PHYSICAL

EDUCATION IN
ROME
 A great and well disciplined army with a great leaders brought about the
grandeur of the roman empire at he time when almost all of the Europe
was under its influence.
 Army life was considered very important to the Romans and considered
health important only for military life.
 In order to be physically shape for the army, a Roman soldier should
engage to various physical activities following the rigid schedule for
training.
Activities:
Marching
Running
Jumping
Throwing discus and
Javelin
swimming
17 to 60 years of old he must be ready

-he considered wealth as an objective and his interest

was on material things.
-he got disinterested in physical activities and enjoyed
more being a spectator, ghastly, sensational gladiator
combats to clean, wholesome activities.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
DURING DARK AGE
• Referred to as the “Dark Ages” in history was the period following the fall of
the Roman empire in A.D.476.
• It belongs to a period of European History called The Middle Ages or
Medieval Period
• A time during which a civilization undergoes a decline.

What happened during Dark Ages?

Common people in Europe faced tough times due to the formation and rising
of feudal system
Peasant worked land and produced the goods that the lord and his manor
needed. They were heavily taxed and were required to relinquish much of
what they harvested.
Castles and walled cities designed by desperate people for protection.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION DURING DARK AGES (Early Part)
-there was no need for “physical education” in the middle ages
because life was a physical test just to leave, people and to
work that required heavy physical activities.
(Later Part)
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Embraced physical fitness and recreation as positive for
promoting social and moral well-being
Said that intelligence depends in part on the physical fitness
level of individual.

 CHIVALRY AS PHYSICAL EDUCATION

- The only profession nobility had was war.
- Thus, physical education and sports prepared the young for
the military. War not peace was the normal way of life.
Major types of sports
Archery – 1252, became a required essential skills for male between the
ages 15-6
Colt- presently known as “golf”
Gameball – consist of two teams and two goals
Hammerthrow –originated in Ireland, Scotland, &England around the
1820’s B.C.
Jousting –major tournaments during middle ages
- formally played and prepared
Quarterstaff – weapon consisted of a long hardwood stick with iron tips.
-fatal and very effective
Skittles- also known as “Nine Pins”
- very similar to bowling
Shinty (Hurling) – known as the forefather of ice hockey
Stoolball – also known as “stow” or “stomp ball”
- ancestor to baseball
- commonly played with men and women together
with a kiss
Wrestling – martial skills taught to the knights of the Holy
Roman Empire
- also practiced by the Japanese, Mongolian, and
Turkish
- popular among the royal homes.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
DURING THE AGE OF
FEUDALISM