Submitted by Norbert M\u00fcller, Professor Emeritus
\nGermany<\/p>\n
ABSTRACT<\/strong> KEYWORDS:<\/strong>Olympics, IOC, Marathon, Pierre de Coubertin In order to make a good impression of the Founding Congress on the public, the 31year old Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who at this time was the General Secretary of the French Association of the School Sports Clubs (USFSA), had invited well-known native and foreign honorary members to head the programme. He also managed to vigorously persuade important Frenchmen to take part. He wanted to arouse great public interest in French Society in the Congress and his great idea for the modern Olympic Games. Therefore, the meeting place, actually the great hall and adjoining halls of the equally new officially opened main building of the Paris University \u2013 The Sorbonne \u2013 proved eminently suitable.<\/p>\n However, we look in vain at the list of honorary members for the famous classical philologist, Michel Br\u00e9al, who from 1889 was Professor at the French Institute, which is the elite sports training centre for French intellectuals. <\/p>\n Unfortunately, we do not see him in the participant lists or protocols of the separate congress committees. One was for the international organisation of amateur regulations, the other the advisory committee for Coubertin’s idea of the revival of the Olympic Games, including different types of sport. Here there was no mention of the marathon as a possible Olympic discipline. Therefore it is surprising that Coubertin wrote in 1909: \u201cMichel Br\u00e9al, who very carefully followed the work of the Congress, was very positive.\u201d <\/p>\n As a long serving General Inspector of the State Educational System in universities from 1879 until 1888 Br\u00e9al was, without doubt, a close acquaintance of Jules Simon, who had played an important role in the Third Republic. He had, at the instigation of Coubertin, declared himself willing to take over the chairmanship for French School Sports Clubs in 1888, and therefore became Coubertin\u2019s crucial supporter for the reform plans to increase physical education in schools. Through him Coubertin must have come in contact with Br\u00e9al, even if the author does not possess any clear evidence.<\/p>\n It is all the more surprising that Br\u00e9al was not only present at the closing banquet of the Congress. There is an exact description of the banquet and the seating plan. According to that Mr. Br\u00e9al sat on Coubertin\u2019s right and on his left was the American Napoleon biographer, Professor William Sloane, one of the founding members of the IOC. <\/p>\n As you can read in the first bulletin of the newly founded International Committee for Olympic Games, Br\u00e9al spoke directly after Coubertin and described in detail the achievements, especially the revival of the Olympic Games. Br\u00e9al ended his after-dinner speech, by eloquently drawing attention to the famous sport motto \u201ccitius, fortius, altius\u201d(faster, stronger, higher) formulated by Father Didon and accepted as their motto by the Congress.<\/p>\n The reference to the Dominican Father Henri Didon, well-known as a preacher all over France, may have been both for Br\u00e9al, and even more for so Coubertin, a well thought-out strategy. Br\u00e9al`s interpretation of the new Olympic motto \u201ccitius, fortius, altius\u201d has unfortunately not been recorded, simply the effusive mention of his after-dinner speech. He was predestined to be Professor of Comparable Philology at the Coll\u00e8ge de France. The fact that in his speech he connected the outstanding event of the revival of the Olympic Games with the development of the \u201cUnited States of Europe\u201d showed a visionary world view, which he linked with Coubertin\u2019s fundamentally asserted idea of peace. Did this innovative work prove him to be an original thinker or more likely refer to the male athletes of ancient times?<\/p>\n The Origin of the Idea of an Olympic Marathon<\/strong> The most important sentence regarding the origin of the marathon is found at the end of the letter and reads as follows: <\/p>\n If you go to Athens, you could try and see if a long distance run from Marathon to \tPnyx could be organised. That would emphasize the character of Antiquity. If we had \tknown the time that the Greek soldier had needed for the distance, we could have set \tup a record. I, personally, claim the honour of sponsoring the marathon trophy. <\/p>\n The words of the complete letter in the French transcription are as follows: In this letter Br\u00e9al, refers to two essential points in the history of the Olympics. His willingness to become a member of a newly founded committee for the French team which would later become the NOK of France, (now called Comit\u00e9 National Olympique et Sportif Fran\u00e7ois) abbreviated CNOSF. It seems that Coubertin had suggested the membership in an undated letter. The second point refers to a suggestion from Coubertin to form a relationship between the modern Olympic Games and an International Peace Movement, then currently supported by Jules Simon. Therefore, Br\u00e9al recommends to Coubertin that from then on all foreign initiatives should be directed to the newly established IOC, instead of to himself as a Frenchman, to create more interest.