Imidlalo Yasendulo Nokubaluleka Kokunqoba

“WONKE umuntu onengxenye emncintiswaneni uyazithiba ezintweni zonke.” ‘Uma umuntu esemncintiswaneni emidlalweni, akathweswa umqhele ngaphandle kokuba encintisene ngokuvumelana nemithetho.’—1 Korinte 9:25; 2 Thimothewu 2:5.

Imidlalo umphostoli uPawulu ayekhuluma ngayo yayiyisici esivelele kumaGreki asendulo. Umlando usitshelani ngale mincintiswano nangesimo sabantu kuyo?

Muva nje, kuye kwaba nombukiso i-Nike—Il gioco e la vittoria (“INike—Umdlalo Nokunqoba”) wemidlalo yamaGreki eColosseum yaseRome.a Izinto ezazibukiswa kulo mbukiso zisinikeza ezinye izimpendulo zalo mbuzo futhi zisenza sicabangisise ngombono wamaKristu ngemidlalo.

Inqubo Yasendulo

AmaGreki ayengewona awokuqala ukudlala imidlalo. Noma kunjalo, cishe ngekhulu lesi-8 B.C.E., imbongi engumGreki uHomer yachaza umphakathi owawuvuswa usinga izenzo zobuqhawe nomoya wokuncintisana, lapho amakhono ezempi nawemidlalo ayaziswa kakhulu khona. Umbukiso uchaza ukuthi imikhosi yamaGreki yokuqala yaqala ngokuba izenzakalo zenkolo zokuhlonipha onkulunkulu emingcwabeni yabantu abangamaqhawe. Ngokwesibonelo, incwadi kaHomer ethi Iliad, endala kunazo zonke izincwadi zesiGreki ezisekhona, ichaza indlela izingwazi, abangane baka-Achilles, ezabeka ngayo phansi izikhali emngcwabeni kaPatroclus zase zincintisana ukuze zibonise ubuqhawe bazo emdlalweni wesibhakela, we-wrestling, wokuphonsa i-discus ne-javelin nasemjahweni wezinqola.

Imikhosi enjalo yabe isigujwa kulo lonke izwe laseGrisi. Incwajana echaza ngalo mbukiso ithi: “Le mikhosi yayakha ithuba lapho amaGreki, ehlonipha onkulunkulu bawo, ayeyeka khona okwesikhashana izingxabano zawo ezingapheli nezazivame ukuba nobudlova, kanjalo akwazi ukushintsha umoya wawo ovamile wokuncintisana ube umoya wokufuna ngobuqotho ukuphumelela kodwa ngokuthula: okuwumoya wokuncintisana kwezemidlalo.”

Amadolobha aqala umkhuba wokuhlangana njalo ezikhungweni ezivamile zokukhulekela ukuze ahloniphe onkulunkulu bawo ngemincintiswano yezemidlalo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, imikhosi emine—owase-Olympia nowaseNemea okwakuhlonishwa kuyo uZeus, kanye nowaseDelphi okwakuhlonishwa kuwo u-Apollo nowase-Isthmus okwakuhlonishwa kuwo uPoseidon—yadlondlobala kwaze kwaba yilapho isibizwa ngokuthi imikhosi yamaGreki. Okusho ukuthi abadlali kule mikhosi kwakungaba yiwo wonke umuntu ongumGreki. Kule mikhosi kwakwenziwa imihlatshelo futhi kuthandazwe kubuye kuhlonishwe onkulunkulu ngemidlalo ephambili noma ngemincintiswano yobungcweti.

Umkhosi omdala futhi ovelele kunayo yonke leyo mikhosi, okuthiwa waqala ngo-776 B.C.E., wawuba khona njalo ngemva kweminyaka emine ukuze kuhlonishwe uZeus e-Olympia. Owawulandela ngokubaluleka yilowo waseDelphi. Njengoba wawenzelwa eduze kwethempeli lesithixo elidumile lasendulo, eDelphi, nakuwo kwakuba nemidlalo. Kodwa ukuze kuhlonishwe umxhasi wezinkondlo nomculo, u-Apollo, into eyayenziwa kakhulu ukucula nokudansa.

Imidlalo Eyayidlalwa

Uma kuqhathaniswa nemidlalo yamanje, eyasendulo yayimbalwa kakhulu futhi yayidlalwa amadoda kuphela. Imidlalo yama-Olympic asendulo yayingabi nemidlalo engaphezu kweshumi. EColosseum kwakunezithombe nemifanekiso eqoshwe ematsheni, imihlobiso yamatshe nemifanekiso esezitsheni zobumba olubomvu eyayibonisa eminye yaleyo midlalo.

