Trojan Games marked by the classic "national" romance of ancient Rome

The scientific studies in the field of knowledge of the history of physical education and sports confirm and well support the assumption that the topic under discussion is an interesting specular for examining historical phenomena that have afflicted the human race, starting with our "apes" (our ancestors, the cavemen) and ending in the modern, contemporary era

Opening a window to the history of sports in the political aspect
Let's talk about it: the scientific studies in the field of knowledge of the history of physical education and sports confirm and well support the assumption that the subject in question is an interesting specular for examining historical phenomena that have afflicted the human race, starting with our "apes" (our ancestors, the cavemen) and ending in the modern, contemporary era.
Researching the subject allows opening a wide porthole to various aspects of the behavior of man and society: the relationship between them, behavioral examinations, and at the super level - political, social, cultural and even economic foundations that were practiced in a certain society and can be described through the physical activity of that society at a certain time and place.
It is not for nothing that football and baseball are so popular in the United States. Ostensibly a society that radiates democracy, liberalism, protection of the individual and minorities, but it is a cover - a broad fig leaf that hides the foundations of conservatism, a hidden legitimacy for the use of violence, patriotism that shakes between nationalism and nationalism and imperialistic, conquering aggressiveness. One should pay attention, for example, to the racial-ethnic affiliation of the playmaker, the "quarterback", compared to the other players, and to the fact that the American will support the brown-skinned player in every competition and game, but will fiercely defend a policy of discrimination and deprivation.
It's not for nothing that branches like yoga or tai-chi originate in the Far East, deep within philosophical ideas, out of looking at the self, out of striving for the integration of body and soul. It's not for nothing that karate is built on the art of defense and not attack (the source, it should be noted, is Indian and not Japanese. And remember how the Indians fought the British for their independence: the War of Roses, a mainly non-violent Velvet War). Without risking being inclusive, it can be said that the population of the Far East, and especially the Indian population, is distinguished by cordiality, humanity, peace, tolerance and acceptance of difference and the minority.
These mental-physical branches penetrated the West, but precisely this may point to the profound differences between the two societies: in the East, tai chi, kung fu and the like became a way of life and daily routine, while in the West they became classes, leisure activities, and some They were even very commercialized and in the Hollywood phase they expressed essences of violence, and in some cases deadly.
These examples may indicate the interesting combination, from a research point of view, between physical activity and between social and behavioral aspects. Precisely in these troubled days, of the "morning" after the US presidential race, when the drums of the American war in Afghanistan and Iraq are echoing in the background (and by God - who knows what will happen next?!) it is difficult to ignore the fact that the American people, who are fundamentally very competitive, like to see His candidates for the presidency, or alternatively, for the post of governor or for the senate, face each other in publicized, televised confrontations, in what is known as a debate, when they pluck each other's feathers and punch each other, and sometimes below the belt. These confrontations are likened to a sporting contest in the arena (the broadcast studio), subject to rules, in the presence of judges (the show's hosts), and a "bloodthirsty" crowd in the studio and at home, each side of course thirsting for the opponent's blood. The race (a sporting word, isn't it?!) is also called an "election campaign", and "campaign" is a concept borrowed from the battlefield.

Sports and nationalism
The combination of the expressions sport and nationalism sometimes evokes, and not without justice, a negative association that sums up the relegation of physical activity from its original meaning to an angle beam and a channel for the realization of some idea, far from the heart of the sport. It is hard not to remember what happened to German sports, which eagerly fed on the ideals of Gotts-Mottes and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, nurtured by Spies and Rothstein and carefully shaped by Karl Diem, the leader of physical education in the spirit of nationalism of the twentieth century, to the dimensions of fascist and Nazi monstrosity.
Less destructive was the massive jump in the Soviet Union after World War II than that and in East Germany than that.