<\/p>\n In the same letter Coubertin must have informed Br\u00e9al of his intention to travel to Athens in order to push ahead with the decision of the Congress to hold the first Olympic Games in 1896. The suggestion of the Marathon relates to Coubertin\u2019s planned journey to Greece in late 1894.<\/p>\n We have to ask ourselves, quite rightly, with what justification Coubertin\u2019s knowledge of Greek Antiquity was based at this time and how important it was to him.<\/p>\n Here are a few important dates in his life: As an eclectic in the best possible sense he not only recognised the historical connection of a revival of the Olympic Games but, also, knowingly guided it towards being accepted by the public. He later wrote: \u201cOlympism belongs naturally to history. Celebrating the Olympic Games means reference to history. That\u2019s how peace can best be safeguarded.\u201d Coubertin did not just make simple reference to the ancient Olympic Games, but considered the whole historical process and the conformity of natural law, which restores the balance of mind and body. For Coubertin the past, present and the future are inseparably joined together. The existing catalogue (dated 1944), from his private library, documents some 450 works and includes some journals, an altogether modest stock of personal literature. An analysis of the book titles turns out to be rather sparse regarding Greek history, especially the Persian wars. Only 29 books deal with Greek or Roman history, and from those only seven appeared before 1894. Only five authors of the ancient world are found in Coubertin\u2019s personal possessions. In the complete index of titles in his library there is not one work from Br\u00e9al. Obviously this linguistic research was not of any interest to him. On the other hand, there is no mention of a dedication from Br\u00e9al confirming a closer relationship with the young Coubertin, which was the case with other personalities or authors.<\/p>\n According to his own statements Coubertin\u2019s grammar school time at the Jesuit College at the Rue de Madrid in Paris was a very deciding factor in his picture of antiquity. He mentioned many times, a teacher, the Jesuit father Jules Carron, who instilled in him a love of Greek antiquity. With him Coubertin studied rhetoric, which was on the timetable daily in further classical studies for the age group 15 -17. It can be assumed from the amount of books by Greek and Latin authors, in his collection, that Coubertin was acquainted with the story of the battle at Marathon, and also knew of the legend which tells of the success of the Athenian soldier\u2019s run. After being declared the winner this soldier apparently collapsed and died at Pnyx. <\/p>\n Michel Br\u00e9al`s Marathon Idea<\/strong><\/p>\n Background Reasons for Br\u00e9al`s Idea<\/strong><\/p>\n What could have persuaded Br\u00e9al, two and a half thousand years later, to give this legendary event of a long distance run, from Marathon to Athens, such importance? It is hardly conceivable that a classical philologist of Br\u00e9al`s quality should be influenced by legends, written by the author Plutarch 600 years after the battle. <\/p>\n H. Gillmeister is of the opinion that Br\u00e9al mixed up two of Herodot`s legends. The second legend concerns the remarkably fast retreat by the heavily armoured successful Athenians over a distance of 40km from Marathon to Athens. This considerable distance was covered in only one day in order to protect their city from a possible sea attack. Br\u00e9al`s idea was certainly encouraged after the discovery of the battlefield in Marathon in the year 1890 when archeologists identified a small hill in the plains of Marathon as the burial mound of the Athenian soldier killed in action in the year 492 B.C. This confirmed for Br\u00e9al the existence of ancient ideas with the teaching of languages, as found in his book, \u201cAbout the Teaching of Ancient Languages.\u201d <\/p>\n Realization of the Idea of the Marathon in Athens<\/strong><\/p>\n The athletics programme planned for Athens based itself mainly on the regulations of the English Amateur Athletic Association (AAA), which had been developed from the middle of the 19th century and did not contain any long distance running races. In the programme for the Games it was also stated that the races, (up to 1500m), should be carried out in the metric system, according to the regulations of USFSA, Coubertin\u2019s school sports association. It is because of the metric system that the USFSA in England took over the running distances.<\/p>\n Br\u00e9al`s idea must have aroused Coubertin\u2019s enthusiasm because in the published programme of 1895 for the Olympic Games, in bulletin No. 3, the athletics competition was divided into the following: If we put our trust in Coubertin\u2019s handwritten comments, on the cover page of the programme in November 1894, during his visit to Athens, then Br\u00e9al\u2019s idea not only won his support but, perhaps, aroused his enthusiasm. It certainly aroused the enthusiasm in his reticent Greek guests. The young Greek Republic was looking for its own identity and so the revival of the Olympic Games and the idea of the Marathon in their capital city Athens came just at the right time.