caribou hair and moss. According to legend, two villages once played Askaktuk with gates 10 miles apart.

Calcio (Florence)

Calcio appeared in Italy around the 16th century. Piazza della Novere in Florence is considered to be the cradle of this fascinating sport. Over time, the game began to be called “giuoco del Calcio fiorentino” (Florentine kicking game) or simply Calcio. The first official rules for Calcio were published by Giovanni Bardi in 1580. Similar to the Roman Harpastum, two teams of 27 people played with their hands and feet. Goals were counted after throwing the ball through the points marked on the perimeter of the field.

Initially, Calcio was intended for aristocrats, who played it every evening between Epiphany and Lent (Epiphany and Lent). At the Vatican, Popes Clement VII, Leo IX and Urban VIII even played themselves! Since Calcio attracted enterprising people from the very beginning, it also had an influence at the international level. The director of one of the English private schools, Richard Mulcaster, in his treatise on the education of youth from 1561, recalls the British version of “mob football”, which appeared under the influence of Calcio. Calcio was forgotten for almost two hundred years, until it was revived in the twentieth century. Games began to be held again in the thirties. Nowadays, three matches are played annually in Florence in Piazza Santa Croce in the third week of June. Modern rules allow the use of headbutts, punches, elbows and chokes, but prohibit sneaky strikes and kicks to the head.

Mob Football

Between the seventh and ninth centuries, various ball games emerged in England (including the surrounding areas of Normandy, Brittany, Picardy, Wales, Scotland and Ireland). The most popular and cruel one was called “mob football” and was held between teams from different villages on days of celebrations and holidays. The degree of madness is characterized by the fact that during the matches, people living nearby boarded up the windows of their houses. Both “teams” would try to kick the ball into the central square of the enemy village or play against other districts of their city, gathering in the market or main square. There are many theories about exactly how crowd football originated. Some of its early varieties, such as Shrovetide football, had rather vague rules prohibiting only the killing of people. Some legends (from the city of Derby) say that the game appeared in Britain around the third century during celebrations of the victory over the Romans. Others (Kingston-upon-Thames and Chester) claim that it all began with kicking the severed head of a defeated Danish prince. The game could also be a pagan ritual where a ball, symbolizing the sun, was to be captured and carried over the fields, which guaranteed a good harvest. Football may have arrived en masse in England during the Norman Conquest. It is known that a similar game existed in that region shortly before its appearance in England. The exact origins of the game cannot be stated, but judging by the mentions of prohibitions, it drove people into extreme frenzy. There are records of unpleasant and even fatal incidents caused by football and crowds. Two cases, dating from 1280 and 1312, describe fatal incidents resulting from playing football with a knife on the belt. Such examples may have stimulated the development of unwritten rules and principles, but they all subsequently gave way to prohibitions. On the thirteenth of April 1314, King Edward II issued one of the first recorded bans, as "the fuss about big ball" interfered with trade. Edward III also tried to ban futeball in 1349, followed by Richard II, Henry IV, Henry VI and James III. The game fell out of favor with the bourgeoisie due to its “non-Christian essence” and lack of rules. By the early 17th century, Richard Carew of Cornwall, in his Survey of Cornwall, tried to introduce some common sense ideas, such as banning low attacks and forward passes. These innovations, however, were not widely adopted and violence continued to be enjoyed. During the Middle Ages, crowd football was practiced in many European countries. This drawing depicts the inhabitants of one of the cities Russian Empire playing ball:

Crowd football was so popular in England that even Shakespeare mentions it in his Comedy of Errors:

It's like I'm such a fool,

To kick me like a ball?

He drives from there, and you drive there;

At least cover it with leather! (Leaves.)

History knows neither the year nor the place of birth football. But this “gap” only speaks in favor of football itself - it testifies to both the antiquity of the game of kicking the ball and its popularity among many peoples of the globe...

For a very long time, people have been interested in the question: who invented this game? Archaeological excavations have convincingly proven that a certain “ancestor” football lived in Ancient Egypt: scientists discovered here not only images of people playing ball, but also the balls themselves.

Historians claim that playing ball with their feet was loved by Chinese warriors two thousand years BC, and that the ancestors football should be sought in Ancient Rome and equally ancient Greece.