However, one of the most famous is that the physical culture resounded in the social ravages of every civilization, reflected what was happening in the human landscape and was mobilized, directly or indirectly, demonstratively or modestly, for the promotion of a certain idea. It is true that this tendency has harmed quite a bit the true essence of the sport, i.e. a motoric expression, immanent, in leisure time, where the individual or the group competes for the victory wreath, but it has also developed important tools for the improvement of the individual (physical capacity, endurance, acquisition of skills, development of training courses, diversity in sports aids and more) and to improve the team.
These principles are reflected, for example, in the promotion of military goals and ritual trends (such as dance) in the ancient world; in the pursuit of the perfection of the individual; In the realization of psychological tasks in the circus of ancient Rome, in those blood games between gladiators and gladiators, when he was closed to alleviating social tensions and strengthening the support of the crowd for its leaders.
In this article I would like to examine an interesting phenomenon that found expression in the developing Roman society, called the "Trojan Games", for its special romantic-"national" aspects.
There is no debate that the use of the concept of nationalism in ancient history is fundamentally wrong. The term takes shape and takes form in Europe from the 18th century onwards. I chose to use it, with the necessary caution of course, referring to ancient Rome from the beginning of the empire, and I expressed my reservations about the use of crowning the concept with double quotation marks. While in Greece the definition of citizenship developed and was shaped in relation to the city of the polis - this is discussed by Aristotle in the third book of his "Politics", and Aristophanes in his work "Plutus" emphasizes: "where it is good for a man, there is his native land" - a quasi-national concept, of belonging to a kind of country, and therefore every Roman will proudly say: "I am a Roman citizen!"

What about Rome and Troy?
Roman mythology linked in an interesting way the Homeric myth of the plot of the Trojan War and the beginning of Rome. The Roman writers weaved with prosaic talent the canvas of the wanderings of two famous Trojan characters, Aeneas and Antenor, refugees from their ruined and smoky city, who stormed the gates of Italy and drove deep stakes into its soil in two urban centers, one between the Po Valley and the Alps and the other in Latium, and called them Troy, after Their lost city. The descendants of Aeneas later founded the famous city of Rome.
This is how the foundation beams of the city of Rome were linked with the trail of the primordial Trojan myth, an affinity that was not devoid of implicit historical foundations - on the basis of the mosaic of the Greek settlement on the south-western coast of the Italian boot; On the background of the trade relations forged between the Romans and the Aegean centers, and on the basis of the military campaigns that Rome led in Greece in the second century BC and in the Hellenistic East. These will be mentioned later in the article.
In the historical situation we see a slow and continuous pulsation of the charges of Greek culture into the tissues of Roman society, a phenomenon that happened regularly among the Roman aristocracy, whose sons saw in Greek mythological literature, and especially in the lines of Homeric poetry, an extensive and fertile ground for tracing their ancestral origins, in terms of tying their genealogy to solid pegs of ancient Hellenic mythology (what we would call today "cultural labeling").
The relationship between the Romans and the Greek culture was not simple, and this is expressed in the Roman relationship with the body culture of classical Greece. The Roman abhorred the Greek physical culture, despised femininity and its refinement, reserved the connection between Greek sports and education and the fulfillment of public duties in the city of the polis - considering the privilege reserved only for gymnasium graduates. Cicero, the famous orator, refers to watching the Greek Olympic Games with a touch of cynicism, as if it were a waste of time. Arrogant criticism against Greek sports is voiced by many Roman writers, and its flavor is the aggressive image of Rome conquering and taking over lands and seas, but surrendering in front of Greek culture.
However, there is no arguing with the facts: the Roman officers and the aristocracy wanted to resemble the Greeks and their culture both for elitist and prestigious reasons (something like: for a lot of cash 'bread and entertainment', and for us - the sport!"), and also out of curiosity and connection to something new and attractive. The Roman rulers noticed this phenomenon and sought to promote it for political and economic reasons (relying on aristocratic factors).