<\/p>\n In the National Archives in Athens among the Vikelas estate one finds an important letter dated 9 January 1896 from Br\u00e9al to Vikelas. In this letter Br\u00e9al requests the translation into Modern Greek for the planned inscription on the marathon trophy. He gives the reason that the young successful athletes would not be able to understand it. He must have definitely believed in the winner being a Greek athlete. <\/p>\n From Br\u00e9al\u2019s correspondence to Coubertin there is no mention of confirmation from Coubertin accepting the idea of the marathon, at that time. There was simply an undated visiting-card from Br\u00e9al congratulating Coubertin on the birth of his first child, a son Jacques, in February, 1896 on which was written: \u201cDon\u2019t travel to Athens before I have given you something to take for me.\u201d Br\u00e9al was referring to the trophy he had sponsored which had been made by a jeweler in Paris.<\/p>\n It will surprise the reader to note, in the correspondence and in the first two printed programmes, that a 48 km marathon was mentioned. Karl Lennartz, the Cologne Sports Historian followed this up and came to the following conclusion:<\/p>\n There, between the plains of Marathon and the city of Athens, is the Pentelikon \tmountain range where the highest peak is 1109 m above sea level. The ancient route \tprobably led upwards through the mountains to a sacred shrine to Dioysos (350 m \tabove sea level), was then quite flat and then fell steeply to the present day suburbs of \tEkali, Kefisia, and Amorusi. <\/p>\n In the 1930s the Greek Sports Historian Ion Ioannidis examined the possible paths up into the mountains from the battlefield in Marathon. He also found a good walkable route which led to the stadium in Athens. Ioannidis presumes that at the end of the 19th century no way existed in the mountains between Marathon and the Dioysos shrine, and that is why the organisers had to choose the longer way south to Athens, around the mountain range and down between the Pentelikon and Hymeton mountains.<\/p>\n This route is approximately 40 km long and includes a climb of 250m. <\/p>\n The German Olympic participant of 1896, who later became the well-known sports journalist Kurt Doerry wrote as an eye-witness in the sport magazine Sport in Bild: \u201cThe marathon went over mountains and valleys, over stony boulders and dusty roads, sometimes it went kilometers up the mountain, in one word, it is an extraordinary achievement that awaits the marathon runners.\u201d In the first printed programme there was also talk about 48 km approximately, but in the last printed programmes sent with the invitations only 42 km was mentioned. In the detailed programme in the bulletin of the organisations committee, dated 15 February 1896, a marathon course of 40km was listed for the fourth day. 1.\tThe marathon course runs over a main stretch from Athens over Kifiassias \u2013 and Herodes Atticus-Allee to the Penethenikon Stadium. The distance is 40 km. Anyone who disturbs a fellow competitor takes a short cut or who uses transport will be disqualified. The success of the first marathon in Athens in 1896.<\/strong><\/p>\n The next episode of this legendary first marathon run in world history is known. Surprisingly the Greek substitute runner Spiridon Louis won and there are numerous myths entwined around this. Louis\u2019s win over another Greek, a Hungarian, and seven more Greeks is all the more legendary because he beat the highly favoured Frenchman Albin Lermusiaux, the American Arthur Blake and the Australian Edwin Flack. All three gave up in the last third of the running distance. This was obviously due to the lack of glycogen to balance their lipometabolism. Only the Hungarian Gyola Keller could keep up reasonably well and was third, seven minutes behind Louis. The Greek Charilaos Vassilakos in second place passed the finishing line just before this. Louis\u2019 superiority was clear. The Greek people bubbled over with enthusiasm with this first Greek Olympic winner after so many American winners the previous days.<\/p>\n Louis became a hero and on the closing day of the Olympic Games received, the silver trophy, sponsored by Michel Br\u00e9al, from the King. The trophy is still in the possession of his grandson today.<\/p>\n On 10 April 1906, Vikelas honoured Br\u00e9al as the man behind the idea of the marathon, by sending a telegram to Paris about the successful running of the event and the winner Spiridon Louis. Br\u00e9al thanked him in a very friendly letter the day after (April 11, 1896) and congratulated Vikelas on the success of the Games and the Greek issue, even though the fame was different to what Coubertin had expected. <\/p>\n Later references to the marathon from Br\u00e9al and Coubertin<\/strong><\/p>\n In Br\u00e9al`s altogether sparse correspondence to Coubertin we find, in later years, two further points about his initiation of the marathon: Early in the year 1905 when Coubertin informed him of the idea of the Olympic Games being held in Rome and then as the Classical Philologist requested his opinion, Br\u00e9al not only welcomed the choice of Rome as the sports venue, but wrote at the end of the letter: \u201cIf there should be space for a new marathon I would gladly renew my support, as I did ten years ago.\u201d <\/p>\n The last sentence of this letter is a very nice addition because Br\u00e9al wrote to Coubertin: \u201cPerhaps this will persuade me to hurry up and meet you there to applaud you.