Kwakunemidlalo yabasubathi ababengazigqoki izicathulo zokugijima engamabanga amathathu—i-stadium elilodwa, elingaba amamitha angu-200; ama-stadium amabili, alingana namamitha angu-400 namuhla; nebanga elide, amamitha angaba ngu-4 500. Abasubathi babegijima futhi bezivocavoca benqunu cwe. Emidlalweni wemidlalo emihlanu kwakunale midlalo okwakuncintiswana ngayo: owokugijima, owe-long jump, owokuphonsa i-discus ne-javelin nowe-wrestling. Eminye imidlalo kwakuyisibhakela ne-pancratium, okuthiwa “umdlalo ononya ohlanganisa isibhakela ne-wrestling futhi abadlali babelwa bengawafakile amagilavu esibhakela.” Kwakuba khona nomjaho wezinqola webanga elingamamitha angu-1 600. Lezi zinqola ezilula zazinamakalishi avuleke ngemuva namasondo amancane futhi zazidonswa amankonyane amahhashi noma amahhashi amadala amabili noma amane.

Umdlalo wesibhakela wawunobudlova kakhulu ngezinye izikhathi kwakubulawana nokubulawana. Abashayi besibhakela babesongela ezibhakeleni zabo imidweshu yesikhumba esiqinile esinezinsimbi ezilimazayo. Ungase ubone ukuthi kungani omunye umshayi sibhakela okwakuthiwa uStratofonte engakwazanga ukuzibona esibukweni ngemva kwamahora amane okushaya isibhakela. Izithombe zasendulo eziqoshwe ematsheni nemihlobiso yamatshe zibonisa ukuthi ubuso babashayi sibhakela babonakala ngempela.

Kuyi-wrestling, imithetho yayivumela ukuba uyibambe engxenyeni engaphezulu kuphela yomzimba imbangi yakho, owayenqoba yilowo owayeyithela phansi kuqala imbangi yakhe izikhathi ezintathu ize ingakwazi nokuthi nyaka. Ngokuphambene nalokho, kuyi-pancratium yayingekho imithetho enqabela ukubambana. Abadlali babengakhahlelana, bangqubuzane ngezibhakela baze basontane ngisho namalunga. Ukuphela kwento eyayinqatshelwe ukukopana amehlo, ukuklwebhana nokulumana. Injongo kwakuwukuyithela phansi imbangi ize ingakwazi ngisho nokuthi nyaka bese uyiphoqa ukuba icele umaluju. Abanye babethi “iwumdlalo omnandi kunayo yonke eyase-Olympia.”

Isenzakalo esidume kunazo zonke emidlalweni ye-pancratium kuthiwa senzeka emdlalweni wamanqamu wase-Olympia ngo-564 B.C.E. U-Arrhachion, nakuba ayebanjwe ngobhongwane imbangi yakhe, wayesenawo amandla kangangokuthi wayiklunyula uzwane. Iphelelwe amandla ngenxa yobuhlungu, imbangi yakhe yacela umaluju ngaphambi nje kokuba u-Arrhachion afe. Amajaji amemezela ukuthi isidumbu sika-Arrhachion yisona esingumnqobi!

Umjaho wezinqola wawudume kunayo yonke imidlalo futhi yiwona mdlalo amakhosi ohlanga ayewuthanda kakhulu ngenxa yokuthi umnqobi kwakuba umnikazi wenqola namahhashi hhayi umshayeli wayo. Isikhathi esasinzima emncintiswaneni esokuqala komjaho, lapho kwakudingeka ukuba abashayeli bezinqola bahlale emizileni yabo, okwakunzima nakakhulu kwakudingeka ukuba bahlale emzileni yabo ngisho nalapho sebejika emapalini. Ukwenza iphutha noma ukweqa umthetho womdlalo kwakungabangela izingozi ezazenza lo mdlalo othandwayo ube mnandi nakakhulu.

Umklomelo

Umphostoli uPawulu wathi: “Emncintiswaneni abagijimi bagijima bonke, kodwa munye kuphela owamukela umklomelo.” (1 Korinte 9:24) Ukunqoba yikona okwakubalulekile. Kwakungekho othola isiliva noma ithusi, noma ophuma isibili noma isithathu. “Ukunqoba, ‘iNike,’ kwakuyiwona mgomo womdlali,” kuchaza umbukiso. “Ukunqoba kuphela okwakugculisa umdlali ngoba yikho kuphela okwakuveza ngempela uhlobo lomuntu ayilo, ngokomzimba nangokokuziphatha, futhi yikona idolobha lakubo elaliziqhenya ngako.” Konke lokhu kufingqwa ngomusho owodwa othathwe enkondlweni kaHomer: “Ngiye ngafunda ukuba nginqobe njalo.”

