Contents

Figures

Maps and Plans

Notes on Contributors

Acknowledgments

General Introduction

1 Definitions, Parameters

2 The Development of the Field

3 The Aims and Design of This Companion

4 Organizational Structure: Sections, Parts, and Chapters

SECTION I: Greece

PART I : The Background

CHAPTER 1 : Greek Athletic Competitions

1 Introduction

2 From Funeral Games to Athletic Festivals

3 The Historical Ancient Olympics

4 The Olympic Program of Contests

5 Gymnic Contests

6 Hippic Contests

7 More Panhellenic Crown Games

8 Local or Civic Games

CHAPTER 2 : Sport in the Aegean Bronze Age

1 Introduction

2 Prepalatial Crete (c.3100–c.1950 BCE, Early Minoan I–Middle Minoan IA)

3 Protopalatial Crete (c.1950–c.1750 BCE, Middle Minoan IB–IIB)

4 Neopalatial Crete (c.1750–c.1450 BCE, Middle Minoan IIIA–Late Minoan IB)

5 Monopalatial Crete (c.1450–c.1375 BCE, Late Minoan II–IIIA1)

6 The Palatial Greek Mainland (c.1425–c.1190 BCE, Late Helladic IIIA1–IIIB2)

7 The Postpalatial Aegean (c.1190–c.1020 BCE)

CHAPTER 3 : Sport in the Early Iron Age and Homeric Epic

1 Introduction

2 Sport in the Material Culture of the Early Iron Age

3 Sport in Homeric Epic

4 Conclusion

CHAPTER 4 : Representations of Sport in Greek Literature

1 Introduction

2 Beauty

3 Moral Excellence

4 Opposition

5 Skill

6 Conclusion

CHAPTER 5 : Picturing Victory

1 Introduction

2 Training

3 Competition

4 Victory

5 The Sociopolitical Context

CHAPTER 6 : Inscriptions as Evidence for Greek Sport

1 Introduction

2 The Gymnasion in Hellenistic and Roman Poleis

3 The Agonistic Market

4 Associations of Athletes

5 Athletes: Social Status and Values

CHAPTER 7 : Recent Trends in the Study of Greek Sport

1 Introduction

2 The Origins and Rise of Greek Sport: Agonism and Ethnicity

3 Ancient Olympia

4 The Periodos

5 Local Games

6 Sport, Classes, and Social Change

7 The Culture of Greek Sport: Religion, Education, and Ideology

8 Macedonia and Hellenistic Greek Sport

9 Greek Sport and Rome

10 Our Sources: Literary and Material Evidence

11 Conclusion

PART II : Places

CHAPTER 8 : Panhellenic Athletics at Olympia

1 Introduction

2 Olympia as a “Panhellenic” Sanctuary

3 Olympia as an Extra-Urban Sanctuary of Elis

4 Tensions Arising from the Double Nature of Olympia

5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 9 : Sport and Society in Sparta

1 Introduction

2 Spartan Sport in the Classical Period

3 Sport and Society in Sparta in the Classical Period: Introduction

4 Sport and Society in Sparta in the Classical Period: Socialization and Coercion

5 Sport and Society in Sparta in the Classical Period: Consensus

6 Conclusion

CHAPTER 10 : Sport, Society, and Politics in Athens

1 Introduction

2 Sport in Archaic Athens: Precursors and the Great Panathenaia

3 Athletes in Greek Society

4 Athenian Sociopolitical Sport History

5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 11 : Athletic Festivals in the Northern Peloponnese and Central Greece

1 Introduction

2 The Pythian Games at Delphi

3 The Isthmian Games

4 The Nemean Games

5 The Sanctuary of Zeus at Mt Lykaion in Arcadia

6 Conclusion: A Question of Priority

CHAPTER 12 : Sport and Society in the Greek West

1 Introduction

2 Sport in the Greek West: Croton

3 Sport in the Greek West: Taras

4 Gela, Syracuse, and Akragas: The Deinomenids and Emmenids

5 Conclusion

PART III : People, Settings, Ideas

CHAPTER 13 : Sport and Democratization in Ancient Greece (with an Excursus on Athletic Nudity)

