Why is pankration no longer played at the Olympics as of 2017

Pankration, an ancient Greek martial art that combined wrestling and boxing, was once featured in the Olympic Games. However, it was discontinued from the Olympics after the 4th century AD. There are several reasons for this:

Violence: Pankration was a brutal sport, with few rules and no weight classes. Competitors often suffered serious injuries or even death. This made it unsuitable for the modern Olympic Games, which emphasized sportsmanship and safety.
Lack of Standardization: The rules of pankration varied greatly from region to region in ancient Greece. This made it difficult to organize and standardize a competition at the Olympic level.
Decline of Greek Culture: The decline of Greek culture in the Roman period led to a loss of interest in pankration. It was no longer widely practiced or supported.
Emergence of New Sports: With the rise of more structured and codified sports like wrestling and boxing, pankration became increasingly obsolete. These sports provided a safer and more controlled form of combat for athletes.
Religious Objections: As Christianity gained influence in the Roman Empire, some early Christian leaders condemned pankration as pagan and barbaric. This further contributed to its decline.

When was pankration last featured in the Olympics? - 4th century AD
Why was pankration considered brutal? - Few rules and no weight classes
What factors contributed to the decline of pankration? - Violence, lack of standardization, cultural decline
How did Christianity influence the status of pankration? - It condemned the sport as pagan and barbaric
What sports replaced pankration in popularity? - Wrestling and boxing