So, football is one of the oldest sports games, the origin of which dates back to the distant past. But of course, its most ancient varieties, such as, say, the Roman “harpastum” or the Georgian “delo”, glorified by Shota Rustaveli, were significantly different from the game, which won worldwide recognition in the 20th century.

The oldest source is the annals of the Han Dynasty, which in Ancient China. They are over 2000 years old. The ball kicking game Tsu Chu (also spelled Tsu'Chu or Tsu-Chu) appeared in Ancient China already by 250 BC.

Chinese women playing football

“Tsu” means “kicking the ball,” and “Chu” can be translated as “leather stuffed ball.” According to records, this game was usually played to celebrate the Emperor's birthday.

A goal in Tsu-Chu was considered to be when the ball entered the net through a small hole. The net was secured with vertically standing bamboo reeds. Given that the hole was about 30 – 40 centimeters in diameter (1 ft) and located 9 meters (30 ft) above the ground, some skill was required to play.

Stamp depicting Tsú-Chú. Issued in the United Arab Emirates, it features a silk gate with a hole in the center.

During the Qing Dynasty (255 - 206 BC), soldiers were specially trained in the Tsu-Chu variety. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), Tsu-Chu was already played everywhere. Treatises on the art of war of that time contain a description of the complex physical exercise, called Tsu-Chu.

These exercises included practicing with a leather ball filled with feathers and wool. There were also games similar to Tsu-Chu, the goal of which was to prevent the opponent from scoring a goal, for which it was allowed to use all parts of the body, with the exception of the hands.

Doesn't lag behind Japan– a similar ball game was played here about 1400 years ago. According to historical data, between 300 and 600 years after the birth of Christ, the Japanese invented a game called Kemari (or Kenatt). Up to 8 people played it. The ball, about 25 cm in diameter, was covered with soft leather and stuffed with sawdust.

The player had to prevent the ball from touching the floor by passing and juggling with his feet. The playing field at Kemari was called Kikutsubo. According to tradition, Kikutsubo was rectangular shape with young trees planted in each corner of the field. The classic version featured four different types of trees: cherry, maple, willow and pine.

The Japanese even had a special slang for Kemari. When introducing the ball, the player shouted “Ariyaaaa!” (Let's go!), and while passing to a partner - “Ari!” (Here!).

The period between the 10th and 16th centuries became the Golden Era of Kemari. The game spread among the lower classes and became a muse for poets and writers. The Japanese epic claims that one of the emperors, together with his team, kept the ball in the air for more than 1000 blows. Poets wrote that the ball “seemed to have stopped and hung in the air.” Subsequently, that ball was hidden, and the emperor personally awarded him a high court title.

Around the 13th-14th century they began to use special clothes. Kemari players wore colorful, hitatare-like uniforms with long sleeves.

Kemari is still played today. Mostly these are Japanese enthusiasts who want to preserve the Tradition.

The earliest discovered in Central America Pok-A-Tok ball games ("Paso de la Amada" in Mexico) date back to 1600 BC. The site on Paso de la Amada was maintained and expanded for 150 years. It was an 80-meter flat, narrow field surrounded by towering open stands.

Scientists believe that this separate site was part of a whole network of similar structures scattered throughout Mesoamerica. Based on wall paintings and pottery, archaeologists believe the ancient sport of Pok-A-Tok was similar to Tlachtli, a game described in Spanish Conquistador documents from 1519. The playing field was shaped like the letter “I”

Three round slabs called “markers” were installed into two inclined walls at right angles (later only one stone ring remained). A goal was considered to be a hit on the marker or carrying the ball through the hoop. The markers and rings were located several yards above the ground (up to 9 meters).

Players could only touch a small rubber ball (10-15 cm in diameter) with their elbows, knees or hips. The goal was such a huge achievement that after it the game often ended immediately.

Researchers believe that games like Pok-A-Tok'a were an integral part of the political, social and religious life of the Mokaya civilization (translated as "people of corn") - the supposed ancestors of the Olmec and Mayan civilizations. The ball games that existed at that time could change their status from simple recreational activities to competitions with extremely high stakes, where the captains of the losing teams were beheaded, and the winners acquired the status of heroes.