\u201d If we systematically examine Coubertin\u2019s other texts looking for Michel Br\u00e9al as the initiator of the marathon, we find a total of nine points in French articles and a further one in English. We find 23 references in the English texts which place the marathon, as a special discipline, in a class of its own in the modern Olympic Games. And five times when it corresponds with Br\u00e9al\u2019s name and idea. In only one text does Coubertin go into more detail about the ancient origin of the legend of the Athenian warriors.<\/p>\n In his four volume work published in 1926, Coubertin describes, among other things, the battle of Marathon within the framework of the Wars of Liberatin against the Persians, without mention of the legendary Athenian warrior as the first marathon runner. Coubertin mentions the Frenchman, Adolphe Hatzfeld, publisher of numerous classical journals from Coubertin\u2019s grammar school years with the Jesuits, but with no precise references. <\/p>\n Appendix to Michel Br\u00e9al`s correspondence to Coubertin<\/strong><\/p>\n In this last part a few remarks should be made about the remaining contents of Michel Br\u00e9al\u2019s letters and cards to Pierre de Coubertin, especially other topics mentioned which referred to the Olympic Games. In a letter dated 15 February 1897, which Coubertin also mentioned in his memoirs \u201cA Twenty-One Year Campaign,\u201d Michel Br\u00e9al confirmed his invitation to Coubertin to give a lecture to the Union of Greek Students in Paris in March 1897. Here Coubertin wanted to confirm his support for them in respect of the Turkish\/Greek conflicts, brought about by the war in Crete that had obviously flowed over to the students in Paris. Coubertin\u2019s lecture has not been recorded anywhere, but in Br\u00e9al\u2019s promise to attend the lecture he praised Coubertin for taking charge of the Greek problem. <\/p>\n In the same year on 5 July 1897 Br\u00e9al thanks Coubertin for the invitation to the Olympic Congress in Le Havre from 23 – 30 July, but apologises that he really could not contribute anything to a congress on physical education. He praises Coubertin for his commitment and writes this significant sentence: \u201cYou are achieving more for the new generation than all the lectures on Pedagogy. I\u2019d love to accept the honour, Palmes acad\u00e9miques for achievements in the educational system in order to be amongst the runners and wrestlers who you are going to honour.\u201d<\/p>\n It seems that only eight years later on 21 April 1905 did Br\u00e9al take up written contact with Coubertin again. In the above mentioned letter Br\u00e9al is very positive about Coubertin\u2019s idea to stage the 1908 Olympic Games in Rome. However, what seemed more significant for Olympic history, he fully supported Coubertin\u2019s intention to hold art competition alongside sports competitions. Coubertin had first written in \u201cFigaro\u201d on 16 June 1904 that the time weans ripe to lead the Olympic Games into a new era and, as in ancient times, combine the sporting competitions with literary and artistic harmony. <\/p>\n Br\u00e9al confirmed this and gave him advance notice of an article in one of the next issues of \u201cRevue de Paris\u201d in which the interrelationship between Ancient Greece and the Olympic Games would be presented.<\/p>\n In a further letter dated 16 May 1907, Br\u00e9al apologizes for having to refuse Coubertin\u2019s request to join his newly founded organisation, especially as morally he would like to have supported it. The only organisation to which he could have been referring was the organisation for Popular Sport (Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 des Sports populaires) which Coubertin had founded the previous year. The first book of the trilogy, \u201cThe Education of Adolescents in the Twentieth Century\u201d which Coubertin had obviously sent to Br\u00e9al should draw attention to this especially as he wanted to build up a new popular sports movement in France for the working class.<\/p>\n The last recorded letter dated 23 May 1908 is difficult to interpret. Br\u00e9al seems to give Coubertin an answer to his invitation to a popular sports event. He himself was not good on his feet any more, and would only stand out negatively among the sportsmen. Interesting, for that time, is Br\u00e9al`s reference that physical education especially is the best remedy to fight pornography, which was being spoken about publicly and in specialist circles. That is why he believed that a government that really took things seriously, had to support such an initiative as the popular sport for the young generation.<\/p>\n For us today, this letter completes the circle of contacts that can be proved, between Michel Br\u00e8al and Pierre de Coubertin, or rather from Coubertin to Br\u00e9al.<\/p>\n Concluding Assessment of the relationship between Br\u00e9al and Coubertin<\/strong><\/p>\n At the beginning of the 1890s the young Coubertin had already recognised how important it could be to have the support of such a highly respected academic as Michel Br\u00e9al, even if Br\u00e8al\u2019s activities were only in an advisory form. It can be assumed from the letters and cards that Br\u00e8al highly regarded the young baron and wanted to morally support his activities. <\/p>\n The very polite form of greeting changed in the last letters to stronger friendlier greetings with the words \u201cbien affectueusement\u201d or in the last letter dated 23 May 1908, even \u201cvotre bien sympathiquement Michel Br\u00e9al.