Sport in the Greek and Roman Worlds Early Greece, The Olympics, and Contests Volume 1

From the Minoan bull-leaping to the ancient Olympics and the enigmas of their contests, this first volume of Sport in the Greek and Roman Worlds contains nine articles and chapters of enduring importance to the study of sport in ancient Greece, a field located at a crucial intersection of social history, archaeology, literature, and other aspects of Greek culture.

The studies have been updated with addenda by the original authors, and two of the articles that were originally published in German or French have been translated into English here for the first time. The studies, selected for breadth and importance of historical topics, include: Greek sport in its epic, heroic, and Bronze Age origins; the ancient Olympics in its relation to religion, politics, and diversity of competitors; Greek events in track and field and equestrian events.

A companion second volume complements this one with studies on the social and economic aspects of Greek sport, the role of Greek sport in the Roman era, and forms, functions and venues of Roman spectacles. The articles in both volumes offer an excellent starting point to inspire newcomers to the study of ancient sport, and to give students and scholars an informative set of models for present knowledge and future research.

Thomas F. Scanlon is a Professor of Classics and director of the Programme in Comparative Ancient Civilizations at the University of California, Riverside.

Preface
Introduction
Greek Sports: Heroes and Origins
Introduction, T. F. Scanlon
1. Women, Bull Sports, Cults and Initiation in Minoan Crete, T. F. Scanlon
2. Athletic Contests in the Epic, W. H. Willis
3. Athletic Cults in Ancient Greece: political topic, mythical discourse, F. de Polignac
Greek Sports: Contesting the Olympics
Introduction, T. F. Scanlon
4. Olympia. The Place of the Contests in the Cult of Zeus Olympios, U. Sinn
5. Athlete and State: Qualifying for the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, N. B. Crowther
6. Olympic Victors and the Popularity of the Games in the Imperial Period, A. Farrington
Greek Sports: Enigmas and Solutions of the Contests
Introduction, T. F. Scanlon
7. Turns and Lanes in the Ancient Stadium, S. G. Miller
8. Watching and Winning the Greek Pentathlon, D. G. Kyle
9. Equestrian Competition in Ancient Greece: Difference, Dissent, Democracy, M. Golden
Bibliography
Index