During Olmec times (ca. 1200 BC), rulers were depicted as ball players wearing leather helmets. “These could be helmets for both sport and war,” says a respected professor of anthropology: “In ancient times, the distinction between a great player, a great warrior and a great leader was practically non-existent.” Between 900 and 250 BC Representatives of the Mayan civilization mastered Pok-A-Tok. And the Aztecs developed their own version between 1200 and 1521 AD.

It is believed that the Indians North America also had their own game of kicking the ball, which was called “pasuckuakohowog”, which means “they gathered to play the ball with their feet.” The games were played in the early 17th century on beaches with half-mile wide gates a mile apart. Up to 1000 people took part in pasuckuakohowog. They often played rough and dangerously.

The players wore all sorts of jewelry and war paint, so it was almost impossible to take revenge on the offender after the game. It was common practice to postpone the end of the match to another day and to hold lavish celebrations at its conclusion.

Little known is Askaktuk, a game played by the Eskimos that involved kicking a heavy ball filled with grass, caribou hair and moss. According to legend, two villages once played Askaktuk with gates 10 miles apart.

IN Australia the balls were made from the skins of marsupial rats, the bladders of large animals, and from twisted hair; a description of the rules of the game has not been preserved.

IN Ancient Egypt the ball game has been known for a long time.

All sorts of artifacts from Egyptian tombs dating back to no later than 2500 BC indicate that games similar to football existed during this period in the region.

The picture shows a linen ball found in an Egyptian tomb. For better bounce, the balls also included catgut wrapped around a sphere and then wrapped in leather or suede. Very little is known about Egyptian balls. Historians believe that during “fertility rites” in Ancient Egypt, balls with seeds wrapped in bright fabrics were kicked in the fields.

IN Ancient Greece the game of ball was popular in various forms at least in the 4th century. BC e. According to legend, the first ball was given to Eros by the goddess Aphrodite, telling him the following words: “I will give you a wonderful toy: this is a fast-flying ball, you will not get any other better fun from the hands of Hephaestus.” Depending on the ritual, the ball could symbolize the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, and even the aurora.

Among the warriors of Sparta, the ball game “episkyros” was popular, which was played with both hands and feet. It was played mostly by men, but women could also practice if they wanted.

Regardless of gender, Greeks usually played naked. One of the granite reliefs at the National Museum of Archeology in Athens depicts a Greek athlete holding a ball on his knee, perhaps demonstrating this technique to a boy standing next to him.

The exact same image is now engraved on the European Cup trophy. The ball depicted in the relief was probably called a "follis" or "inflated ball". At first, balls, as in Egypt, were made of linen or wool, wrapped in rope and sewn together. They barely bounced.

Later Greek models, such as the follis, were made from an inflated pig's bladder, tightly wrapped in leather (pig or suede). Another ball-making technique involved crushing sea sponges and wrapping them in cloth and rope.

The Greek game Episkiros was later adopted Romans, who changed it and renamed it “Garpastum” (“hand ball”) and slightly modified the rules.

Harpastum (translated as "small ball game") remained popular for 700 years. It was played with a relatively small but heavy ball, similar to a follis or paganicus [a ball filled with down].

In this game, which was one of the types of military training for legionnaires, the ball had to be passed between two posts. From 5 to 12 people on each side took part in the matches. The games took place on a rectangular field with outlined boundaries, divided into two equal halves by a central line. Each team had to keep the ball in their own half for as long as possible, while the opponent tried to capture it and force their way to their side.

The game was brutal. “The players are divided into two teams. The ball is placed on a line in the center of the court. At both ends of the court, behind the backs of the players, each of whom stands in his assigned place, another line is drawn.

You are supposed to bring the ball behind these lines, and to accomplish this feat handily, only pushing aside the players of the opposing team.” According to a contemporary Ancient Rome, this is a description of gaspartum - a game vaguely reminiscent of football.

An important rule of Harpastum was that only the player with the ball was allowed to block. This limitation has led to the development of complex passing combinations. Players have developed special roles on the field. There were probably many tricks and tactical schemes.

Legs were practically not used in Harpastum. Rather, there was a similarity to rugby. Emperor Julius Caesar (who presumably played the game himself) used Harpastum to keep his soldiers fit and ready for combat.

This is a Roman mosaic from Ostia. It shows a “saw” stitched in the manner of modern balls. Considering that the scene depicts a gymnasium, it could also be a “paganicus” or training ball [in the text medicine ball].