\u201d<\/p>\n However, all the letters are, in as much as they have a form of address, written with \u201cDear Sir.\u201d This shows that throughout their lives there was a certain distance between them. This was not the same as the relationship of Coubertin with Jules Simon which became a more fatherly relationship. Nevertheless, it seems to me that Michel Br\u00e9al\u2019s relationship with Coubertin was of a special quality because Coubertin, in questions about antiquity, obviously sought his advice and regularly kept him in the picture for at least fifteen years between 1894 and 1909. If you compare this exchange of correspondence with that from Coubertin to the American President Theodore Roosevelt it fails to contain a continuing theme. Coubertin\u2019s formula in gaining close contact with political and influential intellectuals through sending books and letters only had limited success.<\/p>\n The fact is that Coubertin in his many writings never denied Br\u00e9al\u2019s role as the initiator of the Marathon, but he never especially emphasised it. This shows a style typical for Coubertin. He wanted his life\u2019s work, as far as possible, to bear his own personal stamp. In the case of Michel Br\u00e9al, while his role was never denied he could not reap any benefits from it.<\/p>\n REFERENCES<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. See Norbert M\u00fcller, Hundred Years of Olympic Congresses 1894-1994 (Lausanne : IOC, 1994), 34-47. [Les d\u00e9buts: Paris 1894] Submitted by Norbert M\u00fcller, Professor Emeritus Germany ABSTRACT Born 175 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[627],"tags":[352,245,628],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4btio-MB","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":221,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/the-idea-of-peace-as-coubertins-vision-for-the-modern-olympic-movement-development-and-pedagogic-consequences\/","url_meta":{"origin":3013,"position":0},"title":"The Idea of Peace as Coubertin’s Vision for the Modern Olympic Movement: Development and Pedagogic Consequences","date":"March 7, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Norbert M\u00fcller The Origin of the Idea of Peace in the Modern Olympic Movement The Olympic Games took place in ancient Greece 293 times from 776 B.C. up to 393 A.D., i.e. over a period of almost 12 centuries, in contrast to modern times without interruption.","rel":"","context":"In "Contemporary Sports Issues"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/Pierre-de-Coubertin.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5592,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/coubertins-influence-on-education-sports-and-physical-education\/","url_meta":{"origin":3013,"position":1},"title":"Coubertin\u2019s Influence on Education, Sports, and Physical Education","date":"March 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Authors: Edward Burgo Corresponding Author: Edward Burgo Edward C. 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\nBorn 175 years ago in Landau, Palatinate, Michel Br\u00e9al is typically known as an outstanding linguist among experts \u2013 this is also indicated on the memorial plate at his birth place. This contribution, however, shows another Br\u00e9al: the man who provided the inspiration for the Olympic marathon in Athens 1896. Based on letters between Br\u00e9al and Pierre de Coubertin, who set up the Olympic Games by founding the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, the article traces the steps from the conceptualisation of the marathon to the first race in Athens in 1896.<\/p>\n
\n
\nBr\u00e9al at the Olympic Founding Congress in Paris in 1894<\/strong>
\nWhen the Founding Congress of the International Olympic Committee met on June 23, 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris they decided to reinstate the Olympic Games in modern form. The adoption of this idea, across the world, came to a triumphant climax at this time and has lasted until the present day. Among the 78 participants from 37 sports organisations representing nine countries were 58 French, who represented 24 national organisations and sports clubs. <\/p>\n
\nWhat made Michel Br\u00e9al unforgettable in the history of the Olympics? You can read it in his letter dated 15 September 1894 from Glion (Kanton Waadtland) in Switzerland, in which he suggested that Coubertin introduce into the official programme for the first Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 as an official competition, a long distance run from Marathon to Pnyx, the famous meeting place of the Athenians, near the Acropolis. At the same time he offered to sponsor the necessary trophy for the winner.<\/p>\n
\nGlion (Vaud) 15 septembre 94
\nCher Monsieur
\nVotre aimable lettre, apr\u00e8s avoir quelques temps couru apr\u00e8s moi, vient enfin de me rejoindre ici, et j\u2019ai h\u00e2te d\u2019y r\u00e9pondre.
\nIl va sans sire que je vous donne mon adh\u00e9sion pleine et enti\u00e8re pour le Comit\u00e9.
\nQuant \u00e0 la conf\u00e9rence, permettez que je m\u2019excuse pour plusieurs raisons, dont je vous donnerai une seule, que vous appr\u00e9cierez certainement.
