13 December 2007

The Brief Epic Ballad of Koroibos the Cook

by Me

Koroibos quick, of Elis born,
was in Hellas with gold adorned
thirty-eight score years and sixteen
'ere the common era was on the scene.

Over six-hundred feet he crossed
faster than the others, who lost
in Olympia that first time.
Koroibos was a runner fine!

Zeno notes with civility
"Complete divisibility"
impairs runner's ability,
but his paradoxes are silly.

The Athletae began with cheese
but later on luscious meet seized
to feed the swift human machine
they might even feast on goat's spleen!

But before any of these things,
the story of the cleats and wings
starts with Achaean Koroibos,
and now I need some rooibos.


Sources for this Historical Poem -
- http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/SportScience.htm ("Hellenica," by Michael Lahanas)
- http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/paradox-zeno/#ArgComDiv (Zeno's Paradoxes in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- http://www.athleticscholarships.net/history-of-track-and-field.htm (College Athletic Scholarships, a recruiting service)

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