Gymnastics formally originated in ancient Greece, where it was used by soldiers to get ready for war. The skills and strength needed to perform gymnastic moves-running, jumping, tumbling, mounting and dismounting horses-were all thought to be great assets to those battling on the war field.
As a result, gymnastics became a vital component of Greek education. It was mandatory for all students to practice the sport and eventually the gymnasiums developed into schools where gymnastics, music, and mathematics were all taught and perfected. And as the Roman Empire gained power and ascended to the Greek peninsula, Greek gymnastics evolved into nothing more than glorified military training