The connection between the survivors of Troy (Anchises and his sons) and the beginnings of Rome may be interpreted as a balancing approach between getting closer to Greek culture and moving away from it, since the inhabitants of Troy were not Greeks (the Hellas) and certainly were not Greeks or Greeks, but were well connected to the mythological navel of the Greek epic. It was therefore convenient for the Romans to desire the connection between them and the remains of Troy and its survivors during the creation of their empire. Indeed, in the Roman sources from the period of the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Empire (half of the first century BC) there are plenty of references to the Trojan mythology. This was done only out of a deliberate, probably political trend.
This complex and interesting background, it seems, paved the way for the existence of sports games in Rome, which were steeped in the Greek style and style as a widespread phenomenon from the first half of the first century BC, which were perpetuated and strengthened by the Roman rulers. The rulers acted for various reasons: personal, prestigious, genealogical and social-aristocratic. These reasons were concentrated together into an educational, ideological and "national" common denominator, for the attention of the youth (the important Roman reserve). There was also quite a bit of Greek influence here. In Greek culture, the official public education of the youth stands out as a hallmark of Greek society, and the athletic games stand out as a "national", pan-Hellenic arena.
It should not be surprising, as expressed in the thought of the writers of Rome and its poets, that the souls of the youth of Rome went out to the special Greek athletics. These games and competitions undoubtedly paved the way for the revival of the Trojan Games.

The Trojan Games in Roman historiography
According to Plutarch, it was the Roman ruler Sulla who had the honor of carrying the initial crown of holding the Trojan Games (in the last quarter of the first century BC). According to him, it was a "sanctified competition", like the famous holy and crown competitions in Greece, which were characterized by pan-Hellenic signs, in which privileged young horsemen ("boys" as he called it) participated, chosen one-by-one by the ruler (to teach about the importance Sulla attributed to this phenomenon). At their head were "two leaders" (so in the original), who each took care of the training of his team and the display of impressive ability.
Sulla, it turns out, saw this competition as a lever to strengthen the status of the cavalry, to form a proper and healthy reserve for military and aristocratic officers, and on a personal level - a symbol of his continuing dictatorial tenure (79-81 BC). Sulla put an end to the civil wars in Italy and issued a series of important economic, social and legal reforms. These moves are intended to bring peace and well-being to Italy and to fortify the basis for growth and prosperity. The Trojan Games were also supposed to symbolize the beginning of a new era in Rome and give a welcome sign of what was to come. It is not for nothing that this ruler was nicknamed felix, meaning: the lucky one.
The Trojan Games were a traditional and regular practice in the days of Julius Caesar and at his initiative. He included in them "a double group consisting of older and younger boys", according to Suetonius, and asked to expand the circle of participants and also include smaller age groups than the previous custom, thus spreading the demonstration among as many Romans as possible. The management of the pageant demonstrated for the first time the tripartite relationship between Troy, Rome and the emperor. In the tradition that gained circulation - that the Trojan Games were celebrated in honor of Iulus (the son of Aeneas, the ancient Trojan hero) since the wandering Trojans established their permanent abode in Latium - Caesar saw a means to solidify his genealogical tendency. Not only that the scion of his family was drawn from the first Ilus, but also his tendency to write a new chapter in the pages of the history of Rome corresponded well with the spirit of the ancient Trojan Games.
Hate demands and beauty sustains, after putting an end to the civil war in Rome and achieving a chain of brilliant military victories, when he was freed to manage the affairs of the state and strive to crown his head with the crown of dictatorship, Julius Caesar held the Troy Games in 46 BC, along with the improvements he made in the Kirkus Maximus ” – the largest amusement park in Rome.
These games were in line with the emperor's policies and the characteristics of his reign. That is, placing emphasis on the education of the youth and their mobilization for the benefit of the state; Leaning on the aristocratic layers in Roman society; balanced cultivation of military power; And in essence - the promotion of the overall foundations towards the unification and unity of the country, as the "national" accelerators under the sign of the imperial rule. Four years have passed since the assassination of Julius Caesar when the Trojan Games were celebrated (40 BC) at the initiative of Agrippa the Praetorian and their registration also appeared in 33 BC.
