Since the Middle Ages, sport has survived because of its masochistic and sadistic components. The Greeks, who organized athletic contests into the Olympic Games in 776 B.C., emphasized the relationship between the mind and the body and fair competition, rather than putting emphasis on winning or losing. The Romans preferred the spectacle of unequal combat among gladiators, prisoners, and animals. After the fall of Rome, asceticism and scholarship thrived, and physical conditioning was important only to noblemen who were knights. Their valor and tactical skill during jousts delighted the crowds, who revelled in the violence. During the Middle Ages, the result of most sport was the infliction of injury, or even death. Although the Renaissance offered some hope of a return to the Greek ideals, dual and team contests were increasingly popular. In modern times, sports organizations have attacked the evils of unfair competition and violence in sport, and they must continue to resist the prevalent attitude that winning is everything. Violence in sport is reflected in books, movies, and in society itself. The future of sport depends on the revival of the Greek ideal of athletics. (FG)