There are references to Roman boys playing ball in the streets. Cicero describes a court case in which a man was killed while shaving because the barber was hit by a ball. This is probably the first historically recorded case of a person dying while playing football (at least in Europe, since it is believed that in Mesoamerica losing teams were often sacrificed to the gods).

Atheneaus wrote about Harpastum: “Harpastum, also called Faininda, is my favorite game. Great is the effort and fatigue that accompanies playing with the ball, brutal twisting and breaking of necks.” Hence the words of Antiphen: “Damn, my neck hurts so much.”

He describes the game this way: “He grabs the ball, passes it to a friend while dodging another, and laughs. He thrusts it at someone else. He lifts his comrade to his feet. All this time the crowd outside the field is screaming. Far, right behind him, overhead, on the ground, in the air, too close, pass into a bunch of players.”

It is also believed that the Romans brought Harpastum to the British Isles during their expansion. True, by the time they appeared, simple ball games already existed there. There is evidence of a match at Harpastum between the Romans and the inhabitants of Britain - the Britons and Celts. The Britons turned out to be worthy students - in 217 AD. e. in Derby they defeated a team of Roman legionnaires for the first time.

But even despite the victory of the conquerors, Harpastum disappeared over time and it is very unlikely that he could give impetus to the further development of English “mob football”.

But undoubtedly, it was the Roman gaspartum that was the direct predecessor of European football.

With the collapse of the Roman Empire, this game remained under other names in France (“pas soup”), in Italy (“calcio”) and many other states that formed in its place.

The ball game Calcio (Florence) appeared in Italy around the 16th century. Piazza della Novere in Florence is considered to be the cradle of this fascinating sport. Over time, the game began to be called “giuoco del Calcio fiorentino” (Florentine kicking game) or simply Calcio.

The first official rules for Calcio were published by Giovanni Bardi in 1580. Similar to the Roman Harpastum, two teams of 27 people played with their hands and feet. Goals were counted after throwing the ball through the points marked on the perimeter of the field.

Initially, Calcio was intended for aristocrats, who played it every evening between Epiphany and Lent (Epiphany and Lent). At the Vatican, Popes Clement VII, Leo IX and Urban VIII even played themselves!

Even the great Leonardo da Vinci, whom his contemporaries characterized as a reserved man, restrained in expressing emotions, did not remain indifferent to her. In his “biographies of the most famous painters, sculptors and architects” we read: “if he wanted to distinguish himself, he found himself not exclusively in painting or sculpture, but competed in the game of football, beloved by Florentine youths.”

Since Calcio attracted enterprising people from the very beginning, it also had an influence at the international level. The director of one of the English private schools, Richard Mulcaster, in his treatise on the education of youth from 1561, recalls British version“crowd football”, which appeared under the influence of Calcio. Calcio was forgotten for almost two hundred years, until it was revived in the twentieth century.

Games began to be held again in the thirties. Nowadays, three matches are played annually in Florence in Piazza Santa Croce in the third week of June. Modern rules allow the use of headbutts, punches, elbows and chokes, but prohibit sneaky strikes and kicks to the head.

When in the 17th century. supporters of the executed English king Charles I fled to Italy, they became acquainted with this game there, and after Charles II ascended the throne in 1660, they brought it in England, where it became a court game.

The most popular and brutal English version of the ball game was called “mob football” and was played between teams from different villages on days of celebrations and holidays.

Crowd football was so popular in England that even Shakespeare mentions it in his Comedy of Errors:
“It’s as if I’m such a fool,
To kick me like a ball?
He drives from there, and you drive there;
At least cover it with leather! (Leaves.)"

So, according to contemporaries, in 1565 football was openly played on the streets of England. Medieval football in England was extremely passionate and rough, and the game itself was, in essence, a wild fight in the streets.

The degree of madness is characterized by the fact that during the matches, people living nearby boarded up the windows of their houses. Both “teams” would try to kick the ball into the central square of the enemy village or play against other districts of their city, gathering in the market or main square.

There are many theories about exactly how crowd football originated. Some of its early varieties, such as Shrovetide football, had rather vague rules prohibiting only the killing of people. Some legends (from the city of Derby) say that the game appeared in Britain around the third century during celebrations of the victory over the Romans.