It cannot be excluded that the imperial attention directed towards the "young" or "boys" (terms that indicate not only age, but also athletic qualities) was intended to develop a kind of reserve of a loyal army, which would express its deep loyalty to the emperors and carry out the tasks assigned to it Without hesitation and doubt. In those iuvenes ("youths") clubs, the imperial doctrine was undoubtedly assimilated and pro-imperial messages were internalized. Let's not forget that in this era of the transition from the regime of the Republic to the Empire, the first leaders were faced with a real problem of constitutional establishment. During the Republic, the government, i.e. the pair of consuls, rested on the pillars of the written constitution, while the emperors lacked such a safety net, what's more, their almost sole rule reminded the Romans of the dark and reserved days of the end of the monarchy. For this and other reasons, the emperors wanted to lean on stable and loyal parties such as the Juvenes Club.
The Trojan Games were especially beloved by Augustus, Caesar's successor. Hella was performed "very often by young and old boys (according to tradition), because he considered it an ancient and beautiful custom, that the seed of the nobles would demonstrate their ability in this way" (so according to the historian Suetonius). Beyond the social, aristocratic context, this testimony miraculously elevates the ceremonial status of the demonstration, of the Trojan Games, which continues the romantic and "national" signs cultivated by Augustus' ancestors. Let's not forget that the empire was based quite a bit on the support of those with means and money in Rome, whose sons participated in the games.
The mythological phrase has a connection to the past, and the Roman rulers wanted to emphasize it on the date of the games, on the 18th of August (the date they used to hold the Olympic Games). The purpose of the games was to commemorate the Ides of "the divine Julius". Augustus, as a loyal scion of the Heuliim family, thus found a golden opportunity to announce that he is an ancient descendant of Aeneas (initiator of the Trojan Games according to mythology) and is therefore committed to fulfilling the mythological-romantic mission. what is it He will determine that! And indeed he stated: the cohesion of Rome under his leadership.
The year of the Trojan Games (29 BC) marked the appointment of Augustus as supreme ruler in Rome. The games were on the one hand an expression of the connection with the ancient Greek culture, and on the other hand an expression of the new era in Rome, the era of Augustus.
The connection between Augustus and the ancient Aeneas is woven in the form of an interesting essay, which sheds special light on the Trojan Games. This is about the "national" poet Publius Virgil, whose abundant lyrical colloquium gave rise to a tremendous stream of mythological - "national" poetry, named "Aeneas". This unfolds the events of that hero son of Troy - his incarnations, his journeys and the embryonic beginning of the city of Rome, it is the foundation of the Roman Empire. The backbone of Virgil's heroic path can be summed up in the motto: the birth of Rome stems from the destruction of Troy. And from that, the connection between these two centers was strengthened, from the literary side and from the mythological side. Let's not forget in this context that Virgil is characterized as writing on behalf of, recruited by Augustus.
While the poet was searching for a faithful source for his work, he turned to the father of Greek epic poetry, Homer, and as if recruited on behalf of Augustus, when the latter did not hide his admiration for Virgil and ensured the publication of his work, the "national" poet sought to design a prototype of an ideal Roman citizen, a kind of noble Trojan.
According to Virgil, when Aeneas, the famous Trojan wanderer, commanded the shores of Sicily (which was already then, as it turns out, also inhabited by Greeks), he held competitive games there in memory of the soul of his father Anchises on the anniversary of his death. This phenomenon was very common in Greek society. There is an instructive parallel between the continuation of Virgil's flowing poetry and between book XNUMX of Homer's work "Iliad", as he attributed to a miracle the conduct of Achilles' sports competitions in memory of the soul of Patroclus, his faithful friend. Between these two competitions there is a surprising similarity in relation to the geographical focus of the games, their program, the sports in which they competed and the special signs associated with their aura.