1 Introduction

2 Sociopolitical Change

3 Changes in Greek Sport

4 Sport as a Model of and for Egalitarian Relationships

5 Sport as an Arena of Meritocratic Status Competition

6 Sport as a Source of Social Capital

7 Sport and Group Closure

8 Athletic Nudity and Democratization

9 Conclusion

CHAPTER 14 : Growing Up with Greek Sport

1 Introduction

2 Physical Education

3 Athletic Contests

CHAPTER 15 : Eros and Greek Sport

1 Introduction

2 Textual Sources

3 Visual Evidence

4 Three Questions about the Connection between Paederastia and Sport

CHAPTER 16 : Greek Female Sport

1 Introduction

2 The Ancient Evidence: Problems and Perspectives

3 Early Greece: Precursors, Epic, and Myth

4 Spartan Female Physical Education

5 Athenian Girls’ Races or Rites

6 The Heraia at Olympia

7 The Olympic Ban on Women

8 Kyniska of Sparta

9 Hellenistic Females and Competition

10 Female Athletics in the Roman Empire

11 Conclusion: From Rites to Athletics

CHAPTER 17 : People on the Fringes of Greek Sport

1 Introduction

2 Officials

3 Jockeys, Drivers, Coaches, Trainers, and Musicians

4 Spectators

5 Intellectuals

6 Social Groups and Classes

7 Ethnic Groups

CHAPTER 18 : The Greek Stadium as a Reflection of a Changing Society

1 Introduction

2 The Form of the Greek Stadium

3 The Introduction of the Hysplex

4 Vaulted Entrance Tunnels

5 Formal Seating for Spectators

6 Civic Stadia

CHAPTER 19 : The Social Life of Greek Athletic Facilities (other than Stadia)

1 Introduction: Casting the Net Wide

2 Spaces for Competition

3 Spaces for Preparation

4 Spaces and Structures for Hosting Athletic Competitions

5 The Meaning and Use of Spatial Indeterminacy

6 Conclusion

CHAPTER 20 : The Role of Religion in Greek Sport

1 Introduction

2 Religion and the Origins of Greek Sport

3 Religiosity and Ritual in Festival Games

4 The Religious Status of Victorious Athletes

5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 21 : Ancient Critics of Greek Sport

1 Introduction

2 Arete and Rewards: Critics of Sport in Archaic Greece

3 Sport, Politics, and Conflict

4 Critiques of Greek Sport in the Age of Empires

5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 22 : Sport, Spectacle, and Society in Ancient Macedonia

1 Introduction

2 Sources

3 Macedonians and Sport Outside the Kingdom

4 Sport inside Macedonia

5 Spectacles

6 Conclusion: Society

PART IV : Later Greek Sport and Spectacle

CHAPTER 23 : Greek Sport in Egypt

1 Introduction

2 Sport in the Early Ptolemaic Kingdom

3 Sport in Egypt in the Later Hellenistic and Early Roman Periods

4 Changes in Administration and Sport in Egypt in the Third Century CE

5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 24 : Sport in Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor

1 Introduction

2 The Growth of the “Agonistic Market”

3 Sports Culture in Greek Cities of Asia Minor

4 Emperors and Contests

5 Conclusion

SECTION II: Rome

PART I : The Background

CHAPTER 25 : Overview of Roman Spectacle

1 Introduction

2 Ludi

3 Chariot Races

4 Drama

5 Gladiatorial Combats

6 Staged Animal Hunts

7 Staged Sea Battles

8 Greek Athletics

9 Conclusion

CHAPTER 26 : Etruscan Sport

1 Introduction

2 Early Depictions of Etruscan Sport

3 Events

4 Equipment

5 Social Status of Athletes

6 The Social Contexts of Etruscan Sport

7 The Physical Contexts of Etruscan Sport

8 Conclusion

CHAPTER 27 : Writing Arenas

1 Introduction

2 Genres and Roman Attitudes toward Entertainments

3 The “Serious” Genres

4 The “Lighter” Genres

5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 28 : Representations of Spectacle and Sport in Roman Art