Umklomelo owawunikezwa umnqobi Emidlalweni YamaGreki—umqhele wamacembe—wawufanekisela okuthile kuphela. UPawulu wawubiza ngokuthi “umqhele owonakalayo.” (1 Korinte 9:25) Nokho, lo mklomelo wawunencazelo ejulile. Wawufanekisela wona kanye amandla emvelo ayenza umnqobi anqobe. Uma umuntu enqobile, okuyinto ayeyilwela kanzima, kwakusho ukuthi uthole umusa konkulunkulu. Imibukiso yayiveza indlela abaqophi bamatshe basendulo nabapendi bemifanekiso ababemdweba ngayo uNike, unkulunkulukazi wokunqoba wamaGreki onamaphiko, enikeza umnqobi umqhele. Uma umdlali enqoba emdlalweni wase-Olympia wayesuke esefike ekugcineni impela.

Imiqhele yemidlalo yase-Olympia yayenziwa ngamacembe omnqumo wasendle—eyemidlalo yase-Isthmus yayenziwa ngawe-pine, eyaseDelphi yayenziwa ngawe-laurel, eyaseNemea yayenziwa ngawe-celery yasendle. Abagqugquzeli bemidlalo yakwezinye izindawo babekhipha imiklomelo eyimali noma eminye ukuze bahehe abadlali abasezingeni eliphezulu. Izitsha eziningana ezazisembukisweni zaziyimiklomelo Emidlalweni Yabo Bonke Abantu Base-Athens eyayibase-Athens kuhlonishwa unkulunkulukazi u-Athena. Lezi zitsha ekuqaleni zaziphethe amafutha omnqumo ayigugu ase-Attica. Ohlangothini lwesinye salezi zitsha kunomhlobiso walo nkulunkulukazi namazwi athi “umklomelo wemincintiswano ka-Athena.” Kolunye kwakunomfanekiso womdlalo, cishe lowo umdlali ayenqobe kuwo.

Amadolobha aseGrisi ayekujabulela ukuthola udumo wona kanye nabadlali bakhona, abakunqoba kwabo kwakubenza amaqhawe emphakathini yakubo. Lapho abanqobi bebuya kwakuba nezindwendwe zokuhalalisa ukunqoba kwabo. Ukuze badunyiswe, kwakumiswa izithombe eziqoshwe ngamatshe zibe iminikelo yokubonga konkulunkulu—udumo ngokuvamile olwalunganikwa abantu—izimbongi zibabongele ngobuqhawe babo. Ngemva kwalokho abanqobi babehlaliswa phambili emicimbini banikezwe imali ekhishwa umphakathi.

Izindlu Zemidlalo Nabadlali Bakhona

Umncintiswano wemidlalo wawubhekwa njengento edingekile ekuthuthukiseni isosha lesizwe. Wonke amadolobha aseGrisi ayenezindlu zawo zemidlalo, lapho izinsizwa zaziqeqeshwa khona ngokomzimba zibuye ziqeqeshwe ngezifundo ezithile nezenkolo. Izindlu zemidlalo zazakhiwa zizungeze indawo enkulu yokuzivocavoca, zizungezwe imipheme nezinye izindawo ezinophahla ezazenziwa imitapo yezincwadi namakilasi. Abantu ababevame ukuya kulezi zikhungo, yizinsizwa ezivela emikhayeni ekhomba ngophakathi ezaziba nesikhathi esiningi sokufunda kunesokusebenza. Lapha, abadlali babezilolongela imidlalo isikhathi eside futhi kanzima besizwa abaqeqeshi babo, ababebatshela ukuthi yini okufanele bayidle baqiniseke nangokuthi bayazithiba ekulaleni nabesifazane.

Umbukiso waseColosseum wanikeza izihambeli ithuba lokuyithulela isigqoko imifanekiso emihle yabadlali basendulo, eminingi yayo eyenziwa amaRoma eyisusela emifanekisweni yokuqala yamaGreki eqoshwe ematsheni. Njengoba kumaGreki asendulo ukungabi nasici emzimbeni kwakuhambisana nokungabi nasici ngokokuziphatha futhi kuyinto yabantu basebukhosini kuphela, le mizimba emihle yabadlali abangabanqobi yayiyilokho okwakushiwo ifilosofi yamaGreki. AmaRoma ayeyihlonipha le mifanekiso njengemisebenzi yobungcweti, eminingi yayo yayihlobise izinkundla zemidlalo, izindlu zokugeza, izindlu zezicebi nezigodlo.