The Trojan Games as led by Aeneas was recorded by Virgil in a fluid, picturesque and moving description. The horsemen-knights (the "boys" in his language) appeared in their colorful uniforms in front of an emotional and boisterous crowd and to the applause of their families. The heads of the knights were decorated with a wreath of olive leaves (an award given to the winners in Olympia) and their weapons - bayonets and bows. The riders separated - split into three wings, headed by their leaders-instructors. After a formal equestrian display, the cavalry teams performed dangerous equestrian stunts, impressively staging scenes taken from the Trojan War, including chases, blocks, rulings, deceptions, frontal, rear and flank attacks.
This stunning display was undoubtedly intended to illustrate the skills of riding and controlling horses, and carried a competitive-military character with public connections.
Virgil closes his moving words with a reference to ancient times - "the custom of the race in the horse competition" (in his words), established by Iulus (Ascanius, son of Aeneas) when he built the walls of Elba. This dictated the practice to Rome, considering "ancestral inheritance is a factor".

The source of the games
Two important archaeological findings may shed light on the Trojan Games and reveal their originality. The first find, from the sixth century BC, was discovered in southern Etruria in Italy, and it depicts a group of young horsemen in front of us, to their left is a plan of a labyrinth-labyrinth structure decorated on the side with the Greek inscription: "Troy". This word is remarkably close to the Pyrrhic dance (a Greco-Spartan dance with military symbols), which was a very interestingly choreographed war scene performed by the Roman Salian priests. From this it is based on a very reasonable degree of logic for the Trojan games.
The second find in the inscription that was discovered in Pompeii, and the main one is a song of praise to one of the iuvenes (a connection existed between the Trojan Games and this term - the young boys). In one of his columns appears the seemingly strange phrase - "riding the snake".
Both the Labyrinth and the Serpent Ride emerge from Virgil's Torii with a clear connection to the Trojan Games. According to the "national" poet, the trickery of the horsemen is perfected in the legendary Labyrinth in the palace of King Minos of Crete (Crete). These riders, like them, are like the traces of the snake, and in his words: "It is the thing in the competition, the traces of Troy will drag on and on" (Akan, Aknai is a snake).
Apart from the allusion to one of the signs of the competition - bold riding tracks, just like circles embracing circles (similar to the snake's movement or curving beat) - the places where the finds were uncovered (southern Etruria and Pompeii) are reminiscent of the pair of Etruscan centers south of Rome. The Etruscans, who ruled over decent chunks of Italian land from the ninth century BC, brought from their place of origin (West Asia, near Troy) rudimentary sporting elements. Perhaps from there they will purge the remaining fondness for horses, for driving chariots and for burial games (fights in the gladiatorial style in the navel of an arena and in front of an excited and enthusiastic crowd of spectators).
The Etruscan culture was also influenced by the culture of the Greek civilization, at the heart of the mosaic of the Hellenic cities on the southwest coast of Italy. Greek-style sports competitions were held in these cities, and their representatives took part in the Olympic Games.
It therefore follows that the Trojan Games were an interesting combination of Greek myth (Troy plots), a mythological sequence that connected Aeneas with the birth of Rome, Greek competitions and the Etruscan culture that left its mark and left deep traces in Roman civilization even long after its centers of control in Italy had sunk ( XNUMXth century BC).

The place of the games in Roman politics
Their importance and value and in any case also their continuous continuity of the Trojan Games were based on the fact that they were bravely associated with the Roman imperial policy and its implementation in practice. During the days of Augustus, an educational institution with a sports-military character (reminiscent of the classical Greek Ephebion in some way) named iuventus (the connection to the term "young people" - the trainees and graduates of the Greek and Hellenistic Gymnasium and its graduates - is emphasized) gained an important revival. Before the boys, members of the aristocratic families in Rome, were honored with the prestigious right to wear the robe of matriculation, the "toga virilis", they frequented the gates of clubs called collegia iuvenum, and within their walls they trained in sports with a military touch, especially riding. Those selected from among them were summoned on March 19 every year to take an active part in the impressive Troy Games in front of an emotional and noisy crowd, including their parents.