1 Introduction

2 Beast Hunts

3 Public Executions

4 Gladiatorial Combats

5 Chariot Races

6 Greek Sport

7 The Importance of Context

8 Public Contexts: Amphitheaters and Baths

9 Between Public and Private: Tombs

10 Private Contexts: Houses

11 Conclusion

CHAPTER 29 : Material Evidence for Roman Spectacle and Sport

1 Introduction

2 Objects Used by Participants in and Observers of Roman Sport and Spectacle

3 Nonliterary Texts

4 Cultural Objects

5 Burials and Bones

CHAPTER 30 : Trends in the Study of Roman Spectacle and Sport

1 Introduction

2 Sport and Spectacle as Entertainment

3 Sport and Spectacle as a Political and Moral Arena

4 The Crowd as Participant

5 Conclusion

PART II : Spectacles and Sport in Rome

CHAPTER 31 : Gladiatorial Combat as Alluring Spectacle

1 Introduction

2 The Allure of Sport

3 Gladiators and Sport

4 Psychological Processes

CHAPTER 32 : Women with Swords

1 Introduction

2 What Do We Know?

3 Problematic Evidence

4 The Phenomenon of Female Gladiators

5 Women as Spectators

CHAPTER 33 : Roman Chariot Racing

1 Introduction

2 The Circus

3 Charioteers

4 Spectators and Fans

5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 34 : Roman Beast Hunts

1 Introduction

2 Origins and Development of the Beast Hunts in Republican Rome

3 Animal Spectacles under the Empire

4 The Infrastructure of Roman Animal Spectacles

5 The Performers

6 The End of Animal Spectacula

CHAPTER 35 : Spectacular Executions in the Roman World

1 Introduction

2 Origins

3 “Fatal Charades”

4 Popularity

5 Spectacular Executions in the Later Empire

CHAPTER 36 : Greek Sports in Rome

1 Introduction

2 Greek Sports Come to Rome

3 Venues in Rome for Greek Sports

4 A Clubhouse for the Guild of Athletes

5 Greek Sports as Exercise in Rome

6 Conclusion

PART III : People, Settings, Ideas

CHAPTER 37 : Amphitheaters in the Roman World

1 Introduction

2 Origins of Amphitheaters and Their Early Development at Rome

3 The Republican Amphitheater

4 Construction and Location

5 The Colosseum and Amphitheaters in Imperial Italy

6 Amphitheaters in the Western Empire

7 Amphitheaters in the Eastern Empire

8 Conclusion

CHAPTER 38 : Venues for Spectacle and Sport (other than Amphitheaters) in the Roman World

1 Introduction

2 Circuses

3 Stadia

4 Artificial Lakes

5 Adapted and Modified Venues

6 Conclusion: Spectacle and Structures

CHAPTER 39 : People on the Margins of Roman Spectacle

1 Introduction

2 Condemned Criminals

3 Support Personnel

4 Jews and Other Non-Romans

5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 40 : Religion and Roman Spectacle

1 Origins

2 Theories and Critique of Secularization

3 Gods, Curses, and Devotions

CHAPTER 41 : Ancient Critics of Roman Spectacle and Sport

1 Introduction

2 Roman Objections to Roman-Style Spectacles: Opposition from the Literary Elite and the Stoics

3 Roman Objections to Greek-Style Athletics in Roman Contexts: Opposition from Elite Romans, Doctors, and Intellectuals

4 Jewish Objections to Sport and Spectacle in the Roman World

5 Christian Objections to Sport and Spectacle in the Roman World

6 Conclusion

PART IV : Later Roman Spectacle and Sport

CHAPTER 42 : Romanization through Spectacle in the Greek East

1 Introduction: Roman(izing?) Spectacles

2 Spectacle

3 Beast Hunts and Executions

4 Gladiators

5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 43 : Spectacle and Sport in Constantinople in the Sixth Century CE

1 Introduction

2 Byzantine Spectacle

3 Byzantine Riots

4 The Conjunction of Spectacle and Riot

5 Conclusion

Index