KumaRoma, imidlalo enobudlova yiyona ngokuvamile eyayithandwa, ngakho kuyo yonke imidlalo yamaGreki eyayenziwa imidlalo yeshashalazi eRoma, eyayithandwa kakhulu isibhakela, i-wrestling ne-pancratium. AmaRoma ayebheka le midlalo njengento yokuzijabulisa nje, hhayi njengomncintiswano ophakathi kwezinkunzi ezimbili ezinamandla alinganayo okufanele kubonakale ukuthi iyiphi ezogoba uphondo. Injongo yasekuqaleni yemidlalo, eyayiwukudlala ndawonye kwabadlali abayizihlabani njengengxenye yemfundo yabo, yayekwa. Kunalokho, amaRoma alehlisa izinga lemidlalo yamaGreki ngokuyenza imidlalo enempilo yokuzivocavoca ngaphambi kokugeza noma umdlalo onezibukeli odlalwa izingcweti ezisezingeni eliphansi, ofana kakhulu nemidlalo yaseshashalazini yokulwa nezilwane.

AmaKristu Nemidlalo

Ukufakwa kwenkolo kwezemidlalo kwakungesinye isizathu esenza amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala azigweme ezemidlalo, ngoba “linakuvumelana kuni ithempeli likaNkulunkulu nezithombe?” (2 Korinte 6:14, 16) Kuthiwani ngezemidlalo namuhla?

Ngokusobala, imidlalo yanamuhla ayidumisi onkulunkulu abangamaqaba. Nokho, akulona yini iqiniso ukuthi eminye imidlalo ishisekelwa njengokungathi inkolo, njengaleyo yasendulo? Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba eminyakeni yamuva imibiko iye yabonisa, ukuze banqobe, abanye abadlali bebedla izidakamizwa ezibenza badlale kakhulu kodwa ezilimaza impilo yabo ngisho nokuphila kwabo.

KumaKristu, impumelelo ezintweni zenyama ayizuzisi kangako. Izimfanelo ezingokomoya ‘zomuntu osithekile wenhliziyo’ yizo ezisenza sibe bahle kuNkulunkulu. (1 Petru 3:3, 4) Siyaqaphela ukuthi namuhla akubona bonke abadlali abanomoya wokuncintisana onobudlova, kodwa abaningi banawo. Ingabe ukuzihlanganisa nabo kuyosisiza ukuba silalele umyalo womBhalo othi “ningenzi lutho ngombango noma ngokuzazisa, kodwa ngokuthobeka kwengqondo?” Noma lokho kuzihlanganisa nabo ngeke yini kubangele “ubutha, ukuxabana, umhawu, isifuthefuthe sentukuthelo, imibango, ukuhlukana”?—Filipi 2:3; Galathiya 5:19-21.

Imidlalo eminingi yanamuhla okuthintwana kuyo yenza kube lula ukuba abantu babe nobudlova. Noma ubani oyithandayo imidlalo enjalo kufanele akhumbule la mazwi eHubo 11:5: “UJehova ngokwakhe uhlola olungile kanye nomubi, futhi ngokuqinisekile umphefumulo wakhe uyamzonda umuntu othanda ubudlova.”

Ukuzivocavoca kungajabulisa uma kwenziwa ngezisusa ezifanele, nomphostoli uPawulu washo ukuthi “ukuqeqesha umzimba kuzuzisa kancane.” (1 Thimothewu 4:7-10) Nokho, lapho ekhuluma ngemidlalo yamaGreki, uPawulu wamane nje wabhekisela kuyo ukuze afanekise ukubaluleka kokuba amaKristu abe nezimfanelo ezinjengokuzithiba nokukhuthazela. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, umgomo uPawulu ayelwela ukuwufinyelela kwakungowokuthola “umqhele” wokuphila okuphakade ovela kuNkulunkulu. (1 Korinte 9:24-27; 1 Thimothewu 6:12) Kulokho, wasibekela isibonelo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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Umshayi Sibhakela Ngemva Kokulwa

Lo mfanekiso wethusi wangekhulu lesine B.C.E. ubonisa imiphumela emibi yomdlalo wasendulo wesibhakela. Ngokusho kwencwajana yalo mbukiso waseRome, kulo mdlalo “ukungawi komshayi sibhakela . . . ezimpini ezidonsayo, ‘okwakubuyiselwa kuzo inxeba ngenxeba,’ kwakuyisenzo esihle kakhulu sokulingiswa.” Ukulandisa kuyaqhubeka: “Izibazi zempi esanda kuphela zinezela kwezangezimpi ezidlule.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 29]

Umjaho wezinqola wawuwumdlalo odume kunayo yonke emincintiswaneni yasendulo

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Abadwebi basendulo babedweba uNike, unkulunkulukazi wokunqoba, ethwesa umnqobi umqhele