\n\u00ab Les jeux de la Paix \u00bb forment un tr\u00e8s beau sujet, sur lequel il y a des choses vraies et utiles \u00e0 dire. Mais il me semble qu\u2019elles seront mieux dites par un \u00e9tranger (Italien, Suisse ou Belge) que par un fran\u00e7ais. Inutile de vous d\u00e9velopper cela. Il me semble que vous devriez vous adresser \u00e0 un homme comme M. Bonghi ou comme M.R Rod. Si vous teniez cependant \u00e0 ce que f\u00fbt un Fran\u00e7ais, l\u2019homme indiqu\u00e9 serait Jules Simon.
\nNe croyez pas que je me d\u00e9file. J\u2019agis au point de vue et dans l\u2019int\u00e9r\u00eat de votre \u0153uvre, dont je d\u00e9sire la r\u00e9ussite.
\nJ\u2019ai re\u00e7u en Bretagne, o\u00f9 j\u2019\u00e9tais il y a trois semaines, le 1er num\u00e9ro du Bulletin et je l\u2019ai fait circuler.
\nVous faites bien de mettre en mouvement vos amis am\u00e9ricains. Ils ont la pratique des grandes r\u00e9unions et ils seront des auxiliaires pr\u00e9cieux.
\nPuisque vous allez \u00e0 Ath\u00e8nes, voyez donc, si l\u2019on peut organiser une course de Marathon au Pnyx. Cela aura une saveur antique. Si nous savions le temps qu\u2019a mis le guerrier grec, nous pourrions \u00e9tablir le record. Je r\u00e9clamerais pour ma part l\u2019honneur d\u2019offrir \u00ab la Coupe de Marathon \u00bb.
\nPardon pour ces lignes \u00e9crites au galop dans un chambre d\u2019auberge. Je vous envie de pouvoir dater votre lettre du lieu o\u00f9 vous \u00eates, Avec plaisir je signerais
\nMichel Br\u00e9al
\nA la Br\u00e9aut !
\nCela satisferait mes instincts de philologue.
\nJe ne sais si l\u2019on vous a dit que j\u2019ai eu la maladresse d\u2019aller vous voir le lendemain de votre d\u00e9part de paris. Ce sera pour cet hiver. Votre d\u00e9vou\u00e9<\/em>
\nM.B. <\/p>\n
\nPierre de Coubertin was born on l January 1863 in Paris as the son of a highly respected noble family and died on 2 September 1937 in Geneva (Genf). His published literary works consist of about 15,000 printed pages, among them 34 books, 50 brochures, about 1,100 journals and newspaper articles. Nearly 60% of his printed works contain historical contents, among them a four volume World History. In spite of that Coubertin was not a historian in the scholarly sense. He did not do any historical research. His theories were held much more strongly than those of the social reformer Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric le Play and Albert Sorrel, his university lecturer at the \u00c9cole des Sciences Politiques. He admired the educational ideas of Jules Simon and the English Physical Education teachings of Thomas Arnold, Headmaster of the Rugby School.<\/p>\n
\nIn this \u201cpragmatic historicism\u201d we have to recognise Coubertin`s understanding of antiquity. His main thought is not so much the conveying of the facts but his model for the future of mankind.<\/p>\n
\nFirstly, the sending of an Athenian messenger to Sparta, before the battle of Marathon in 492 B.C., with a request for weapons. This legendary fast runner is supposed to have run the 240km distance in one and a half days.<\/p>\n
\nA distance of 240km was unimaginable for Br\u00e9al even though today\u2019s record for the annual Spartathlon from Marathon to Sparta is 20 hours and 25 minutes. One must not forget the Roman author Plutarch`s description, (600 years after the battle) of the legend of the victorious messenger and his death at Aeropag. <\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Running events: 100 m, 400 m, 800 m, and 1500 m. Hurdles 110 m, according to USFS rules and regulations.
\n\u2022 Other events: Long Jump and High Jump, Pole-vaulting, Putting the shot, and Discus, to AAA rules.