Others (Kingston-upon-Thames and Chester) claim that it all began with kicking the severed head of a defeated Danish prince. The game could also be a pagan ritual where a ball, symbolizing the sun, was to be captured and carried over the fields, which guaranteed a good harvest.

In addition, there is evidence (in Scotland) of early rugby matches played between married and unmarried men, probably also as some kind of heretical rite.

Football may have arrived en masse in England during the Norman Conquest. It is known that a similar game existed in that region shortly before its appearance in England. The exact origins of the game cannot be stated, but judging by the mentions of prohibitions, it did drive people into extreme frenzy.

The English and Scots played for life and death. At that time, football rules did not yet exist, so games ended in severe injuries to players and fans, often fatal. No wonder many people hated this game.

There are records of unpleasant and even fatal incidents caused by football and crowds. Two cases, dating from 1280 and 1312, describe fatal incidents resulting from playing football with a knife on the belt. Such examples may have stimulated the development of unwritten rules and principles, but they all subsequently gave way to prohibitions.

It is not surprising that the authorities waged a stubborn war on football; Even royal orders were issued banning the game. On April 13, 1314, the royal decree of Edward II was read to the residents of London: “Because of the crush and jostling, from the running for big balls happening, there is noise and disturbance in the city, from which a lot of evil comes, displeasing to the Lord, by the highest decree I command to henceforth prohibit this ungodly game within the city walls on pain of imprisonment.”

In 1365 it was Edward III's turn to ban futeball, due to the fact that the troops preferred this game to improving their archery skills. Richard II, in his ban in 1389, mentioned football, dice, and tennis. Subsequent English monarchs, from Henry IV to James II, did not like football either.

As you probably understand, the ban on football did not mean the end of the game. During the Middle Ages, crowd football was practiced in many European countries. They played football despite the bans ;-)

In Rus' Ball games, reminiscent of football, have also existed for a long time. One of these games was called “shalyga”: players tried to kick the ball into enemy territory. They played in bast shoes on the ice of rivers or in market squares with a leather ball stuffed with feathers. V. G. Belinsky wrote that “the games and amusements of the Russian people reflected the simple-minded severity of their morals, heroic strength and the wide scope of their feelings.”

This drawing depicts residents of one of the cities of the Russian Empire playing ball.

Russian people were more willing to go to a ball game than to go to church, so it was the churchmen who first of all called for the eradication folk games. The most furious of all was the head of the schismatic Old Believers, Archpriest Avvakum, who furiously called... to burn the participants in the games!

However, many years of attempts by kings and kings to stop this “dangerous” game failed. Football turned out to be stronger than prohibitions, lived and developed prosperously, acquired a modern form and became Olympic form sports

Football becomes... football

By the early 17th century, Richard Carew of Cornwall, in his Survey of Cornwall, tried to introduce some common sense ideas, such as banning low attacks and forward passes. These innovations, however, were not widely adopted and violence continued to be enjoyed.

Over time, rules appeared in football: players were not allowed to kick, trip, hit in the legs or below the belt. Nevertheless, power moves and all kinds of brawls were considered then interesting feature football, for which he was loved. Football stirred the blood.

In 1801, Joseph Strutt described football in his book Sports and Other Pastimes: “When football is started, the players are divided into two groups, so that each has the same number of players. The game is played on a field where two goals are placed at a distance of eighty or one hundred yards from each other.

Typically the gate is two sticks driven into the ground two or three feet apart. The ball, an inflated bubble covered with leather, is placed in the middle of the field. The goal of the game is to score the ball into the opponent's goal. The first team to score a goal wins. The skill of the players is manifested in attacks on other people's gates and in defending their own gates.

It often happens that, being overly carried away by the game, opponents unceremoniously kick and often simply knock each other down, so that the result is a heap of small things.”

At the same time, at the beginning of the 19th century in Great Britain there was a transition from “crowd football” to organized football, the first rules of which were developed in 1846 at Rugby School and two years later clarified in Cambridge. And in 1857, the world's first football club was organized in Sheffield.

The birth of football as we know it is considered to be 1863. Then representatives of 7 clubs gathered in London to develop common rules of the game and organize the National Football Association.

Three of the thirteen paragraphs of these rules indicated the prohibition of playing with hands in various situations. It was not until 1871 that a goalkeeper was allowed to play with his hands. The rules strictly defined the size of the field (200x100 yards, or 180x90 m) and goal (8 yards, or 7 m32 cm, remained unchanged).

