There are two basic ways that we know about the discus throw in Ancient Greece. First, Homer mentioned it in his work, The Iliad. Although the event wasn’t directly part of the story, he did mention the event in his verse.

The discus throw also appears repeatedly in ancient Greek mythology, featured as a means of manslaughter in the cases of Hyacinth, Crocus, Phocus, and Acrisius, and as a named event in the funeral games of Patroclus. Discus throwers have been selected as a main motif in numerous collectors' coins.

Jan 4, 2025 · Early modern athletes threw the discus from an inclined pedestal, using an exaggerated style derived from ancient representations of the sport. Throwing from a 2.13-meter (7-foot) circle on the ground superseded this, and the circle was enlarged to …

Ancient Origins: Discus throw can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was a popular event in the original Olympic Games held in 776 BC. The discus used in those times was made of stone or bronze and had a smaller size compared to the modern discus.

Throwing the discus was one of the five events of the pentathlon. Originally the discus was made of stone, later of bronze, lead or iron. Excavated examples have a diameter of 17 to 35 cm and a weight of 1,3 to 6,6 kg. On average they weighed 2,5 kg, this is 0,5 kg above the minimum weight of a modern discus.

Nov 14, 2024 · The discus throw originated in ancient Greece, where it was part of the pentathlon in the Olympic Games. The earliest records of discus throwing date back to 708 BC. Ancient Greek sculptures often depict athletes in the act of throwing the …

What is the discus? The discus throw is a track and field event where athletes throw a heavy, round-shaped disc as far as possible while remaining inside a 2.5-metre diameter circle. The winner is the athlete who throws the discus the farthest distance. The discus can be traced back to the ancient Olympic Games in 708 BC

May 13, 2018 · Discus throwing dates back to the ancient Greek Olympic Games, as depicted in this Fifth Century B.C. statue from the British Museum, "Discobolus," by the sculptor Myron. The 8th century B.C. poet Homer also referred to discus throwing, which was a part of the Greeks' pentathlon event.

May 14, 2018 · The discus thrower is a competitor immortalized by Homer and other classical Greek writers as the perfect symbol of all that athletics represented. The discus was a men's event at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896; a women's discus event was added in 1928.

Feb 24, 2015 · The dynamic art of discus throwing inspired a number of ancient Greek sculptors. The method of throwing was then very different. Athletes seem to have used only a three-quarter turn, unlike the two and a half spins of modern throwers.