The boys lived and were educated in this club-union institution until the age of 17, when they were accepted as full members of the iuventus circle. The line of graduates is intended to serve as a solid reserve for the military officers and the division of senior officials in the political sector and public administration.
The same youth associations (collegia iuvenum) founded by Augustus - probably an imitation of "Epabia" (Epabion in the singular), the post-educational (post-gymnasium) frameworks that existed in Greece and were intended for 18-20 year olds, expressed Augustus' worship of Greek culture and the attempt to assimilate it into society and culture Roman, both for political reasons and for reasons of personal prestige of the emperor. This approach is reflected in the literary work of Horatius (8-65 BC), a well-known poet who lived during this period, who was close to Augustus and often composed poems at the request of the government. The atmosphere in those clubs of a sports-military nature sometimes fascinated the attention of the poet Hortius, and he described it in special colors.
Horatio, it should be noted, dedicates a prominent place in his works to the city of Troy, also to the mythological, Homeric events of the legendary Trojan War in other contexts as well. This may well reflect the Trojan fashion in the days of Augustus and shed light on the very existence of the Trojan Games in this era and the establishment of the iuvenes clubs, where the young people trained for the Trojan Games.
The distribution of educational institutions with a sports-military nature integrated well into the set of elements already discussed, which were at the center of the Trojan games. Now more dimensions were added, the fruit of Augustus' policy: the national unification of all Italy by uniting the ranks of the youth and internalizing moral virtues among them, such as chivalry, loyalty, courage and discipline. And in a pictorial essence - the restoration of the ideal that appears in Homeric poetry by the epic of Virgil, the favorite of Augustus. From this it should not be surprising that the Troy Games bore the title: "The Patriotic Games", and were an important element in the whole "national" platform of Augustus. These became known as games with a distinct romantic-mythological foundation and as a means of cultivating Roman "national" pride.
In light of the above, it should not be surprising that from the time of Augustus onward, the practice of holding the Trojan Games spread even outside the borders of Rome, and was common in Italian cities.
It is impossible to separate the Trojan Games from the special atmosphere that prevailed in Rome during the time of Augustus, behind it the universal concept that strives for the unity of all who belong to the empire, headed by an emperor with qualities of the savior of nations and benefactor of humanity. In this spirit, the ruler proposed the revival of ancient Hellenic games, including the Olympic games. The Actian Games (the Actiada) commemorating the victory in Actium in 31 BC, which have been held every five years since then and marked the Roman world's victory over the barbarian world and new games in a humanistic pattern such as the century games that took place in 17 BC and were dedicated to the Greek Apollo and Diana - all these symbolizing the birth of a new era. Alongside the universal, imperial trend, Augustus wanted to develop the patriotic, quasi-"national" elements, such as the iuvenes clubs and the Trojan Games.
The "national", political elements, which stood out especially in the days of Augustus, brought up another dimension that was linked to a certain extent to the iuvenes clubs and to the celebration of the Trojan Games as the jewel in the crown. Augustus, who put an end to the civil war in Rome with great success and pursued a general peace throughout the Roman Empire, what became known as the "pax romana", was troubled by the very thought that long-term peace might somewhat reduce Rome's strength and deterrence and foster complacency and stagnation among the ranks of the army and the citizenry. An ominous fear also crept into his heart that barbarian peoples on the fringes of the empire might test Rome's strength and military ability.
The key to dealing with these problems, among other tools and means, was, according to Augustus, the cultivation of the iuvenes clubs, where the "national"-patriotic-military signs were applied. Military skill was inculcated among the young men, with the ceremonial highlight realized in the Trojan Games.