Until the end of the 19th century. the English Football Association made a number of other changes: the size of the ball was determined (1871); corner kick introduced (1872); from 1878 the judge began to use a whistle; Since 1891, a net appeared on the goal and an 11-meter free kick (penalty) began to be taken. In 1875, the rope connecting the poles was replaced by a crossbar at a height of 2.44 m from the ground. Gate nets were used and patented by the Englishman Brodie from Liverpool in 1890.

Oldest film footage football match, 1897, Arsenal

A referee on a football field first appeared in 1880-1881. Since 1891, referees began to enter the field with two assistants. Changes and improvements in the rules certainly influenced the tactics and technique of the game. The history of international football meetings dates back to 1873 and it began with a match between the national teams of England and Scotland, which ended in a draw with a score of 0:0.

Since 1884, the first official international tournaments with the participation of football players from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland began to be played in the British Isles (such tournaments are still held annually).

At the end of the 19th century. Football began to quickly gain popularity in Europe and Latin America. In 1904, on the initiative of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland, the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) was created. In 1908, football was included in the Olympic Games program.

Since then, football has spread throughout the world in the form we know and love. England is considered the birthplace of football, and it truly deserves this title. First of all, for centuries of loyalty to this sport. Despite any prohibitions.

Yes, the game originated in the British Isles. But there the first element of politics was introduced into it. On the football map of the world there are Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. Many Scots and Welsh love their teams not for their results, but only because they are a symbol of at least some kind of political independence. And in the presence of its own, separate from England, football team local nationalists see the first step towards political independence.

Football is closely intertwined with politics in Spain. The famous Barcelona club is the flagship of those who are fighting to expand the autonomy of Catalonia. And Athletic, from the capital of the Basque Country, Bilbao, has been associated with the local national, or even nationalist, movement since its founding. For political reasons, only ethnic Basques played in its composition throughout the years of its existence.

In Italy Football and political preferences are split along the lines of “left club - right club.” Thus, among fans of teams bearing the name of one or another major city (Roma, Milan, Torino), adherents of leftist views predominate. And their fellow countrymen, who support Lazio, Inter and Juventus, are mostly supporters of right-wing parties.

When right-wing politician and tycoon Silvio Berlusconi bought Milan, he killed two birds with one stone - sports and political. Don Silvio won football trophies, and won many fans who sympathized with the left to his side. By the way, he is the living embodiment of the fusion of politics and football. When he went to the parliamentary elections in 1994, his slogan was: “Milan won - and you will win!” And the name of Berlusconi's party is "Forward Italy!" - nothing more than the cry of the Italian tiffosi.

However, Berlusconi was not the first to politicize italian football. Before him, this was in the 20-30s. made by dictator Benito Mussolini. The Duce was a fan of the Roman Lazio, and in 1922–1943. this club played with fascist symbols on their T-shirts. At the same time, the leader got involved in the affairs of other teams. By Mussolini's decision, Inter was renamed Ambrosiana - it was inappropriate, they say, to have a club with that name in a national state. Only after the war did the Milanese club return to its former name.

Before the 1938 World Cup, Mussolini either jokingly or seriously promised to shoot the national team players if they did not win gold. It was not possible to verify the seriousness of his intentions: the victory went to the representatives of the Apennine Peninsula.

After World War II, politics continued to infiltrate football. At the forefront of this process for some time was Soviet Union . At the 1952 Olympics, the USSR team lost to the team of Tito's Yugoslavia. Relations between the two countries were terrible, Joseph Stalin and his entourage called the leadership of the rival country nothing more than “Tito’s clique.”

In Moscow, the defeat was recognized as political. Organizational conclusions followed. The multiple champion of the USSR CDSA (the base club of the national team, the predecessor of CSKA) was disbanded. A number of players and coach Boris Arkadyev lost the title of master of sports. Fortunately, no one was imprisoned.

In the early 60s. Nikita Khrushchev and the leader of Spain Francisco Franco distinguished themselves twice in terms of the politicization of football. In those years there were not even diplomatic relations between the countries. In 1960, by decision of the Spanish caudillo, the national team did not come to Moscow to play the quarterfinal match of the European Cup (later renamed the European Championship), and they were given a technical defeat.