\n\u2022 Running event called \u2018Marathon\u2019 over a distance of 48 km from Marathon to Athens for a trophy, sponsored by Mr. M. Br\u00e9al, member of the \u201cInstitut de France.\u201d <\/p>\n
\nFor this special competition several rules were agreed and published:<\/p>\n
\nThe draw decides the start position of a runner. The start is at one o\u2019clock in the afternoon and each runner will be supervised by a steward. The winner is the one who arrives at the Sphentonen in the stadium first. <\/p>\n
\n2.\tOn the day before and on the actual day of the marathon all competitors must be at the meeting place at 12 o\u2019clock. <\/p>\n
\nBy this Br\u00e9al must have meant that in spite of his advancing age, he could still imagine making a journey to Rome, in order to attend the marathon in the eternal city. Another time Br\u00e9al refers to his idea in a short note on an undated visiting-card which he could have sent Coubertin, in the summer of 1909, at the earliest. Then he thanked him for sending Coubertin\u2019s early memoirs; which were published in Paris under the title \u201cA Twenty-One Year Campaign.\u201d He wrote that he still had not found the time to read if Coubertin had dedicated a place to the marathon. He modestly added that in the meantime the name of the marathon would have firmly established itself in sporting vocabulary. Br\u00e9al need not have worried because Coubertin had respectfully recognised Br\u00e9al`s role in the introduction of the marathon and had preserved it in his memoirs in the chapter \u201cThe Founding of the IOC in1894.\u201d <\/p>\n
\n2. See Program of the IOC Founding Congress, Honorary members, in Pierre de Coubertin. Olympism. Selected Writings, eds. Norbert M\u00fcller and IOC (Lausanne: IOC, 1894), 306.
\n3. Pierre de Coubertin, Une Campagne de vingt-et-un ans (Paris: Libr. d\u2019Education Physique, 1909), 96.
\n4. French name: Comit\u00e9 pour la propagation des exercices physiques dan l\u2019\u00e9ducation.
\n5. See Le Congr\u00e8s de Paris. Le Banquet, Bulletin du Comit\u00e9 international des Jeux olympiques, no.1 (July 1894), 2.
\n6. Pierre de Coubertin, Une Campagne de vingt-et-un ans (Paris: Libr. d\u2019Education Physique, 1909), 96 : \u00ab \u2026Tout autre \u00e9tait le sentiment de M. Michel Br\u00e9al qui suivit attentivement les travaux du Congr\u00e8s, pronon\u00e7a au baquet de cl\u00f4ture un tr\u00e8s \u00e9loquent discours et \u00e0 quelques temps de l\u00e0 m\u2019\u00e9crivit pour m\u2019informer qu\u2019il donnerait aux prochains Jeux Olympiques une \u2018Coupe de Marathon\u2019 \u00ab .
\n7. Letter Br\u00e9al to Coubertin, Glion\/Swizzerland September 15, 1894. (IOC Archives)
\n8. See Norbert M\u00fcller and Otto Schantz, Bibliography. Pierre de Coubertin (Lausanne : CIPC, 1991).
\n9. See B. Wirkus, Der pragmatische Historismus Pierre de Coubertins, in Der Mensch im Sport (Schorndorf : Hofmann, 1976), 32-45.
\n10. Guilde du Livre Lausanne, ed., Catalogue de la Biblioth\u00e8que du Baron Pierre de Coubertin (Lausanne: Guilde du Livre, 1944).
\n11. See Norbert M\u00fcller, Coubertin und die Antike. Nikephoros, Vol. 10 (1997), 289-302.
\n12. See H. Gillmeister, Olympische Br\u00fcckenschl\u00e4ge. Merkw\u00fcrdiges aus Athen 2004: Marathon. SID, D\u00fcsseldorf August 22, 2004.
\n13. M. Br\u00e9al, De l`enseignement des langues anciences (Paris: Hachette, 1891).
\n14. French original texte: Programme des Jeux Olympiques de 1896, Bulletin du Comit\u00e9 International des Jeux Olympiques 2, no. 3 (1896), 1 : Sports Athl\u00e9tiques Courses \u00e0 pied : 100 m\u00e8tres, 400 m\u00e8tres, 800 m\u00e8tres et 1,500 m\u00e8tres plat, 110 m\u00e8tres haies.- Les r\u00e8glements seront ceux de l\u2019Union des Soci\u00e9t\u00e9s fran\u00e7aises de Sports Athl\u00e9tiques. Concours : Sauts en longueur et hauteur (running long and high jump) ; Saut \u00e0 la perche (Pole vault) : Lancement du poids (Putting the weight) et du disque.- Les r\u00e8glements seront ceux de l\u2019Amateur Athletic Association d\u2019Angleterre. Courses \u00e0 pied, dite de Marathon, sur la distance de 48 kilom\u00e8tres, de Marathon \u00e0 Ath\u00e8nes, pour la coupe offerte par M. Michel Br\u00e9al, membre de l\u2019Institut de France.
\n15. Letter M. Br\u00e9al to D. Vikelas, p. l, January 9, 1896. EBE (National Archives Athenes), Box 918. Reprinted in: Kostas Georgiadis, Die ideengeschichtliche Grundlage der Erneuerung der Olympischen Spiele im 19. Jahrhundert in Griechenland und ihre Umsetzung 1896 in Athen. (PhD diss. University of Mainz\/GER 1999, Kassel: Agon, 2000), 638.