The iuvenes clubs were used as propaganda nests to recruit the trainees to the idea of ​​the state and to spread the messages of the government also among the audience that watched the games and entertainment. Their importance can be learned from the fact that in the days of Augustus, the degree of imperial supervision over them increased, to the point that Augustus himself appointed the person in charge of the clubs (princes iuventutis) - a special title given to his grandsons, Gius and Lucius.
The moment of continuity of the Trojan Games was highlighted by a sacred and ritual decree, and one of the most famous is that religion and worship were the moral source of Rome's resilience. From this, Augustus connected the Trojan Games with the temple of Mars Ultor, which was known as the sacred center of the Roman army and identified with the tradition and worship of the emperor's house.
Augustus, as mentioned, presided over the Trojan Games while strengthening the connection between the glory of the games and his own image. This is at a time when he is raising the aura of the temple of Julius Caesar, who connected the beginning of his history with the son of the legendary Aeneas. The figure of the legendary Aeneas, which is the pivot on which Virgil's work revolves, is portrayed as a faithful introduction to Augustus' personality and actions. Here we have before us an interesting tying of all the ends: Aeneas, Caesar, Augustus and the Trojan Games, and especially Augustus, political and personal motives, organizational-military plans and the Trojan Games.

The Trojan Games and Roman Education
You can look at the Trojan games from a different point of view. Education in Roman society was mainly seen as a process of shaping the character and imparting values, ways of behavior and skills in the practical life of the Roman. Parents were initially responsible for education, and from the second century BC also a professional teacher. Education is intended, on the one hand, to impart qualities of modesty, frugality, simplicity, fulfillment of duties, loyalty and obedience to parents and the state, and on the other hand, to impart physical fitness, especially in preparation for military service. Wealthy sons, senators and knights, who continued in higher education, trained themselves more thoroughly for public and political activity. They emphasized the study of rhetoric and philosophy, but unlike in Greek education, they did not devote much time to the culture of the body.
Education in Rome was not based on laws and was not regulated by the state. They didn't even ask to get a uniform education. Education in Rome was the citizen's business.
It can therefore be assumed that during the transition period from the Republic to the Empire, the iuvenes clubs were designed as a kind of educational framework that filled the gaps in the physical field in the education of the aristocracy and the middle class. This trend corresponded to the influence of the Greek and Hellenistic culture on the Roman one during the creation of the empire and the taking over of countries and peoples. It also reflected the desire of the rulers to direct the education of the young towards patriotism, meaning loyalty to the country, the empire and its leader. Since the Trojan Games were conducted among the young people, the members of those clubs, it is possible to see in those games, the Trojan Games with the sports-military elements and in the presence of an audience, one of the levers to promote patriotism, the choreographic demonstration that symbolizes the new education - Roman with Greek influence, directed by the state and headed by it. It can be assumed that the first emperors expected from those clubs that the cadre of their enthusiastic supporters and loyal to their policies would grow from them.

The Fall of the Trojan Games
Augustus' successors were caught up in imperial, courtly and personal crises. The august slogans and ideals that were instilled at the time among the citizens and the ranks of the youth have faded and as if turned into silly clichés. It is true that his successors wanted to persist in holding the Trojan Games, but without a political ("national") and patriotic certificate strengthened by Roman education, based on a literary epic like that of Virgil and on a religious-mythological basis, when the emperors succeeding Augustus were shallow and gray, lacking in flight and vision, persecutors Publicized and captive to the myth of domestic reputation, the Trojan Games sank and disappeared from the stage of Roman history forever.
We will recognize their modern equivalents in the connection between sports and politics mainly in former totalitarian countries, such as the USSR and its Iron Curtain countries (such as East Germany) and modern countries, some of them even democracies (at least on paper) that maintain a security policy and within it the exaltation of the military, as in the State of Israel.