When the USSR national team later won this prestigious tournament, Khrushchev commented on the event as follows: “It was he [Franco], from the position of the right back of American imperialism, who scored an own goal.”

Four years later, the national teams of the USSR and Spain played in the final of the same Cup. Success accompanied the Spaniards. The headquarters of coach Konstantin Beskov was dispersed. You can’t, they say, lose to ideological opponents...

It’s not just in Europe that football has been politicized. Thus, in 1969, the only “football” war in history occurred between the Central American states of Honduras and El Salvador. The reason was the loss of the Hondurans in the fight for a ticket to the 1970 World Cup.

From July 14 to July 20, bloody battles took place on the border. There were no winners; the sides lost a total of six thousand people. The peace treaty was concluded only ten years later.

Stands out in terms of the politicization of football and Iran. In 1979, immediately after the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini banned the team from participating in international tournaments. Iranian footballers, who were among the strongest in Asia, have been waiting for several years to return to the world stage. In 1998, their team finally made it to the Championship and beat the US team. On the occasion of the victory over the worst political enemy in Iran, a national holiday was organized.

Let's return to Europe. In 1974, the GDR authorities distinguished themselves. That year the World Cup was held in Germany, and the teams of the two Germanys competed in an insignificant match. The East Germans scored the only goal, which was then shown on TV for a long time in the GDR for ideological purposes. The fact that the West Germans became world champions, and the author of the East German goal, Jürgen Sparwasser, defected to Germany, made the creators of the “football-ideological video” look extremely ridiculous.

In April 1990, the championship match Yugoslavia between Partizan Belgrade and Dinamo Zagreb escalated into an interethnic massacre of Serbs and Croats. Many political scientists believe that it was that fight that became the prologue to the upcoming war. A year later, Slovenia and Croatia declared independence, and players from these republics defiantly left the Yugoslav national team.

The team, where only Serbs, Montenegrins and Macedonians remained, was suspended from the 1992 European Championship for political reasons (international sanctions were imposed on the Union Republic of Yugoslavia, which consisted of Serbia and Montenegro).

The last major outburst of “football-political” passions took place in October 2002, when in a match qualifying tournament Euro 2004 in Tbilisi the teams of Georgia and Russia met. Relations between the two states were not ideal during the reign of Eduard Shevardnadze. And that’s why Georgian fans brought posters with political anti-Russian slogans to the game.

Foreign objects were flying onto the field, and endless insults against the Russians were heard from the stands. To top it all off, the lights went out midway through the first half. Having difficulty bringing this half to an end, the referee refused to continue the match. We had to replay the game in front of half-empty stands.

Fortunately, in last years politics and football coexist in more peaceful forms. For example, the presidents of Brazil and France, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (in 2007) and Nicolas Sarkozy (in 2010), personally presented their countries’ bids for the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016, respectively. It must be said that both succeeded - their states received the coveted tournaments, and a holiday came to the streets of local football players and fans.

So politics can not only harm, but also help football!

It was played mostly by men, but women could also practice if they wanted. Regardless of gender, Greeks usually played naked. One of the granite reliefs at the Athens State Museum of Archeology depicts a Greek athlete holding a ball on his knee, perhaps demonstrating this technique to a boy standing nearby.

The exact same image is now engraved on the Champions League winners' cup. The ball depicted in the relief was probably called a "follis" or "inflated ball". At first, the balls were made from linen or wool, wrapped in rope and sewn together. They barely bounced. Later Greek models, such as the follis, were made from an inflated pig's bladder, tightly wrapped in leather (pig or suede). Another ball-making technique involved crushing sea sponges and wrapping them in cloth and rope. The Greek game "episkyros" was later adopted by the Romans, who modified it and renamed it "harpastum".

In modern times, football has become known and popular in Greece mainly with the help of the British. The first Greek teams were created in Smyrna (now Izmir) during the 1890s. After the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922, the Panionios and Apollo Smyrnis teams were transferred to Athens.

Championship

The first professional football championship in Greece was officially founded in 1927 under the name Panhellenic Championship. In 1959, the Panhellenic Championship was replaced by Alpha Etniki. Unlike the Panhellenic Championship, the number of teams in Alpha Etniki has increased, and therefore the national interest in the tournament has increased. During the league's 53-year existence, the Panhellenic Championship was administered by various organizations: from 1906 to 1913 by the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletes (SEGAS), predecessor of the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO), from 1922 to 1927 by the Union of Greek Football Associations (EPSE), and since 1927 The league is headed by EPO. Moreover, the Panhellenic Championship was considered an unofficial competition. The first official champion was announced of the year.