\n16. French original texte : \u00ab Surtout ne partez pas pour Ath\u00e8nes sans que je vous ai donn\u00e9 quelque chose \u00e0 emporter. \u00bb (IOC Archives)
\n17. See Bulletin du Comit\u00e9 International des Jeux Olympiques, no. 4, April 1896, 1.
\n18. See Karl Lennartz, Der Marathonlauf \u2013 1896 die K\u00f6nigsdisziplin, in Die Olympischen Spiele 1896 in Athen. Erl\u00e4uterungen zum Neudruck des Offiziellen Berichts (Kassel: Agon, 1996), 126-132.
\n19. Citation by Karl Lennartz, ibid., 127.
\n20. Citation by Karl Lennartz, ibid.
\n21. Programme d\u00e9taill\u00e9 pour les Sports athl\u00e9tiques et la gymnastique. In : Les jeux Olympiques. Suppl\u00e9ment au no 4 du Messager d\u2019Ath\u00e8nes. Athenes 3\/15 February 1896, no. 2., 7
\n22. Citation by Karl Lennartz, ibid.
\n23. Letter from M. Br\u00e9al to D. Vikelas, Paris April 11, 1896. EBE (National Archives Athenes, Box 865. Reprinted in: Georgiadis, Die ideengeschichtliche Grundlage der Erneuerung der Olympischen Spiele\u2026, 693-694.
\n24. French original texte: \u00ab S\u2019il y a place pour une nouvelle course de Marathon, je renouvellerai bien volontiers mon hommage d\u2019il y a 10 ans \u00bb. Letter Br\u00e9al to Coubertin, Paris April 21, 1905, (IOC Archives).
\n25. French original texte: \u00ab Peut-\u00eatre cela me donnera-t-il des jambes pour aller vous trouver et vous applaudir.\u00bb Letter Br\u00e9al to Coubertin, Paris April 21, 1905, (IOC Archives).
\n26. See Pierre de Coubertin, Une Campagne de vingt-et-un ans (1887-1908), (Paris: Librairie de l’\u00c9ducation physique, 1909).
\n27. French original texte: \u201eMerci, cher Monsieur, pour votre int\u00e9ressant livre que me rappelle bien des noms et des visages amis. Je n\u2019ai pas encore le temps de voir si vous avez accord\u00e9 un souvenir \u00e0 la Course de Marathon , dont le nom avait pris place un moment dans le vocabulaire des sports. Votre campagne de 21 ans se termine en pleine victoire.\u00bb Visiting Card without date. (IOC Archives).
\n28. See Pierre de Coubertin, Une Campagne de vingt-et-un ans (1887-1908), (Paris : Librairie de l\u2019\u00c9ducation physique, 1909), 96.
\n29. See Norbert M\u00fcller and IOC, eds., Pierre de Coubertin. Textes Choisis. Vol.1 \u00ab R\u00e9v\u00e9lation \u00bb, Vol. 2 \u201cOlympisme\u201d, Vol. 3 \u201cSports pratiques\u201d, (Hildesheim, Zuriche, New York : Weidmann, 1986).
\n30. See Norbert M\u00fcller, ed., Pierre de Coubertin. Selected Writings (Lausanne: IOC, 2000).
\n31. See. A. Hatzfeld, ed., Platon. Nouveaux extraits (Paris, 1870).
\n See A. Hatzfeld, ed., Virgile. Op\u00e9ra (Paris, 1873).
\n See A. Hatzfeld, ed., Aristote. La po\u00e9tique (Lille, 1899).
\n32. Letter Michel Br\u00e9al to Coubertin, Paris February 15, 1897 (IOC Archives).
\n33. French original texte : \u00ab Vous faites plus pour les g\u00e9n\u00e9rations nouvelles que tous les trait\u00e9s de P\u00e9dagogie. Je donnerais les palmes acad\u00e9miques de mon habit pour \u00eatre parmi les coureurs ou les lutteurs que vous allez couronner. \u00bb Letter Br\u00e9al to Coubertin, July 5, 1905 (IOC Archives).
\n34. See Norbert M\u00fcller, Hundred Years of Olympic Congresses 1894-1994 (Lausanne : IOC, 1994), 82. [Paris 1906. Invitation to the artists].
\n35. Pierre de Coubertin, L\u2019Education des Adolescents au XXe si\u00e8cle. Vol. I : L\u2019Education physique : La Gymnastique utilitaire (Paris: Alcan, 1905 ; 2nd edition, 1906).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"