Cup

There is currently one main cup competition in Greek football, the Greek Cup, in which teams from all football leagues in Greece compete, teams from the lower divisions have a chance to win strong clubs, however, lower division teams rarely make it to the finals. In addition, the Greek League Cup was held in the 1989–90 season. The only winner of the League Cup was AEK, defeating Panionios (3-3 and 4-2 on penalties), Aris (5-2), Levadiakos (0-0 and 1-0) and on June 2 in the final in Athens at the Olympic Stadium - Olympiacos 3-2.

Team

The team's greatest success is the victory at the 2004 European Championship, where the Greeks won the tournament without conceding a single goal during 358 minutes of play.

Write a review on the article "Football in Greece"

Notes

Link

• (Greek) (English)

An excerpt characterizing Football in Greece

The British are considered the founders of football. It was they who codified the rules and brought football to a common denominator. The British are the founders of modern football. But he had many ancestors, in different countries. In 2004, FIFA recognized the Chinese version of Tsu-jui football as the oldest predecessor of modern football.

Tsu-Jui appeared in 307 BC. At first, the Game was a combat training for Chinese warriors, but later it turned into an element of entertainment at the Chinese court. The matches took place on the emperor's birthday. Players were allowed to touch the ball with any part of their body except their palms. The gate consisted of two bamboo sticks and a mesh stretched between them. A small hole was made at the very top of the net, where the players had to push the ball through. It is unlikely that the Chinese players, having scored a goal, looked less pretentious than Ronaldo.

This game was widespread not only in China, but also in Korea, and also had an influence on the Japanese game Kemari (or Kenatt).

Kemari was invented by the Japanese between 300 - 600 AD. 8 people took part in it. The main task The players had to prevent the ball from falling to the ground. Players were only allowed to pass and juggle the ball with their feet. A kind of football freestyle.

The game reached its heyday from the 10th to the 16th centuries. At that time, Kemari was played everywhere in Japan.

...and they're still rocking it

Perhaps games similar to football already existed in Ancient Egypt. At the very least, linen balls already appeared no later than 2500 BC.

perhaps the first soccer ball in the world

In ancient Greece, there were also several types of ball games. For example, the game Episkiros appeared back in 2000 BC. The playwright Antiphanes, who lived from 388 to 311 BC, mentioned the game "Feninda". And in the Hellenistic period, the game “Harpanon” was widespread. A game similar to rugby, where opponents tried to kick the ball over the opponent's field.

Naturally, the Greeks played in what the mother gave birth to

The Romans, as always, came under the influence of the Greeks they conquered. They also developed their own ball game - “harpastum”. This is how the Ancient Roman lexicographer Julius Pollux described this game: “The players are divided into two teams. The ball is placed on a line in the center of the court. At both ends of the court, behind the backs of the players, each of whom stands in his assigned place, another line is drawn. You are supposed to bring the ball behind these lines, and to accomplish this feat handily, only pushing aside the players of the opposing team.” Players primarily used their hands, making the game more similar to rugby. By the way, there is evidence of a match between the Romans and the Britons.

But fools really do have the same thoughts. This is how we can describe the fact that ball games appeared in different isolated areas of our planet. In pre-Columbian America, there was one of the most ancient ball games, Pok-A-Tok. The oldest site for this game was built around 1600 BC. Most likely, it was this game that the conquistadors witnessed when visiting the Aztecs. Rumor has it that the losers were executed.

Among the Indians North America In the 17th century, a game with a difficult-to-pronounce name was widespread. Pasuckuakohowog". What does it mean in translation? « they gathered to play ball with their feet.” Even Buffoniche could not defend a gate half a mile wide. And Neuer would have thought ten times before going out to the middle of a field that was a mile long.

The Eskimos had a similar game « askaktuk." According to one legend, two Eskimo villages played on a field 10 miles long. Well, in the Arctic deserts you can afford this.

P. S. In the next issue we will talk about Medieval football.

P. S. S. I will write links to sources and literature used in the comments.